The Petaluma City Council on Monday pushed forward with plans to spend nearly $8 million in federal coronavirus relief funding, tapping the one-time money for city facility upgrades, a tiny home village for homeless residents and $1,000 bonuses for city staff, among other proposals.
The series of controversial spending decisions came two weeks after a gridlocked, six-member city council forced officials to delay approval.
With Council member Kevin McDonnell back in the fold Monday, a still-split council reached agreement on all but $650,000 of the $8.3 million the city has received as part of President Joe Biden’s $350 billion American Rescue Plan Act.
The council approved the following unanimously Monday:
$500,000 – Small business loan forgiveness and expansion of the city’s “free range” program that enables companies to use adjacent land, such as city-owned sidewalks to conduct business.
$1.7 million – For interim housing solutions, such as a tiny home village for the city’s homeless residents.
$100,000 – Childcare assistance for before- and after-school programs.
$100,000 – For a local food assistance program.
$2.5 million – For coronavirus-safety renovations, as well as HVAC and emergency efficiency upgrades at city facilities.
$250,000 – For City Council chambers audio-visual upgrades
In a 6-1 vote, with Vice Mayor Brian Barnacle the lone dissenter, the council voted to approve the following:
$500,000 – Petaluma Police Department remodeling
$313,000 – Skatepark site location and design
$178,000 – FEMA/general flood plan modeling
$162,000 – Climate ready campaign; community outreach and engagement.
In a 4-3 vote, with Council members Dennis Pocekay, D’Lynda Fischer and Barnacle voting “no,” the council approved spending $800,000 to replace a Petaluma Fire Department truck.
In a 6-1 vote, with Fischer as the lone dissenter, the council voted to approve $1,000 bonuses for city staff.
City council members also agreed unanimously to conduct public outreach to sort out the remaining spending.
*This story will be updated.
Tyler Silvy is editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier. Reach him at tyler.silvy@arguscourier.com, 707-776-8458, or @tylersilvy on Twitter.
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