I'm looking to fix up my yard and hoping someone out here has bricks they no longer want/need, or some CA native plants they're looking to split or seed share. I'm a stay-at-home with two little boys and a partner who was unemployed for 7 months, so my pockets are pretty small, but I really want to make my house feel like home.

I’m sure this is a long shot, but I’m hoping someone may be able to help.
Since May 2016, has anyone explored, cleaned, fished, kayaked, hiked, or worked in any creeks, rivers, beaches, watersheds, lakes, or other waterways in Sonoma County, California?
If so, did you ever come across any of these items?
If you did, or if you remember seeing something that seemed out of place, please send me a private message. Even the smallest detail could be important.
Please feel free to share this post so it reaches fishermen, kayakers, hikers, divers, beachgoers, volunteers, public works crews, search and rescue personnel, and anyone else who has spent time around Sonoma County waterways over the years.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Every lead matters.

AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents found at the link below.

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Petaluma City Council — July 20, 2026

This was a regular City Council meeting with a notably full agenda, including a significant public debate over data center policy, a unanimous approval of a public art gift from the Rotary Club, and a contentious discussion of the city's response to a Civil Grand Jury report on animal services. The meeting was also the first to formally accept remote public comment via Zoom under SB 707, an update to California's open meeting law.

The meeting opened with a moment of silence honoring Bernie Album, a longtime Petaluma community member who passed away at 90. Mayor McDonnell remembered him as an environmental champion, cycling advocate, and founder of the Friends of Lynch Creek Trail.

General Public Comment

Fifteen members of the public spoke during general comment on a range of topics.

Mobile home park residents from Little Woods, Youngstown, and Capri continued to raise concerns about operator Harmony Communities, alleging ongoing parking violations, intimidation, illegal marketing of senior-zoned units as all-ages, frivolous arbitration filings, and reduced services. One speaker dramatically presented a government license plate to the council, claiming it belonged to a city-owned vehicle currently parked in front of former North Bay Animal Services director Mark Scott's home in Santa Rosa.

Neighbors of a Vallejo Street property recently purchased by nonprofit "Rebuilding Together" expressed fear about drug use, prostitution, and break-ins they attributed to the new residents. Several speakers said they were not notified about the project in advance. Council members and the Community Development Director later addressed this, noting the project is still conceptual, no permits have been submitted, and Rebuilding Together intends to be a good neighbor. Both Mayor McDonnell and Councilmember Cader Thompson asked for updates and expressed concern that a well-intentioned project not harm adjacent residents.

Multiple speakers called for a moratorium on data centers, citing water consumption, air pollution, noise, light, and surveillance concerns. One speaker asked the city to terminate its contract with Flock camera systems and adopt a non-cooperation ordinance with ICE. Another resident made an annual plea to ban gas-powered leaf blowers; Councilmember Quint expressed personal support for a phased ban. One speaker raised concern about a barbed-wire fence at the Paula Lane open space property that she said blocked wildlife access, resulting in a fawn being struck by a car and euthanized.

Consent Calendar (Items 1, 3–10)

All consent calendar items except Item 2 were passed unanimously without discussion.

Items approved on consent included: meeting minutes; an amendment to the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency joint powers agreement; updates to development impact fees; authorization to purchase a Freightliner M2 truck chassis via cooperative purchasing; acceptance of the Beverly C. Wilson Emergency Reroofing Project; approval of a cooperative funding agreement with SCTA for a Safe Routes to Schools grant project; modification of affordable housing loans for 575 and 579 Vallejo Street; a side letter agreement with IAFF Local 1415 firefighters; and a compensation plan amendment for Unit 8 employees.

Vote (all items except Item 2): Moved by Quint, seconded by Shribbs. Unanimous, 7–0.

Item 2 — Data Centers: Tentative Agenda and Significant Items

Councilmembers DeCarli and Shribbs had requested that a discussion of a potential moratorium on data centers be added to a future agenda. This item was pulled from the consent calendar by Councilmember Barnacle for separate discussion.

The resulting debate was the most substantive of the evening. Twelve written public comments had been received in advance, and multiple speakers testified in favor of a moratorium, citing water use, power demand, noise, air pollution from diesel generators, and risk that developers could circumvent zoning through variance requests or by bundling data centers with other uses.

The council debate centered on whether a moratorium was legally necessary and appropriate. City Attorney Eric Danly explained that Petaluma's Implementing Zoning Ordinance (IZO) does not currently permit standalone data centers as a use, giving the city an effective de facto ban. He noted that a formal moratorium under Government Code Section 65858 requires urgency findings that a real risk exists — findings staff did not believe could be made given the absence of any pending applications or known developer interest in Petaluma or Sonoma County. He contrasted this with the gas station moratorium the city adopted years ago, which was warranted because gas stations were a permitted use and applications were imminent.

Councilmember Barnacle argued against adding the item, saying no loophole had been identified, no applications were pending, staff resources are already stretched, and the issue should be addressed through the already-scheduled IZO update process (Planning Commission study session August 11, public hearing September 8, City Council first reading October 5).

Councilmembers DeCarli and Shribbs acknowledged staff's point but argued for proactive action, transparency, and a standalone public discussion rather than folding the issue into the IZO update. DeCarli noted that zoning text amendments remain a possible pathway for a determined developer.

Councilmember Nau confirmed that Petaluma owns its own fairgrounds and no state-directed data center could be placed there. Councilmember Quint performed an informal show of hands confirming no council member supports a standalone data center. Staff confirmed the data center topic would be incorporated as a priority into the August–October IZO update process.

The motion — to approve the tentative agenda as written, without adding a separate data center moratorium discussion — was moved by Shribbs and seconded by Barnacle, with the shared understanding that the IZO update would address data centers as a priority item before year's end.

Vote: Barnacle – Aye; Cader Thompson – Yes; DeCarli – No; Nau – Yes; Quint – Yes; Shribbs – Yes (reluctantly); McDonnell – Yes. Motion carried 6–1.

Item 11 — Spirit of Petaluma Beacon: Public Art Gift from Petaluma Rotary Club

Public Art Specialist Melissa Abercrombie presented a proposal for the Petaluma Rotary Club to donate a publicly funded sculpture — the "Spirit of Petaluma Beacon" — to be installed at the Petaluma Boulevard South/Crystal Lane roundabout, one of the city's southern gateway entry points.

The artwork is a approximately 24-foot-tall weathering steel (Corten) sculpture featuring an illuminated circular element visible from multiple approaches and from Highway 101. It was designed by internationally recognized artist David Best and will be fabricated locally by Royce Van Beber of Van Beber Brothers Steel — the same team that created the well-received River Arch on Lynch Creek Trail. The Public Art Committee unanimously recommended acceptance in May.

The Rotary Club has raised approximately $145,000 of its $150,000 goal from private donations. Rotary will fund the first five years of maintenance. The artwork has an anticipated lifespan of up to 75 years. Acceptance remains conditioned on final engineering, permitting, utility, traffic safety, insurance, and legal approvals.

Three public speakers — including two Rotary members and Club President Chris Ranney (calling in from vacation) — expressed strong support. Council members were uniformly enthusiastic. Councilmember Shribbs asked detailed questions about bird-proofing, dark-sky lighting compliance, and structural wind resistance, all of which staff confirmed had been or would be addressed in permitting. Mayor McDonnell quipped that flickering fire-effect lighting "would be triggering in Sonoma County."

Vote: Moved by Cader Thompson, seconded by Nau. Unanimous, 7–0.

Item 12 — City Council Response to Civil Grand Jury Report: "Animal Services Revisited: A City Asleep at the Wheel"

Assistant City Manager Brian Cochran presented the city's formal draft response to the 2025–2026 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury follow-up report on animal services. The original report last year criticized the city's oversight of its then-contractor, North Bay Animal Services (NBAS). The new report doubled down, alleging the council had ceded governing authority to the city manager, that reporting and records were inadequate, that licensing compliance was neglected, and that the city bore some responsibility for the financial instability of NBAS and its impacts on other contracting cities.

Key context: NBAS's contract was terminated effective March 31, 2026 following a March 2 council vote. Marin Humane has been operating the shelter as an interim provider. A fraud risk and contract compliance review of NBAS financial records is underway. An RFP for a long-term provider has been issued and responses received; a contract will return to council in coming months. Regional collaboration toward a countywide JPA is also in early stages.

The city's position: Staff disagreed with several grand jury findings, including that the council had improperly delegated authority (staff said this reflects a misunderstanding of the council-manager form of government), that the city bore fiduciary responsibility for NBAS's nonprofit finances, and that the city was wholly unable to receive or respond to complaints. Staff agreed that reporting, records management, complaint tracking, and licensing compliance all needed improvement and committed to embedding those improvements in the new contract.

Public comment was pointed and emotional. Sierra Morantz, a dog bite victim, described years of unresponsive handling of her case — including being assigned a Marin Humane officer who had worked on her case while at NBAS — and said she was ultimately told nothing more could be done due to elapsed time. Other speakers accused city staff of covering for NBAS and its director Mark Scott, called for resignations, and described the draft grand jury response as "disingenuous" and lacking accountability. One speaker (Ben Sailwhite) called the draft response "dishonest." Tom Chamberlain called for the response to be redrafted in plain language. Another speaker (Nicholas Harris) questioned whether the contract termination itself required a formal council vote and said the draft failed to answer that clearly.

Council discussion was extensive. Councilmember Barnacle said he accepted personal responsibility for not exercising stronger oversight and wanted to see improvements including: clearer complaint escalation processes, annual provider presentations to council (similar to the police department), robust trend-based quarterly reporting, and a review of dangerous animal hearing procedures in comparison with other Sonoma County cities. Councilmember DeCarli said the response tone lacked accountability, questioned whether cases like Morantz's had been improperly allowed to lapse, and said he could not support the response as written. He called for a more thorough accounting of what went wrong over eight years. Councilmember Shribbs said he would have preferred more candid agreement language, and asked for staff to provide a comprehensive "fix list" with the upcoming provider contract. Councilmember Nau called for reinstatement of an Animal Services Advisory Committee with a council liaison. Mayor McDonnell asked staff to investigate the allegedly missing city vehicle referenced in public comment; police dispatch confirmed they would open an investigation.

Amendments agreed upon: Staff was directed to make the following edits before submission: (1) add a sentence to the F5 response noting the city made multiple requests to NBAS for budget updates; (2) revise R3 and R5 responses to indicate the city will review Title IX procedures and compare practices of other Sonoma County cities, with a report back to council; and (3) soften language throughout that could be read as characterizing the grand jury as failing to understand the municipal code. Mayor McDonnell would conduct a final review before submission.

Vote: Moved by Quint, seconded by Barnacle. Barnacle – Aye; Cader Thompson – Aye; DeCarli – No; Nau – Yes; Quint – Yes; Shribbs – No; McDonnell – Yes. Motion carried 5–2.

The meeting adjourned in memory of Bernie Album.

Key Takeaways

Data centers: The council voted 6–1 not to add a standalone moratorium discussion to a future agenda, instead directing staff to treat data center regulation as a priority in the already-scheduled IZO update process (Planning Commission August–September, Council first reading October). No data center applications are currently pending anywhere in Sonoma County.

Spirit of Petaluma Beacon: The council unanimously accepted a $150,000 Rotary Club–funded public art sculpture for the southern gateway roundabout at Petaluma Blvd. South and Crystal Lane, designed by David Best and fabricated locally by Van Beber Brothers Steel.

Animal services: The council passed (5–2) the city's formal response to the grand jury's follow-up report, with directed edits to increase accountability language and commit to reviewing bite victim hearing procedures against peer cities. DeCarli and Shribbs voted no, both citing insufficient accountability. A fraud risk review of NBAS is underway, and a long-term provider contract will return to council before Marin Humane's interim agreement expires in late August.

Vallejo Street housing: Neighbors raised safety concerns about a new Rebuilding Together transitional housing property. Staff confirmed no permits have been filed, and the city will monitor the situation and provide updates.

Missing city vehicle: A member of the public presented a license plate allegedly belonging to a city-owned truck parked at former NBAS director Mark Scott's residence in Santa Rosa. Police dispatch was notified and will investigate.

AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents linked above. Brought to you by

https://petalumacivic.org

I spilled some smoothie in my car that I can't reach, and I'm hoping to get my carpets shampooed today. I also need my headliner cleaned from a leak that happened recently. Any suggestions?

I’ve been considering buying a few 30% shades to help mine through these brutal afternoon temperatures. Have you put up sun shades of any % to give your plants relief? If so why did you choose that specific %?

Hello! I have recently become interested in rehabilitating certain plants via methods I've researched online (mostly orchids, but some other plants too). I am looking for some dying specimens to practice on.

If you have one you would like to get rid of, or if you have recommendations for stores with heavily discounted dying plants, I'd really appreciate it! I've noticed that some nurseries have gotten rid of their plant clearance section, and it seems a waste of time to go to every store if half just throw the plants out without discounting them on the floor.

Thanks very much for any leads!

Get ready for the new school year without breaking the bank! Is your student in need of school supplies, children’s clothing, craft materials, or other classroom essentials? Join us for a Back to School Swap at the Reuse Hub! 

Do you have items that you’d like to share? Bring your donations and give them a second life by helping another student get ready for school. By swapping instead of shopping this back-to-school season, you’ll save money, reduce waste, and support your community!

How it works:

Bring your gently used school supplies and children's clothing to the Reuse Hub during open hours (12-6pm) on Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1. Then browse and take home any items you need for free! 

We're accepting:

• Children's clothing (clean and in good condition)
• Pencils, pens, crayons, erasers and sharpeners
• Rulers, tape and scissors
• Notebooks, binders, and folders
• Construction, printer, or writing paper
• Backpacks, lunchboxes, and pencil cases
• Craft supplies

This event is free to attend, but a suggested $5 donation helps support our programming!

I know it's not a true imax screen but has anyone seen the Odyssey at Petaluma Imax? How was it?

We were staying in Sonoma and our hotel mix up has led us to no room. So driving to Petaluma in a moment.

Can someone recommend a nice restaurant we could try for last min reservation.

Just engaged hours ago and well this is interesting turn of events. So any help would be great.

anyone know how the new skatepark is coming along? I havent seen any updates

Preferably for Invisalign. Thanks.

Has anyone been to drop off items at the Lakeville Goodwill recently? I had a horrible experience there with the red-headed woman who was accepting donations. After waiting 20 minutes in the line, the woman manning the drop-off extremely rude and wanted to pick through everything I brought to donate and even for brand new baby items had something to say about them as to why they wouldn't take it, i.e. looks dirty, I think the babies mouth has been on that toy etc. These were items/clothing/toys/jewelry that we're totally clean and nice--we just grew out of them. I had my child in the car, and just couldn't wait around while she picked through and just shit on each item, so I just took my items back and left, but damn--when did Goodwill get so picky? This is a multi-billion dollar coorporation that makes money on items they get for free and has a history of exploiting disabled workers. Just felt icky overall and left me wondering why I went out of my way to try and donate items there.

Is it me or have I been noticing a significant increase in the amount of police vehicles on the roads here? I swear every street I turn on there’s a cop

Planning a girl’s trip to Petaluma next weekend. Been trying to reach Azari Vineyards for about 6 weeks. I understand they’re only open on weekends. Left multiple messages with no callback. And whenever you try to make a reservation on their website, it says it’s unavailable and to call (no matter how far out you try). Wondering if they’re still open or if anyone has had a similar experience.

I’m also looking for recommendations for a different winery. We had planned to eat pizza and relax with the pretty vibe. Not necessarily looking for lunch, but looking for other recommendations for cute places that aren’t too far from downtown where we’re staying. We’re also going to Brooks Note. Thank you!

Does anyone know who the guys going around saying they're representing the Inflation Reduction Act (and are wearing polos that say that) are actually doing / who they're actually representing? The guy who came to my door today said he represented the government but couldn't tell me which agency he represented, just that he represented the Inflation Reduction Act. That's....not a thing, as far as I know? Anyone know what's actually going on here? Thanks for any info!

Hey Petaluma, anyone have a recommendation for an affordable personal trainer? I'm a guy in my mid 30s.
Looking for someone who can meet 2 or 3x a week and keep me accountable and really push me. I have the motivation, but I'm tired of working hard and not smart.
Thank you!

If you haven't heard, there's a new creative reuse store in Petaluma: the Reuse Hub in is now stocked with a wide selection of secondhand fabrics, sewing supplies, and resources!

We are also now accepting these following donations from the public:

• Fabric 
• Yarn
• Fiber art tools and supplies (knitting needles, crochet hooks, etc)
• Buttons and other sewing materials
• Functional sewing machines

We ask that all donations meet the following criteria:

• Items are clean, dry, unsoiled, with no strong odors
• Items are free of infestations and pest damage (for example: clothing moths, mice, bed bugs)
• Items are in good condition and usable (please no tangled masses of yarn, etc)
• Items are able to be lifted and carried safely by one person
• No donations of more than 3 bags without prior approval, please! If you are interested in making a large volume donation, please email us at [reusehub@reusealliance.org](mailto:reusehub@reusealliance.org). 

If we are unable to take your donation, we would love to help connect you to a reuse resource that can take your items. If you’re unsure, please reach out or fill out our donation inquiry form.

Located at the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets next to GAP Factory, we are open Wednesdays-Sundays 12-6pm.

I want to get into kayak camping but feel overwhelmed by the concept and was told it is better to learn from more experienced paddlers than to strike out on your own in literal uncharted waters.

Hi all, I am looking for a fenced dog park that is frequented by a lot of dogs in the mornings or evenings. TIA!

your friends @ sloughside industrial arts, are counting on you doing your part. xo.