Historical Records Commission Minutes July 9, 2026

Members present:
Seana Gause (Chair)
Robert Chase
Michael Mueller
Margaret Purser

Member Attending Virtually:
Steven Lovejoy (Vice-Chair)

Member Excused:
None

Associate Members present:
Jaime Anderson, Collections Services Division Manager, Sonoma County Library
Eve Goldberg, County of Sonoma Library Commissioner and Liaison to the Historical Records Commission

Guests present:
Zayda Delgado, Supervising Librarian, History & Genealogy Library
Zaira Enriquez, Executive Assistant, Clerk-Recorder-Assessor and Acting HRC Secretary

1. Call to order 4:01 pm
2. Introduction of Guests
3. Approval of Minutes
   1. June 11, 2026 minutes
      
      1. Motion to approve the minutes by Margaret Purser
      2. Second by Robert Chase
      3. Roll Call Vote:
         1. Gause - Yes
         2. Lovejoy - Absent, Joined Late
         3. Purser - Yes
         4. Mueller - Abstain
         5. Chase - Yes
      4. Approved
4. Budget Discussion
   1. Balance is $3,545.18
5. Business
   
   1. HRC Commissioners Report
      1. Seana's report:
         1. No report
      2. Steven's report:
         1. No report
      3. Robert's report:
         1. No report
      4. Michael's report:
         1. Michael still has private land surveyor records from Sonoma, Mendocino, and Marin counties in his garage that he'll be throwing out soon.  Unfortunately, nobody has space to keep them.
      5. Margaret's report
         • No report
   2. Library Commission Liaison Report
      1. Update from Eve Goldberg:
         • The commission approved the 2026-2027 budget. This budget includes funds for the Occidental library.
         • Two commissioners' terms will be expiring soon; Windsor and Healdsburg. The Santa Rosa seat will also expire, but it has already been filled.
   3. Library Report
      1. Library Director Report
         • Library Update by Jaime Anderson:
           • The library is completing a major internal system upgrade this summer. As a result, some services will be disrupted. Starting next week, users will not be able to place holds on physical materials from July 13 – August 4. We have extended the checkout period for materials to six weeks temporarily. The online catalog will have some downtime, the library’s mobile app will be unavailable and some eResources will also be impacted. Details at https://www.sonomalibrary.org/about/systems.
           • The Petaluma Regional Library is celebrating 50 years! The public is invited to the 50th anniversary celebration this Saturday July 11th from 11-5 which will feature special activities, community partners, entertainment, and historical displays highlighting the library’s rich history and lasting impact on the Petaluma community.
           • The Rincon Valley Regional Library is planning to reopen on August 17 with new carpet, furnishings, shelving and paint.
           • The Roseland Regional Library project is progressing and on track for a summer 2027 opening.
           • The Sebastopol Regional Library closed on June 4 due to the discovery of mold and remains closed with no reopening date. The Sebastopol City Council approved moving forward with mold remediation which will take place over the next three weeks. They believe there is also structural damage inside the walls that will need to be repaired after the mold and moisture is under control.
           • The Rohnert Park Cotati Regional Library will be closing on September 1 for a building refresh. It’s been a busy year for building projects!
           • The library is moving forward with next steps to finance the purchase of 1400 N McDowell Blvd in Petaluma to be the new location of Library Headquarters.
         • Archives Operating Agreement Update
           • Library Director Erika Thibault has set a meeting with the County Administrator for July 24. She shared the previous version of the operating agreement with him, and he expressed interest in touring the facility. They will meet for the tour of the Archives and a discussion on July 24.
           • Jamie was asked to convey an offer from the HRC to join Library Director Erika Thibault at the July 24 meeting she has scheduled with the County Administrator.
      2. History and Genealogy Library Report
         
         • Update by Zayda Delgado:
           • The staff is getting ready for the new system update (Polaris).
           • The Rohnert Park-Cotati History Day July 25 from 10- 2 at the library. H&G will be present with a collection and talk to the community about what they do.
   4. Archives Activity Report
      1. Update by Zayda Delgado:
         
         • 30 resources were requested, 0 from county, and 4 unique users requested for the month of June.
         • Last meeting Steven stated he would like to have the type of records are being requested included in the monthly report. H&G will check to see if this may be accommodated. Did this request get clarified by H&G? The top three collections, BOS minutes, Superior Court records, Assessor’s aerial photographs, and public school.
           • 149 resources requested and 47 unique requestors
   5. Collections and Archives Recognition Awards
      1. No update
   6.  Outreach and Strategic Planning
      1. Social Media Plan
         • Secretary has received no response from County Communications on request to review the Social Media Plan; did follow up after the last meeting.  Secretary will follow up again.
      2. Finding History Day
         • Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 10:00AM to 2:00PM at the Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa. Event website: https://sonomacountyhistory.org/events/finding-history-day/
   7. County Recorder update
      1. Status of the Restrictive Covenant Modification Program
         • Continuing to review and send images from 1830-1963 and simultaneously sending as completed.  Currently working on OFFICIAL RECORDS BOOKS and have completed sending 1963.
         • Since the start of the program in January 2022, 199 Restrictive Covenant Modification documents have been recorded.
   8. Legislative Updates pertaining to public records
      1. Continuing to monitor legislation.
   9. 3850 and 3880 Brickway Blvd Building Purchase update
      1. No update
6. New Business
   
   1. None
7. Public Comment
   1. Library Commission meeting, August 5, 2026, 6 pm, Library Headquarters, Rohnert Park
   2. Sonoma County Heritage Network Meeting, July 11, 2026, 10 am-12 pm, KRCB offices in Rohnert Park
   3. Museum of Sonoma County
      1. Exhibitions:
         • Sonoma County Stories, September 9, 2023-ongoing
         • Light, Clay, and Copper: Mid-Century Arts and Crafts in Sonoma County, September 9, 2023-ongoing
         • MSC Collections Gallery: New Acquisitions, June 15, 2024-ongoing
         • Santa Rosa History, February 12, 2026-ongoing
         • Disturbing the Peace: Sonoma County's Punk Underground, 1975-1999, April 11-August 23, 2026
         • Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Running Fence at 50 Years, June 27-November 8, 2026
8. Meeting adjourned at 4:31 pm

Next Meeting - August 13, 2026 - 4:00 pm

• In Person: County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor, Sonoma Room, 585 Fiscal Dr Rm 103, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
• Virtual: Guests may also join virtually. Please see the meeting month’s agenda for login information.