Commission Meeting Minutes January 28, 2025

Commissioners Present:
First District: Howard Sapper (Officer-at-Large)*, Daniel H. Sohn**
Second District: Andrew Lemarquand***, Sadie Ferguson***, Nichole Warwick (Vice Chair)
Third District: Katrina Phillips (Chair), Isabel Lopez, Liz Cruz Reyes (Officer-at-Large)
Fourth District: Irmina Benson****, Cecilia Sofranko
Fifth District: Lyndsey Burcina, Nick Thayer

Commissioners Absent:
First District: Maria Barakat
*Commissioner Sapper arrived at approximately at 5:45pm.
**Commissioner Sohn left early at approximately at 5:45pm.

***Commissioners Lemarquand and Ferguson attended via Zoom per Gov’t. Code Section 54953(b) at this location: 1094 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma, CA 94952.
****Commissioner Benson attended via Zoom per AB2449

Meeting held virtually and in person.

I. Call To Order – Mission Statement – Roll Call – Phillips
Meeting called to order by Vice Chair Warwick at 5:36PM. Vice Chair Warwick read the mission statement. Roll call taken by Staff.

II. Japanese American Citizen League Presentation- Lemarquand
Bruce Shimizu with Sonoma County Japanese American Citizens League presented on the internment of Japanese Americans from Sonoma County during the WWII period. He shared personal family experiences and photos to give the audience a visual example during these times. He emphasized the long-standing impacts that it had on multiple generations of Sonoma County Japanese American community members and how prevent this experience to happen to any other ethnic group.

III. Consent Items- Phillips
1. Approval of the October 22, 2024 meeting minutes
2. Approval of the special meeting November 19, 2024 minutes

Motion to approve both October 22, 2024 meeting minutes and special meeting November 19, 2024 minutes. No Public Comment.
Motion: Commissioner Cruz Reyes 
Second: Commissioner Lopez 
Ayes: 7 Noes: 0 Absent:2 Abstained: 4

Commissioner Barakat was absent. Commissioner Sohn left early. Commissioners Thayer and

Burcina abstained as they were recently appointed to the Commission. Chair Phillips abstained as Chair. Vice Chair Warwick abstained due to running the meeting. Motion passed.

IV. Openings and Appointments – Phillips
1. Staff performed Commissioners Burcina and Thayer’s oath of office.
2. Vice Chair Warwick announced one (1) opening in the Fourth District and one (1) in the Fifth District.

V. Public Comment on Non-Agendized Items- Phillips
• Brie
• John

VI. Officers report and Administrative Updates.
Officers and Staff to discuss administrative-related matters including, but not limited to, field trip ideas and speaker coordination.
1. Staff reminded everyone to use their new email addresses and business cards.

VII. Ad Hoc Committee and Project Committee Updates
1. Youth Commission Project had an event in December where they learn about Homelessness. They will be having a meeting next week to talk about racial Justice and they are currently working on their projects. They will be presenting to the Board of Supervisors in March and do a social justice conference.
2. Adult Pride Ad Hoc is still conversing with Sonoma Pride on the logistics of the event and ticket prizes. They are seeking locations at no cost. El Coqui, Santa Rosa Junior College-Petaluma Campus and La Rosa were mentioned as recommendations.
3. Housing and Homelessness Committee is seeking legal advice to dismantle the idea that being homeless is illegal.
4. Racial Equity and Social Justice Framework didn’t have anything new to report.
5. Disability Justice Ad Hoc was dealing with restructuring and they have a meeting with Sonoma County Health Department to come up with the language of the fliers.
6. Sonoma County Visibility Project is still looking at the website design of the survey.

VIII. Regular Calendar
1. 2025 Black History Month Resolution
Vice Chair Warwick introduced the Black History Month Resolution. Staff announced that the resolution will be presented at the Board of Supervisors on February 4, 2025 at 1:30pm at 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A, Santa Rosa. Commissioner Thayer asked to clarify why don’t they establish an ongoing resolution instead of yearly resolution. The Commission clarify that it’s per year that the Board of Supervisors acknowledge the specific awareness to make it ceremonial and honoring the month each year. Motion to approve the resolution. No Public Comment.
Motion: Commissioner Burcina 
Second: Commissioner Sofranko

Ayes: 9 Noes: 0 Absent:2 Abstained: 2Commissioner Barakat was absent. Commissioner Sohn left early. Chair Phillips abstained as Chair. Vice Chair Warwick abstained due to running the meeting. Motion passed.

2. Adopting a Resolution Acknowledging Historical Injustices and Preventing Future Human Rights Violations
Commissioner Lemarquand shared that Sonoma County Japanese American community is supportive of the resolution. No discussion. No Public Comment. Motion to approve the resolution.
Motion: Commissioner Sapper 
Second: Commissioner Cruz Reyes
Ayes: 9 Noes: 0 Absent:2 Abstained: 2

Commissioner Barakat was absent. Commissioner Sohn left early. Chair Phillips abstained as Chair. Vice Chair Warwick abstained due to running the meeting. Motion passed.

 3. Sonoma County Visibility Project Name change
Commissioner Lemarquand suggested the name to be Sonoma County Visibility Project 2.0 as they are working on redesigning the website and transform the platform. No discussion. No Public Comment. Motion to approve the name change.
Motion: Commissioner Burcina 
Second: Commissioner Cruz Reyes   
 Ayes: 9   Noes: 0 Absent:2   Abstained: 2

Commissioner Barakat was absent. Commissioner Sohn left early. Chair Phillips abstained as Chair. Vice Chair Warwick abstained due to running the meeting. Motion passed.

4. Immigration and Sanctuary Support
Vice Chair Warwick led the discussion on how to support the community
particularly with regards to immigration and sanctuary support. She suggested to grant the Officers authority to sign on to certain call for action items, and approve items as a collective body, or to create public statements in response to the emerging needs in the community. This authority would allow the Officers to respond fast to the community. Commissioners voiced that they should all have talking points or a list of topics that the officers can respond to and deliver the same message. The Officers must later report out at the next meeting. The also want to create a resource guide to be placed on their website. No action was taken at this time.

IX. Additional Agenda Items for the Next Commission Meeting – Phillips
1. Report out for H1- Just Migration Reform

X. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:14 p.m.