Remarks by Mark Stapp
162 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 3 of 7
- Play at 12:11
“Thank you very much. We'll go to public comment. Again, if you're online, raise your hand or dial star nine. Are there any members of the public that would like to celebrate Santa Rosa being named the business-friendly city in Sonoma County? I see one member of the public who happens to be my mom making her way to the podium. I guess legally we're required to allow this. Oh, thank heavens. Okay, no public comment yet. We'll turn then, Lauren, anybody online?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 12:49
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 15:25
“Thank you very much. Any other reports by council? All right, I like the pace we're moving at tonight, folks. We will go to public comment then. Any members of the public wish to comment? Looking in chambers, seeing none. If you're online, raise your hand or dial star nine. Lauren, is there anybody online who wishes to comment?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 15:48
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 16:30
“Well, for the second week in a row, let's have it, Lauren.”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 17:26
“That's perfect. We'll do public comment on non-agenda matters at the end of the meeting and we can take this comment then.”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 17:37
“All right, thank you, Lawrence. We'll close public comment and let's see. We will, Vice Mayor, I'll look for a motion.”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 17:47
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 18:14
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 28:56
“Thank you very much and thanks for the incredible amount of work that it takes to actually put forward one of these applications to say nothing of all the policy work behind the scenes. Looking to council for questions right now. We have time to kill folks. Vice Mayor, start us off.”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 34:44
“Thank you. Thank you. Other questions? Just a couple for me. And Kelly, I hate to make you get up again, but I am kind of curious. What is the total amount of grant awards that we've received? I remember we got the nine and a half million a few years ago to do site work downtown. Is the pot larger than that?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 35:37
“That's helpful. So that 9.5 million, just to refresh my memory, that wasn't directly related to the pro-housing, but it was taken into account as a result of that grant decision, as I'm recalling from a few years ago. Is that accurate?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 35:55
“Megan, am I making things too complex here? Kelly, sorry to put you on the spot.”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 36:44
“That's helpful. Thank you. And what is the total pool of funds that is exclusive to cities with the pro-housing designation? Do we know that? Like a rough, back of the envelope number.”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 37:13
“All right, so let me ask the Vice Mayor's question in a slightly nicer way. So it has been, I'm sure the state has heard much from cities with the pro-housing designation that we go through the work, you go through the work to put together 170 page grant applications to say nothing of all the policy work, all the other policy work behind the scenes. And yet that has not to date been taken into account when it comes to decisions of local control. We're not the first to voice this complaint. Are there even murmurings at the state level that they might be interested in treating pro-housing…”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 38:09
“THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP WITH AT LEAST OUR CAL CITIES LOBBYIST. I'M SURE YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE EAR OF A LOT OF FOLKS AT THE STATE LEVEL TOO. BUT AGAIN TO THE POINT THAT THE VICE MAYOR MADE, IT'S INTERESTING THIS HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT GIVEN ALL OF THE HOUSING LEGISLATION THAT'S BEEN DROPPED ON TOP OF CITIES. ESPECIALLY CITIES LIKE OURS THAT HAVE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO BE GOOD ACTORS IN TERMS OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. I'LL END MY QUESTIONS THERE. NOTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 40:47
“Gregory, thank you. Anybody else in chambers wish to comment? Seeing none, we'll go online. Lauren, anybody with their hand raised online?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 41:02
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 41:34
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 42:00
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 49:37
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 54:32
“Thank you, other questions? Just one from me. So the list of projects that have come through since implementing this essentially pilot program, they're impressive. To what extent can we draw a correlation? How many of these projects would not have happened if we hadn't provided our impact fee incentives? And conversely, do we have a sense of how many projects are not happening primarily due to city impact fees? All of us get an earful on a regular basis and it's hard to suss out what the real impact is, what the correlation is. From your perspective, do you have a sense of either how…”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 57:36
“Very helpful answer, and I like your comparison of building homes versus building communities. That's a helpful clarification. Where do we stand on the spectrum of impact fees statewide and then potentially nationwide? Where is Santa Rosa? Are we super expensive? Are we kind of in the middle? Where do we stand?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 59:32
“Thank you. Again, helpful. And final question from me, and it goes back to a comment you made where you underlined that a number of incentive programs or policy changes that the city made, and I'm guessing you're talking about the Renewal Enterprise District as well. Some of the things that we put into place, we're attracting a different class of developer or a different category of developer. Are you referring to the related Californians and the LH housings? Are the larger players coming here because of this range of incentives or assistance that we've provided?”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 1:01:03
“Thank you. And is that class of developer, are they a little less sensitive to impact fees? I hear it less in relation to their projects than I do with some of the more regional players.”
City Council · Aug 4, 2026