SONOMA VALLEY, CA — Sonoma City Council members Wednesday will consider making a formal commitment to avoid actions that could violate California's Brown Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act, even as city officials dispute key allegations that prompted the proposed pledge.
The council will consider approving an "unconditional commitment" letter responding to a July 16 cease-and-desist letter from Laurie Alderman, who identifies herself in the letter as a Cotati resident and a homebound, wheelchair-reliant Sonoma County resident.
Alderman accused the city of violating California's Ralph M. Brown Act and the ADA during its July 15 council meetings. She alleged the city failed to properly notice closed sessions, failed to allow adequate public comment on individual agenda items, and denied her a reasonable disability accommodation when it did not allow her to comment live through Zoom.
She called the problems "ongoing, systemic violations" and threatened to pursue legal remedies, including a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice and action in California Superior Court, if the city failed to address them.
City officials, however, reject key parts of Alderman's account.
In its proposed response, the city says its two July 15 special closed-session meetings were properly noticed July 9, exceeding the 24-hour notice requirement for special meetings.
The agenda report also includes meeting-history screenshots showing publication activity July 9 for both closed-session agendas.
City officials say the public had an opportunity to comment before the council adjourned into each closed session.
The city also says no member of the public was denied an opportunity to speak during general public comment or on specific July 15 agenda items requiring council consideration or action.
Alderman's ADA allegation focuses on the city's refusal to allow her to participate live through Zoom.
Before the July 15 meeting, City Clerk Rebekah Barr told Alderman that Sonoma did not allow public comment through Zoom and did not have a policy providing remote participation as an ADA accommodation, according to the proposed response.
Instead, the city offered Alderman the option of submitting written comments or an audio recording in advance.
Officials also offered to allow her submission to exceed the standard public-comment time limit.
The city says it plans to prepare a draft ADA accommodation policy for public review and possible adoption in the coming months.
Despite challenging the allegations, city staff recommends approving the unconditional commitment letter.
The proposed letter would commit the council to refrain from failing to properly notice closed-session meetings, failing to provide required opportunities for public comment, and failing to provide reasonable accommodations under the ADA.
The city would make that commitment "without admitting any violation" of either law.
Under the Brown Act process described in the agenda report, an interested person seeking to challenge certain past council actions must first submit a cease-and-desist demand.
If the council issues an unconditional commitment not to repeat the challenged conduct, a lawsuit cannot then be brought to determine whether that past action violated the Brown Act. The commitment itself also cannot be treated as evidence that the council violated the law.
The council could reject the proposed commitment instead. City staff said the financial impact remains uncertain because costs would depend on whether litigation follows.
In a separate item Wednesday, council members will turn from legal questions to ideas about Sonoma's future when they meet with Executive MBA students from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.
The students will present projects concerning innovation, challenges, and opportunities in Sonoma and ask questions about how a small city operates.
Interim City Manager Cristine Alilovich described the session as an opportunity for the students to discuss their work directly with city leaders and learn about the challenges and opportunities facing municipal government.
City Council Chambers, 177 First Street West
August 12, 2026 at 9:00 AM
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86101955455
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