2025/01/28 City of Rohnert Park Foundation MinutesMINUTES OF THE CITY OF ROHNERT PARK
FOUNDATION BOARD SPECIAL MEETING
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Rohnert Park City Hall, Council Chamber
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California
1. CITY OF ROHNERT PARK FOUNDATION BOARD SPECIAL MEETING -
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Chairperson Giudice called the Special Meeting to order at 7:42 p.m., the notice for which
being legally noticed on January 23, 2025.
All Directors Present: Gerard Giudice, Chair
Emily Sanborn, Vice Chair
Susan H. Adams, Director
Jackie Elward, Director
Samantha Rodriguez, Director
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
None.
3. CONSENT CALENDAR
A. Approval of City of Rohnert Park Foundation Special Meeting Minutes, January 14,
2025.
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Adams/Elward) to adopt the consent
calendar.
Motion carried by the following unanimous 5-0-0-0 voice vote:
AYES: Adams, Elward, Rodriguez, Sanborn, and Giudice NOES:
None, ABSENT: None, ABSTAINS: None.
4. REGULAR ITEMS
A. Discuss and Award the Rohnert Park Foundation's Small Grants Program
Grants for the 2024-2026 Cycle; Authorize the Grant Administrator to Make
Additional Approvals Regarding Conditionally Awarded Grants Pursuant to
Section 3.8 of the Small Grants Program Guidelines; and Authorize the Executive
Director to Rescind the Conditional Grant Awards if the Conditions Are Not
Satisfied Establishment of new Chair and Vice Chair of Foundation Board of
Directors for the Year of 2025. Senior Analyst Carey presented the report.
Recommended Action(s): 1) Approve the Small Grants applications for the 2024-26
grant cycle, along with the conditionally approved applications with an opportunity for
those applicants to further refine their applications subject to additional approvals; 2)
Approve the Small Grants applications for the 2024-26 grant cycle, except for those
recommended for conditional approvals; or 3) Modify/amend the recommendations of the
Review Committee.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: Chelle McDonell spoke about this item.
City of Rohnert Park Foundation Board Special Meeting January 28, 2025
Page 2 of 3
Disclosure of potential conflict of interest:
1. Chair Giudice stated he leases premises adjacent to Credo High School and
therefore has a potential financial conflict on the Credo High Foundation - Outdoor
Adventure Learning application; he is a Rotarian and therefore has a potential
financial conflict on the Rohnert Park-Cotati Rotary Foundation application. his
daughter works in the First Responders Resiliency Inc and therefore has a potential
financial conflict on the First Responders Resiliency Inc - Rohnert Park First
Responders Resiliency Training application.
2. Director Elward stated her daughter attends Technology High School and therefore
has a potential financial conflict with the Technology High School Boosters -
Titans Athletics Support and Friends of Tech High Robotics - Educational
Robotics Program applications.
3. Vice Chair Sanborn stated her daughter attends University Elementary and
therefore has a potential financial conflict on the School Garden Network for
University Elementary at La Fiesta - University Elementary Outdoor Classroom
Habitat Expansion application.
The recusals resulted in a lack of quorum. The Rule of Necessity was applied, and Vice Chair
Sanborn was selected to participate in these proceedings.
Director Elward left the dais at 7:56 p.m.
Chair Giudice left the dais at 7:56 p.m. and Vice Chair Sanborn assumed the gavel.
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Adams/Rodriguez) to approve the following
small grant applications for the 2024-2026 cycle: 1) Credo High
Foundation - Outdoor Adventure Learning; 2) Rohnert Park-Cotati
Rotary Foundation; 3) First Responders Resiliency Inc - Rohnert
Park First Responders Resiliency Training; 4) Technology High
School Boosters - Titans Athletics Support; 5) Friends of Tech
High Robotics - Educational Robotics Program; and 6) School
Garden Network for University Elementary at La Fiesta -
University Elementary Outdoor Classroom Habitat Expansion.
Motion carried by the following unanimous 3-0-2-0 voice vote:
AYES: Adams, Rodriguez, Sanborn, and NOES: None, ABSENT:
Elward and Giudice, ABSTAINS: None.
Director Elward returned to the dais at 8:12 p.m.
Chair Giudice returned to the dais at 8:12 p.m. and re -assumed the gavel.
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Adams/Rodriguez) to approve the small grant
applications for the 2024-2026 cycle that exceed expectations.
Motion carried by the following unanimous 5-0-0-0 voice vote:
AYES: Adams, Rodriguez, Sanborn, and NOES: None, ABSENT:
Elward and Giudice, ABSTAINS: None.
City of Rohnert Park Foundation Board Special Meeting January 28, 2025
Page 3 of 3
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Elward/Adams) to give the Executive Director
the authority to determine whether the conditionally approved
applications meet the program requirements and whether or not
they proceed for award.
Motion carried by the following unanimous 5-0-0-0 voice vote:
AYES: Adams, Elward, Rodriguez, Sanborn, and Giudice NOES:
None, ABSENT: None, ABSTAINS: None.
5. COMMUNICATIONS/MATTERS FROM OR FOR THE BOARD
None.
6. ADJOURNMENT
Chairperson Giudice adjourned the Special Meeting a 8: m.
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