County of Sonoma
Sonoma County Regional Parks › Meeting June 3 2026
Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission

Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting

Date: June 03, 2026

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Address:

In person meeting held at:

Regional Parks Office Building
400 Aviation Blvd., Suite 100
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Registration Required: No

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Agenda

  1. Call to Order & Duties of the Commission – Chair Nathan Junge
Call to Order at (time)
Commissioners present:
Commissioners absent:

Duties of the Commission include:

  • Acting in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors in promoting, aiding and encouraging public recreation, including the development of recreation, park and open space facilities.
  • Acting in an advisory capacity to Regional Parks Director in the maintenance, development and operation of recreation areas and facilities serving the residents of the county.
  • Establishing general procedures to carry out the purpose of the advisory commission.
  1. Land Acknowledgement – Bert Whitaker, Director of Sonoma County Regional Parks

I want us to remember that we are on the ancestral land of the Miwok, Pomo, and Wappo peoples. These resilient communities are still here today, and we want to honor them as it was and is their land that we have had the opportunity to recreate on. Let us consider how we can continue to protect these beautiful places for our future generations.

  1. Comments from the Public – Facilitated by Chair Nathan Junge and Director Whitaker

During this time, members of the public may address the Commission on matters that are not on the agenda. However, The Ralph M. Brown Act (the State local agency open meeting law) prohibits the Commission from acting on any matter that is not on the agenda. Members of the public who wish to suggest an item for a future Commission agenda item may do so. Speakers are limited to three minutes each; the Commission Chair or Director of Regional Parks may adjust the time limit in accordance with the number of anticipated speakers.

  1. Approval of the Minutes (Action Item) –Chair Nathan Junge

Approval of the minutes for the previous Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission meeting, held on April 1, 2026.

Motion to approve:
Second:

VOTE

In-favor:
Opposed:
Abstain:
Absent:
  1. Election Do’s and Don’ts (Informational Item & Questions) – Aldo Mercado, County Counsel Office – Zoom, 5:45pm-6:15pm

A training course on important distinctions between what is legally allowable and what is legally not allowable regarding commissioner involvement with the Parks measure renewal. The prepared training segment will be followed by time for questions.

  1. Commissioner Reports (Informational Item) – Facilitated by Chair Nathan Junge

Individual verbal briefs regarding Parks-related activities, observations, acknowledgements, concerns, questions, and/or suggestions.

  1. Director’s Report (Informational Item) – Bert Whitaker, Director of Sonoma County Regional Parks

A verbal report on Regional Park’s updates and current events followed by an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

  1. Youth Exploring Sonoma (YES!) Survey Analysis (Informational Item) – Lupe Navarro and Ellie Muelrath, Community Engagement Division, Sonoma County Regional Parks

Sonoma County Regional Parks’ YES! Parks program connects underserved local teens with nature through multi-month outdoor adventures. Data has been collected on these programs from 2023 through 2026 and has culminated in a comprehensive Survey Analysis. Representatives from the program will present the key findings of this report.

  1. Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach (Informational Item) – Emily Podolak, Park Planner II, Sonoma County Regional Parks

An update on the master plan and restoration plan for Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach.  

  1. Adjournment – Chair Nathan Junge

Public Comment

Members of the public may address the Commission. Designated time for open public comment is allotted during the meeting (See Item 3 below). Public comment is also held for action items, prior to the Commissioners vote. Time limitations are at the discretion of the Chair the Director of Regional Parks and may be adjusted to accommodate all speakers.

In addition to oral public comment at the meetings, the community can also submit commentary via email. Members of the public who would like to make statements that may exceed the time limits for public comment, suggest topics to be placed on future agendas, or suggest questions to be raised and discussed by Commission members or staff, may send an email addressing these matters to parkspublicmeetings@sonomacounty.gov.

Agendas

The agenda for each Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting will be posted 72 hours in advance of the meeting on Regional Parks’ website at https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/learn/about-us/regional-parks-boards-and-commissions/parks-and-recreation-advisory-commission. The agenda is also available at the Regional Parks office, located at 400 Aviation Blvd., Suite 100, Santa Rosa.

Accommodation Request

Please contact Sonoma County Regional Parks at (707) 565-3351 or parkspublicmeetings@sonomacounty.gov with as much advance notice as possible to request arrangements for an accommodation.

Language Interpretation

Interpretation services will be provided as an accommodation if requested in advance. Please contact Regional Parks at (707) 565-3351 or by email parkspublicmeetings@sonomacounty.gov at least one week prior to the meeting. We will make every effort to provide interpretation.