Tonight's City Council Meeting: Elected Officials to Decide on City Nonprofit, New Freeway Sign and Small Biz Loan Progam

The City Council tonight will hear an appeal for a new tobacco store at Raley's Town Centre in Rohnert Park. Tareq Alrehani, who wants to open the business, was denied a conditional use permit at a Planning Commission hearing March 10 even though Planning and Building Manager Marilyn Ponton said the area is zoned for it. .

Tonight the council will decide whether or not to OK a deal for N2 Holdings, a Petaluma-based firm, to remodel and sell ads on a new Highway 101 freeway sign. The current Spreckel's sign would be torn down and a new one, 12 feet higher, would be erected in its place. The Planning Commission has raised some questions about the new sign's advertisements, which led to a discussion about First Amendment rights. .

Tonight also, the council will vote on whether or not to establish a city nonprofit, dubbed the City of Rohnert Park Foundation. It's aim is to establish a way for the city to fundraise mostly for parks and recreation facilities and festivities in the city, said Guy Miller, the city's Recreation Services Manager. 

The council will discuss tonight the alternative location for the Rohnert Park Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit station, which is currently slated to be built in the north end of town, near Roberts Lake Road. Tonight is just a direction, no vote will take place. Get caught up on that story by clicking here.

The City Council is slated to vote on the plan to provide city funding assistance for developers seeking to rehabilitate dilapidated or blighted structures in Rohnert Park, as a way to aggressively draw new business to town, to increase the sales tax base and to help fill the city's growing 42 vacancy rate. The deal, called the , was for $535,000 Jan. 25.

Also on the agenda tonight are proposals to adopt the city's social media policy and to adopt an official opposition to Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to shift adult parolees from being taken care of and funded by the state, to county and local governments.

The Council will also hear an update on the city's budget situation, an will give an overview of the Library Commission's last meeting. The Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library .

Stay tuned at Rohnert Park Patch tonight for live updates from the meeting in our live blog. View the entire agenda here.