Petaluma Municipal Code Ch. 2.50 Public Safety Advisory Committee

A public safety advisory committee (PSAC) is hereby established as an essential element of Petaluma’s hybrid

model for civilian police oversight, transparency and accountability and community engagement with Petaluma

public safety programs and practices. (Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

The PSAC is intended to serve as an advisory body to the city council and a community resource for the city of

Petaluma in the formation of strategies, development of community policing concepts, increasing public

awareness, and addressing police/community relations regarding the public safety of the entire community. The

PSAC is intended to provide a forum for discussions of community public safety concerns and to represent a

broad spectrum of viewpoints. (Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

A. The PSAC shall consist of six community members, representing diverse interests and backgrounds, and one

city council member as a city council liaison to the committee, for a total of seven seats on the PSAC.

B. Each member shall be either a resident of the city, having resided in the city not less than one year prior to

the member’s appointment, or the owner of a business authorized to operate within the city in accordance with

Chapter 6.01 for not less than one year prior to the member’s appointment.

C. To ensure the PSAC’s independence from the Petaluma police department, no current or former employee of

the Petaluma police department, and no immediate family or household member (deGned as the parent, spouse,

domestic partner, sibling, child, or cohabitant), of a current or former employee of the Petaluma police

department, may be appointed to or serve on the PSAC.

D. Practicing attorneys who represent or are members of Grms or entities that represent individuals or entities

that are parties to criminal or civil matters involving law enforcement agencies as a party or witness are ineligible

to be appointed to or serve on the PSAC.

E. Persons who have active, pending criminal proceedings, are on parole, probation, or post-community release

supervision, or who have prior criminal convictions for violent felonies or other crimes involving moral turpitude

are ineligible to be appointed to or serve on the PSAC.

1. For purposes of eligibility to be appointed to or serve on the PSAC, "moral turpitude" shall have the same

meaning as in California law, and includes "dishonesty," "general readiness to do evil," "bad character," and

"moral depravity." (See, e.g., People v. Bautista (1990) 217 Cal.App.3d 1, 5.)

F. Ideal PSAC appointees will be:

1. Interested in engaging with and learning about public safety and policing in Petaluma and the legal and

policy framework that govern Petaluma policing; meet the eligibility requirements in this subsection; and

2. Prepared to attend PSAC meetings and fulGll all the duties of PSAC members in accordance with Section

2.50.040.

(Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

A. The PSAC and its members are charged with the following duties:

1. Reviewing, discussing and providing comments to the city council regarding the IPA’s annual report.

2. Providing comments on existing and recommended police policies.

3. Reviewing and providing comments to the city council on the department’s annual military equipment

report and the city’s military equipment use ordinance pursuant to AB 481.

4. Assisting in the development and review of the police department’s strategic plan goals and objectives.

5. Commenting and providing recommendations on Petaluma public safety programs and initiatives.

6. Assisting in educating the community at large about Petaluma civilian public safety oversight and the

function and role of the Petaluma police department, providing comments and recommendations regarding

the community’s need for police services as well as ensuring that appropriate public safety services are

delivered for the community’s beneGt.

7. Reporting at least annually to the city council and the community on the PSAC’s work. PSAC reports may

take the form of oral reports at city council meetings by PSAC members or city staJ supporting the PSAC, or

may be in writing, as the circumstances may warrant, so as to most eIciently and eJectively provide the city

council and the community relevant information on the PSAC’s performance of its duties.

B. PSAC members will receive training from members of the police department, the IPA as deGned in Chapter

8.01, the city attorney’s oIce, and others as appropriate, regarding the federal, state and local laws and

regulations aJecting the provision of municipal police services in California.

C. City staJ shall provide PSAC members public safety related information necessary for the fulGllment of their

duties, including information on: current and proposed Petaluma police department policies, calls for police assistance; incidents involving the Petaluma police department; citizen complaints concerning the police

department; and conclusions, recommendations and reports of the IPA.

D. Notwithstanding subsection C of this section, the PSAC members will not have access to conGdential

information that is exempt from disclosure to members of the public pursuant to the California Public Records Act

or other laws and/or that if disclosed may endanger the safety of a witness or other person involved in an

investigation, the successful completion of an investigation, or violate individual privacy rights, or be a basis of city

liability, such as conGdential law enforcement investigation information or police oIcer personnel records.

E. The PSAC shall have no authority to employ any person or to supervise or direct city staJ or to incur any

expense or obligation without approval of the city manager or city council.

(Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

A. The terms of oIce of PSAC members shall commence upon their appointment taking eJect and following

their being sworn into oIce.

B. Initial member terms will be staggered, with three members serving four years and three members serving

two years.

C. Following the initial PSAC terms and subsequently, each member’s term shall be for four years.

D. No PSAC member shall serve more than two full, consecutive terms.

E. The PSAC members’ terms shall continue to be staggered such that the terms of no more than three PSAC

members shall expire in any given year.

F. The city council PSAC liaison shall serve a one-year term. City council PSAC liaison appointments will generally

occur at the same time as other city council liaison appointments, except that city council PSAC liaison

appointments may occur at other times as needed due to vacancy or otherwise.

G. Notwithstanding the expiration of a PSAC member’s term pursuant to this section, and subject to Section

2.50.060, each PSAC member shall serve until a successor is appointed by the city council.

(Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

A. PSAC members may resign their seats at any time upon notice to the then PSAC chair.

B. The city council may declare the oIce of a PSAC member vacant: upon the resignation, death, or disability

that results in the inability of a PSAC member to perform their duties; loss of residency or other status required for

a PSAC member to be eligible to serve; or unexcused absence of a PSAC member from three consecutive regular

meetings of the PSAC.

C. The city council may also remove any PSAC member without cause; however, removal without cause shall

require the aIrmative vote of at least four members of the city council.

(Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

Upon the occurrence of a vacancy in a PSAC seat for any reason, the city council shall, at a time convenient to the

city council, appoint a qualiGed person to Gll the vacancy for the unexpired term. (Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

A. PSAC meetings shall be held monthly; provided, that the PSAC may conclude that for part or all of the year,

bimonthly meetings are adequate for the PSAC to fulGll its duties in accordance with Section 2.50.040.

B. PSAC meetings will generally not exceed ninety minutes in length, and may be extended by up to Gfteen

minutes in accordance with Section 2.50.090.

C. PSAC meetings shall be subject to all applicable requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act ("the Brown Act"),

California Government Code Section 54950 et seq.

(Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

A. A majority of four PSAC members shall constitute a quorum for meeting and conducting PSAC business.

B. All actions of the PSAC shall require the aIrmative vote of a majority of the PSAC members present.

C. A tie vote shall constitute no action on the motion, proposed action or recommendation.

D. If fewer than four members are present staJ may adjourn meetings of the PSAC in accordance with all

applicable requirements of the Brown Act.

(Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

A. At its Grst meeting, and then annually thereafter, the PSAC shall organize by electing from the PSAC members

a chair and vice-chair, who shall each hold oIce for one year.

B. The chair, and in the absence of the chair, the vice-chair, shall preside over PSAC meetings.

(Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)

The city’s police department and city attorney’s oIce shall staJ PSAC and provide advice and support the PSAC as

appropriate in the performance of its duties. (Ord. 2910 NCS §2, 2025.)