Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Sonoma County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
5 issues with high priority
Aircraft noise at Charles M. Schulz Airport
Residents in Windsor, Forestville, Sebastopol and west county have filed more than 46,000 noise complaints this year — up 329% — since the FAA implemented the Redhead departure route in 2024. The county can't force changes because the FAA controls airspace, so it's pursuing voluntary measures and new procedure designs. The 3-2 vote shows even the board is split on whether this spending will actually help.
Active Transportation Plan adoption
A 16-year-old bike/ped plan gets replaced with a modern blueprint of ~367 prioritized projects, aligned with a countywide plan to win bigger grants. Debate centered on Sonoma Valley's Burnvale/121 crossing and whether rural roads should carry bike designations.
Transit system overhaul (MASCOT Phase 2)
Sonoma County Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, and Petaluma Transit are coordinating as one system to connect riders to SMART, cutting duplicated routes. The Windsor Route 62 gets suspended and some SRJC trips will now cost $3 via SMART instead of a free but 100-minute bus.
$2 Million Immigrant-serving Providers Funding
The Board's consent agenda included a $2 million agreement funding legal aid, rapid response, and mental health services for immigrant families, led by VIDAS with a broad coalition. Speakers credited it with reuniting detained residents with families.
Domestic violence response and the high-risk team
The DA and YWCA marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month; the county's domestic violence high-risk team has reviewed 284 cases in two years with zero domestic violence homicides among them.