Karen Nau Petaluma City Council

Important Issues

Karen Nau has worked hard to deliver for Petalumans while remaining focused on the most pressing issues facing Petaluma today.

As our District 3 representative on the Petaluma City Council, Karen has been proud to have accomplished and continue working towards:

Putting housing affordability front and center, including the preservation of existing affordable housing, protections for mobile home park residents, and efforts to create low and middle-income housing along transit corridors and major thoroughfares. While Karen supports more housing, she will balance these needs with the importance of providing adequate parking and infrastructure, ensuring future housing is sustainably planned before development proceeds.

Making record investments in roads and infrastructure. Four years before Karen joined the City Council, the City of Petaluma invested $3 million each year into road repair and improvement projects. In the 4 years since joining the Council, the City of Petaluma is now investing $15 million each year in road repair and improvement projects, a five-fold increase. Upcoming work includes road repaving and safety improvements at Caulfield Lane & Ely Boulevard South.

Reducing homelessness through her work on the Sonoma County Homeless Coalition, which has leveraged outside grants with county Measure O funds to improve behavioral health services while providing more permanent supportive housing.

Keeping our community safe by collaborating with the Petaluma Police and Fire Departments to ensure they have the resources they need to maintain strong public safety services. As part of this, Karen supports and voted to approve funding for the upcoming construction of a new public safety headquarters near the Petaluma Fairgrounds.

Continuing to be an advocate for minimal increases in utility costs by ensuring there is a careful review and justification for rate increases before approving any future increases in water, sewer, or garbage rates.

Planning responsibly for the fairgrounds’ future. Growing up, Karen showed animals at the Petaluma Fairgrounds as a member of 4-H and FFA, and wants our fairgrounds property to remain both a facility that preserves Petaluma’s agricultural heritage, while providing amenities for today’s residents and our next generation.

Supporting efforts to protect our parks, open space areas, and our environment. Karen proudly supported park improvements at Schollenberger Park and Miwok Park, amongst other park improvements throughout the city, including new sports and soccer fields.

Preserving the character of historic downtown Petaluma by taking a cautious approach to new development in our downtown. While Karen is a strong supporter of economic development, she wants to balance this with our historic downtown character. For this reason, she opposed a new downtown hotel proposal due its size and scale, but has been receptive to revised plans that reduced the size of that development project.

Maintaining strong fiscal policies that invests in community improvements, while maintaining strong fiscal safeguards to prevent budget crises facing other cities in Sonoma County.

Remaining accessible to Petalumans by always keeping an open door. Karen listens and keep an open mind, and as a retiree fully invested in her work on the Petaluma City Council, will meet with the residents of District 3 and other constituents who call Petaluma home to discuss issues and concerns facing our city.