The golf club at the heart of the eastern Santa Rosa retirement community is planning to construct a new 2.5-acre lake in the middle of its driving range as part of a major water conservation project. The new 9-foot-deep lake, modern irrigation system and installation of drought-tolerant turf are expected to reduce the water demand of the semiprivate club’s two 18-hole courses by a third — 40 million gallons per year. But it will be the city’s ratepayers, not the golfers, who will be picking up the $2.8 million tab for the project.

The Petaluma community will have input in the selection process of the next police chief. Lt. Danny Fish has been serving as interim chief for three years, saving the city about $600,000 in salary and benefits during that time, City Manager John Brown said.

The elimination of redevelopment agencies has put in doubt Cotati’s ambitious — and controversial — plan to revive its downtown, even as the city remains on the hook for more than $500,000 for design and planning work on the project. The Old Redwood Highway redesign project was to rely on about $2.5 million in redevelopment funds for much of its costs. Now, the redevelopment agency’s remaining money — about $2 million — will be allocated by a seven-person oversight board to be formed in May.

Cloverdale is joining a growing group of cities closed for business on Fridays. The Friday closures of Cloverdale City Hall will begin March 2, part of a series of cost-cutting measures approved by the City Council to offset the latest dip in general fund revenues.

The Petaluma City Council decision to spend about $10,000 trying to prevent an asphalt plant from opening on its outskirts commits it to a legal battle that may cost many times that, although it won’t bear the cost alone.

A former city councilman and longtime critic of Petaluma government is suing the city over what he claims is the misappropriation of millions of dollars in sewage treatment fees. Bryant Moynihan long has challenged how the city uses the money it collects from water and wastewater ratepayers, claiming it has been used to cover mismanagement of the city budget and to augment overspending in the general fund.

The contentious debate over the CVS Pharmacy project in Sebastopol is tinged with complaints of bias and free speech violations. Opponents sought to have Sebastopol City Councilwoman Kathleen Shaffer disqualified from the vote, contending that a misdirected email showed that she was biased in favor of the project. And they complained the mayor violated their rights to free speech by barring a slide show.

Santa Rosa’s legal bills continue to rise in the lawsuit brought by a former police captain. The City Council on Tuesday approved an additional $100,000 to fight the federal lawsuit brought by Jamie Mitchel, who was fired in 2008. Mitchel claims he was unfairly dismissed, his privacy rights were violated and he was discriminated against because he is a white man.

A proposed $750 fine for people who abuse disabled parking privileges isn’t punishment enough for the Santa Rosa City Council. The council requested a steeper fine for those caught using forged, altered or expired disabled parking placards. “I have no sympathy for anybody who abuses this law,” said Councilman Jake Ours.

Petaluma’s City Council voted 6-1 on Monday night to continue its legal fight against the Dutra Materials asphalt plant after two local groups pledged $10,000 to help fund the battle. The money should cover about half the city’s costs to appeal a ruling by Superior Court Judge Rene Chouteau, who dismissed a lawsuit challenging the asphalt plant. Did the City Council make the right decision to appeal the ruling?