MINUTES
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COTATI
Thursday June 30, 2022 at 7:00 PM
1. CALL TO ORDER
Attendee Name Title Status
Mark Landman Mayor Remote
Susan Harvey Vice Mayor Remote
Laura Sparks Councilmember Remote
Ben Ford Councilmember Remote
John C. Moore Councilmember Remote
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
Pursuant to California Government Code section 54954.3(a), members of the public wishing to address the Council/Board may do so at the beginning of the special meeting, and such comments shall be limited to the special meeting topic(s).
3. STUDY SESSION
A. City Council Workshop on Local Food Production
It is recommended that the City Council conduct a workshop with the goals of 1) identifying potential strategies to promote local food production (urban agriculture) in order to implement General Plan policies, 2) receiving community input, and 3) providing appropriate direction to staff for follow-up and inclusion into a future ordinance. It is further recommended that the City Council direct staff to prepare for the Council’s consideration a property re-zoning and Zoning Code amendment for Veronda-Falletti Ranch.
General (Coordinated with City Attorney)
- Updated ordinance to include a statement of intent, indicating agricultural uses must be compatible with the primary residential uses, and the residential use is primary in disputes.
- For UP’s, ensure that general template language includes residential use is the primary use as a condition, with the intent of the provision to allow the City to address unanticipated nuisance issues related to permitted uses. - Ensure robust ability to enforce nuisance issues related to agricultural uses, generally. - Pesticide/herbicide, synthetic fertilizer prohibited for Market Garden, Crop Production, Community Gardens, if permissible under state law.
Cotati City Council Minutes June 30, 2022
- Explore potential for new UP/MUP category for Agriculture, separate from general commercial UP/MUP to determine if a lower cost permit would be possible for agricultural uses.
- For UP/MUP noticing, look at options for greater than 500’ noticing in rural areas.
Concern was that 500’ is not sufficient to notice enough neighbors when there are larger parcels. Expand noticing radius in RVL and RR zones.
Crop Production
1- Consensus support on educational programs promoting home food production/gardening.
2- 2A option for the Market Garden, modified as follows: ½ acre maximum may be non-contiguous across property. Hour limitation of 9 am -5 pm shall only apply to mechanized equipment. Allow 9 am -7 pm for farm stands, but must be stored out of view when not in use (both from ROW and neighbors).
3- Crop production OK with UP in RVL.
Public Comment:
John Dell'Osso of Cotati
Roy Smith
Jenny Blaker of Cotati
Reyna Yagi of Cotati
Neil Hancock of Cotati
Julia Van Soelen Kim
Joan Simon of Cotati
Wendy Krupnick
Amy Lyman of Cotati
Produce Stands and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) 4- Allow, consistent with modified Market Garden requirements above. 5- 5A option for the Produce Stands, consistent with Market Garden requirements above.
6- Allow produce stands in RVL
7- Confirm CSA is an accessary activity to crop production in RR, “retail sales in the field, such as CSA.s”
8- Allow CSA in RVL, consistent with RR requirements.
Public Comment:
Lisa Moore of Cotati
Roy Smith
Jenny Blaker of Cotati
Neil Hancock of Cotati
Joan Simon of Cotati
Evan Wiig
Cotati City Council Minutes June 30, 2022
Community Gardens
9- Allow, consistent with modified Market Garden hours. Require toxicity testing, operational management plan, annual confirmation on point of contact. Use National City code as an example of this.
10- Allow with community organization partnership, or City may run directly. 11- Allow gardens in multifamily developments
Public Comment:
Roy Smith
Joan Simon of Cotati
Reyna Yagi of Cotati
Jenny Blaker of Cotati
Chickens
12- Clarify that chickens means hens, and keep existing allowance of 20 hens. Allow egg sales, provided they meet County Health requirements and no more than 20 hens.
Public Comment:
Pat Gilardi of Cotati
Roy Smith
Joan Simon of Cotati
Janet Orchard of Cotati
Veronda Falletti Ranch
Allow potential strategies 1-3, modified as follows:
- Clarify Child Care/day care center (2E) use and/or use description to ensure the primary purpose is youth education (not child day care). - Also review meeting facility standard (2I) to ensure meeting facilities have limits on size/frequency of meetings/events.
- Prohibit rooster keeping (2C).
Public Comment:
John Dell'Osso of Cotati
Roy Smith
Pat Gilardi of Cotati
4. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Landman adjourned the meeting at 10:35pm.