RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COTATI CONSENTING TO
AMENDMENT OF THE SONOMA COUNTY ORDINANCE CREATING THE
SONOMA COUNTY TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA (“SCTBIA”) AND
CONTINUED INCLUSION OF THE CITY WITHIN THE SCTBIA, AND
AUTHORIZING COLLECTION AND REMITTANCE OF ASSESSMENTS
WHEREAS, in 2004 the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance number 5525 (enrolled as sections 33-1 to 33-17 of the Sonoma County Municipal Code), forming the SCTBIA in accordance with the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 (Streets and Highways Code Sections 36500, et seq. [the “Law”]); and WHEREAS, prior to adoption of the Ordinance, the City consented to inclusion of the territory within the City limits in the SCTBIA.
WHEREAS, once a lodging property comes on-line, the City will enter into an administrative agreement with the County pursuant to which SCTBIA assessments are collected from lodging facilities and remitted to the County, with reimbursement of City expenses from assessment proceeds as authorized by the Law; and
WHEREAS, the County is considering adoption of an amendment to the 2004 Ordinance removing the $350,000 threshold for application of the assessment to a lodging property. A copy of the proposed amendment is attached as Exhibit A. The proposed amendment is referred to as the Responsible Tourism Assessment, and is intended to provide funding for increased destination stewardship efforts to promote sustainable tourism; and WHEREAS, the Law requires consent of this Council before the effectiveness of the Responsible Tourism Assessment may be extended to include the territorial limits of this City; and
WHEREAS, once the City begins collection of Transient Occupancy Taxes (“TOT”) from lodging establishments within its territorial jurisdiction, they will be subject to the amended assessment; and
WHEREAS, the action of adopting this resolution of consent does not constitute a project as defined by California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378; therefore, no further environmental review is required.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Cotati consents to inclusion of the territorial jurisdiction of this City within the amended SCTBIA and directs collection and remittance of the assessments authorized by the amended SCTBIA to the County of Sonoma in accordance with the provisions of the attached amendment.
IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Cotati held on the September 27th, 2022, by the following vote, to wit:
Approved:________________________________
Mayor
Attest:____________________________
Kevin Patterson, Deputy City Clerk
Approved as to form:
____________________________
City Attorney
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Sonoma County BIA Ordinance (PDF)