MINUTES
JOINT MEETING OF THE COTATI CITY COUNCIL AND THE SUCCESSOR
AGENCY TO THE FORMER COTATI COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY City Council Chamber, City Hall 201 W. Sierra Avenue
Tuesday January 24, 2023
6:00 PM REGULAR MEETING
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Harvey called the meeting to order at 6:00pm.
2. ROLL CALL
Attendee Name Title Status
Susan Harvey Mayor Present
Laura Sparks Vice Mayor Present
Ben Ford Councilmember Present
Sylvia Lemus Councilmember Present
Kay Rivers Councilmember Present
Staff present: City Attorney John Bakker, City Manager Damien O’Bid, Deputy City Clerk Kevin Patterson, Police Chief Michael Parish, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Craig Scott (remote), Director of Community Development Noah Housh
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND NOTICE OF WAIVING OF READING OF ALL
RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES INTRODUCED AND/OR ADOPTED
UNDER THIS AGENDA (ACTION)
A. COTATI CITY COUNCIL - REGULAR MEETING - JAN 10, 2023 6:00 PM RESULT: ACCEPTED [4 TO 0]
MOVER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Vice Mayor
AYES: Harvey, Sparks, Ford, Rivers
ABSTAIN: Lemus
B. COTATI CITY COUNCIL - SPECIAL JOINT MEETING - JAN 17, 2023 6:00 PM
Cotati City Council Minutes January 24, 2023
RESULT: ACCEPTED [3 TO 0]
MOVER: Laura Sparks, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Kay Rivers, Councilmember
AYES: Harvey, Sparks, Rivers
ABSTAIN: Ford, Lemus
5. ANNOUNCEMENTS
A. Meeting Orientation for New Attendees/Viewers. In conformance with the Brown Act and the adopted City Council Rules, the meeting agenda includes items labeled as Action Items, where the City Council will consider the item and citizens are afforded the opportunity to provide comments relevant to the item being discussed. The meeting agenda also includes a Citizens Business item, which is the designated place on the agenda where citizens have the right to say whatever they wish.
The City Council may, or may not, choose to respond to comments, as the Government Code allows. However, if the City Council declines to respond, it should not be perceived as giving credence to or agreeing with any statements that the City Council or its members believe are incorrect, misinformed or purposefully biased.
B. Measure S supports police services, a variety of recreation programs for all ages, and the maintenance of our streets, parks, and public buildings. See details on the web at cotaticity.org
C. Citizens interested in receiving City of Cotati community alerts via text or email are encouraged to sign up with Nixle by downloading the Everbridge app from the IOS or Android app store or by texting your zip code (94931) to 888777.
D. Like always, we love to hear from you, so please feel free to contact the City at 707- 792-4600 or [email protected]. If you have a non-emergency issue after normal business hours, you can contact us at 707-792-4611 and of course if you have an emergency, please contact 9-1-1. Continue to look for updates on the City's website and social media channels available on Facebook, Instagram, Nixle, and Nextdoor.
6. APPROVAL OF FINAL AGENDA (ACTION)
City Manager Damien O'Bid recommended to add an item to the regular calendar, a letter of support for grant funding for SCTA. By a motion from Councilmember Lemus, and a second from Councilmember Sparks, the Council voted unanimously to find that the need for the letter of support came to the City's attention after the agenda was posted, and the deadline to submit the letter was prior to the next regular Council meeting. Item was added to the end of the regular calendar as item #10.E.
7. CITIZEN BUSINESS AND PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS
Public comment:
Cotati City Council Minutes January 24, 2023
Michelle Berman of Cotati
8. CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Vice Mayor
AYES: Harvey, Sparks, Ford, Lemus, Rivers
A. WELL 1A TREATMENT SYSTEM AND CONTROLLER REPAIRS AND
REPLACEMENTS
B. RESOLUTION APPOINTING THE ENGINEER OF WORK FOR
PREPARING THE COTATI LANDSCAPE AND LIGHTING ASSESSMENT
DISTRICT FOR FY 23-24
C. AUTHORIZATION FOR LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR A HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES HUB IN ROHNERT PARK
D. STANDARD SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH WESTERN INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS FOR DOCUMENT DIGITIZATION
9. DIRECTION ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
None.
10. REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
A. APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS
RESULT: ADOPTED [4 TO 1]
MOVER: Kay Rivers, Councilmember
SECONDER: Sylvia Lemus, Councilmember
AYES: Sparks, Ford, Lemus, Rivers
NAYS: Harvey
Presentation by City Manager Damien O'Bid.
Councilmembers comment
Public comment:
Michelle Berman of Cotati
Council adopted a motion appointing Councilmember Lemus's nomination of Ed Gilardi, and Councilmember River's nomination of Michelle Berman, to the Cotati Planning Commission.
Cotati City Council Minutes January 24, 2023
B. NOMINATIONS FOR REGIONAL COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES ON
BEHALF OF SONOMA COUNTY MAYORS' AND COUNCILMEMBERS'
ASSOCIATION AND CITY SELECTION COMMITTEE
Presentation by City Manager Damien O'Bid.
Councilmembers comment.
No public comment.
Councilmembers discussed the letters of interest received and elected to support the following candidates, giving Mayor Harvey authority to vote as needed if the initial votes fail:
Association of Bay Area Governments Executive Board (ABAG)- Stephen Zollman, Sebastopol
Childcare Planning Council of Sonoma County- Stephen Zollman, Sebastopol Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Citizens Advisory Committee - Mark Stapp, Santa Rosa
North Bay Division, League of California Cities Executive Board- Jackie Elward, Rohnert Park
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Commission- Melanie Bagby, Cloverdale & Chris Rogers, Santa Rosa
Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)- Sandra Lowe, Sonoma & Susan Harvey, Cotati (seats); Jeff Okrepkie, Santa Rosa (alternate) Sonoma County Oversight Board Committee- Stephen Zollman, Sebastopol Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)- Brian Barnacle, Petaluma C. AWARD OF THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE 2023
PAVEMENT REHABILITATION PROJECT
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Vice Mayor
AYES: Harvey, Sparks, Ford, Lemus, Rivers
Presentation by Director of Public Works/City Engineer Craig Scott.
Councilmembers comment.
Public comment:
Michelle Berman of Cotati
Jenny Blaker of Cotati
Cotati City Council Minutes January 24, 2023
D. AWARD OF THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE DOWNTOWN
CIVIC CENTER CONNECTIVITY AND SAFETY PROJECT
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Sylvia Lemus, Councilmember
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Vice Mayor
AYES: Harvey, Sparks, Ford, Lemus, Rivers
Presentation by Director of Public Works/City Engineer Craig Scott.
Councilmembers comment, requesting staff look into enhanced pedestrian crossing at Water Road and No Pedestrian signs on south side of West Sierra between mobile home park and Cypress.
No Public comment.
E. LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR GRANT FUNDING FOR SONOMA COUNTY
TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Report by City Manager Damien O'Bid
Councilmembers comment.
No public comment.
Councilmember Lemus motioned to approve sending the letter of support for SCTA grant funding. Councilmember Ford seconded the motion. Motion passed by a unanimous vote.
11. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Report by City Manager Damien O'Bid
12. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS
Councilmembers report out on local and regional events and committees.
13. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
None
14. INFORMATION RECEIVED AFTER THE AGENDA WAS POSTED
A. INFORMATION RECEIVED AFTER THE AGENDA WAS POSTED
15. CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Harvey adjourned the meeting to closed session at 8:24pm.
Cotati City Council Minutes January 24, 2023
A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL--EXISTING LITIGATION
(GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(D)(1).) NAME OF CASE:
GEORGE BARICH AND LAURIE ALDERMAN V. CITY OF COTATI AND JOHN A. DELL'OSSO, CASE NO. 21-CV-00034-EMC
B. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL—ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(D)(4).) 1 CASE
16. REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
City Attorney John Bakker indicated that there was reportable action on Item 15A, and read the following statement: The City Council unanimously approved a settlement agreement negotiated between the City's insurance carrier and the plaintiffs. The general terms of the settlement are that the plaintiffs and their attorneys will receive $80,000, the plaintiffs will provide a release of claims that they may have prior to January 5, 2023, and the City does not admit any liability. The settlement amount is a small fraction of what the plaintiffs claimed, there is no finding of any City liability, and it eliminates the possibility of any new lawsuits being brought by the same plaintiffs for any previous grievances.
17. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Harvey adjourned the meeting at 10:08pm.