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, October 08, 2024
6:00 PM REGULAR MEETING
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Sparks called the meeting to order at 6:05pm.
2. ROLL CALL
Attendee Name Title Status
Laura Sparks Mayor Present
Ben Ford Vice Mayor Present
Susan Harvey Councilmember Present
Sylvia Lemus Councilmember Present
Kathleen Rivers Councilmember Present
Staff Present: City Manger Damien O’Bid, City Attorney John Bakker, Deputy City Clerk Kevin Patterson, Director of Administrative Services Angela Courter, Director of Community Development Noah Housh, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Craig Scott, Police Chief Chris Simmons, Senior Planner JP Harries
3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The City of Cotati recognizes that we’re on the ancestral lands of the Coastal Miwok, who are the original caretakers of this area. We respectfully acknowledge the Indigenous peoples who have been stewarding and maintaining a relationship on this land as knowledge keepers for millennia. This acknowledgement does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities but serves as a gesture of respect to the land we are on.
4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
5. 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 – SEP 24, 2024 Cotati City Council Minutes October 08, 2024
RESULT: Approve [4 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: Sylvia Lemus, Councilmember
AYES: Sparks, Ford, Harvey, Lemus
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: Rivers
No public comment.
6. 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 may consider the item. If the City Council considers the item, citizens will be 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. However, the Brown Act prohibits the City Council from taking action or considering any item that is not on this agenda, to ensure that other members of the community who wish to provide comment are notified in advance through a properly noticed meeting agenda.
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 enroll with CivicReady, by signing up on the City’s website, www.cotaticity.org, under the “How do I” link at the top of the homepage.
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, and CivicReady.
7. PROCLAMATIONS
A. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY / NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH Councilmember Sylvia Lemus read the proclamation. Jack Pollard of the Progressive Tribal Alliance accepted the proclamation.
B. NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH PROCLAMATION Vice Mayor Ben Ford read the proclamation. Sean Paul Higgans of Becoming Independent accepted the proclamation.
8. APPROVAL OF FINAL AGENDA (ACTION)
Mayor Sparks requested to add item 13C to the agenda, for the Council to provide voting direction on the Mayors and Councilmembers Association appointees to the Measure O Oversight Committee. In her motion, Mayor Sparks indicated that the information was received after the agenda was Cotati City Council Minutes October 08, 2024
published, and the timing of the next meeting of the Mayors and Councilmembers Association required action to be taken prior to the next regular meeting of the Cotati City Council on October 22.
Motion was seconded by Councilmember Rivers, Council unanimously voted to add the item to the end of the regular agenda.
No public comment.
9. CITIZEN BUSINESS AND PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS Any member of the public wishing to speak to the Council on any item(s) listed on the Consent Calendar or any matter(s) not listed on the agenda that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council may do so at this time. Pursuant to the Brown Act, the Council is not allowed to consider issues or take action on any item not listed on the agenda. Pursuant to City Council Policy 2023-01, comments of any member of the public are normally restricted to a total of three (3) minutes in length per person for matters not on the agenda and a total of three (3) minutes per person in length for any and all items on the Consent Calendar. The Mayor may extend the time limit for a reasonable time where a disability accommodation has been requested. To facilitate public comment, the Deputy Clerk will alert speakers when there are thirty seconds remaining.
Public Comment:
Peter Alexander
Dawna Gallagher of Cotati
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
10. CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
A. APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS AND ASSOCIATES TO DESIGN THE 2025 STREET IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT B. APPROVAL OF 2024 DIA DE LOS MUERTOS EVENT IN LA PLAZA PARK C. APPROVAL OF FISCAL YEAR 24-25 IT SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT
REPLACEMENT
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: Ben Ford, Vice Mayor
AYES: Sparks, Ford, Harvey, Lemus, Rivers
NAYS: None
11. DIRECTION OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilmember Harvey requested a future agenda item on options for Landscaping and Lighting Assessment Districts during Strategic Planning in Spring 2025.
12. PUBLIC HEARINGS (ACTION)
A. SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE (1) AMENDING CHAPTER 17.28 (SPECIAL PURPOSE ZONE AND OVERLAY ZONE STANDARDS) OF TITLE 17 (LAND USE) OF THE COTATI MUNICIPAL CODE TO ALLOW
EXISTING PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT (PUDS) TO BE SUBDIVIDED,
DEVELOPED, REDEVELOPED OR MODIFIED CONSISTENT WITH THE
UNDERLYING ZONING DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AND (2)
REZONING MULTIPLE PROPERTIES TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR Cotati City Council Minutes October 08, 2024
GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DESIGNATIONS
Presentation by Senior Planner JP Harries.
Councilmembers comment.
No public comment.
RESULT: Adopt [3 TO 2]
MOVER: Ben Ford, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Sylvia Lemus, Councilmember
AYES: Sparks, Ford, Lemus
NAYS: Harvey, Rivers
13. REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
A. UPDATE ON OUTREACH TO CELLULAR PROVIDERS
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers comment.
Public Comment:
Peter Alexander
B. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION OPPOSING SONOMA COUNTY INITATIVE
PETITION MEASURE J
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers comment.
Public Comment:
Lewis Bernier of Petaluma
Kathy Tresch of Petaluma
Hannah Stefenoni of Petaluma
Cassie King of Petaluma
Carla Cabral of Occidental
Shelina Moreda of Petaluma
Alex Decarli of Petaluma
Bronte Edwards of Sebastopol
Doug Beretta of Santa Rosa
Jennifer Beretta of Santa Rosa
Tomi Henry of Penngrove
Steve Perucchi of Bodega
Andy Bunnell of Sebastopol
Toni Pimentel of Cotati
Cindy Steffy of Cotati
Duskie Estes
Samantha Faye
Carmen Snyder
Cotati City Council Minutes October 08, 2024
Dana Gillespie
Marlina Eckel of Cotati
Erik Allen
Don Lipmanson
Lynn Morton Weil
Jaonie Benedetti of Cotati
Kathy Cullen of Occidental
Karin Lease of Sebastopol
Sarah Van Mantgam of Windsor
Susan Bianchi of Petaluma
Judy James of Cotati
Jexi Mondragon of Rohnert Park
Maureen Granados of Santa Rosa
David Rabbitt of Petaluma
Amy Bandiera of Santa Rosa
Jordan Mahrt of Petaluma
Amy Housman of Santa Rosa
Justin Mahrt of Petaluma
Jenny McClelland of Rohnert Park
Peter Alexander
Curtis Vollmar of Petaluma
Lydia Hansen of Sonoma County
Amanda Charles of Petaluma
Andrea Kraut of Sonoma County
Chase Koches of Santa Rosa
Neil Hancock of Cotati
After discussion, Council added an additional “Be It Resolved” clause to the end of the resolution, stating “Be it further resolved that the City of Cotati calls on Sonoma County to fully enforce all applicable laws, and take every possible action to end animal suffering in Sonoma County.”
RESULT: Adopt [4 TO 1]
MOVER: Ben Ford, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Sylvia Lemus, Councilmember
AYES: Sparks, Ford, Harvey, Lemus
NAYS: Rivers
C. VOTING DIRECTION FOR MEASURE O OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE APPOINTEES (ADDED ITEM)
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers comment.
No public comment.
By a motion from Councilmember Harvey, and a second from Councilmember Lemus, the Council directed Mayor Sparks to vote for Ben Ford and Kevin McDonnell as the appointees to the Measure O Oversight Committee at the next City Selection Committee meeting on October 10.
Cotati City Council Minutes October 08, 2024
RESULT: Approve [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: Sylvia Lemus, Councilmember
AYES: Sparks, Ford, Harvey, Lemus, Rivers
NAYS: None
14. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Report by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
15. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS
Councilmembers report out on local and regional events and meetings.
16. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
Public Comment:
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
17. INFORMATION RECEIVED AFTER THE AGENDA WAS POSTED
18. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Sparks adjourned the meeting at 9:44pm.
/s/ Kevin Patterson, Deputy City Clerk