From: Laurie alderman
Sent: Monday, February 17, 2025 12:06 PM
To: Ben Ford <[email protected]>; Chris Simmons <[email protected]>; David Rabbitt <[email protected]>; Sylvia Lemus <[email protected]>; Laura Sparks <[email protected]>
Cc: George Barich ; Michael Ceremello Ceremello
; Michael Hilber ; John Bakker
<[email protected]>; Kevin Patterson <[email protected]>; Adina Flores >; Jeremy Hay
<[email protected]>; Amie Windsor <[email protected]> Subject: Another tainted City of Cotati council vacancy appointment --need to hold special election for fairness.
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Once again, the City of Cotati has tainted an appointment process for a new council member, as it has the last three appointments in 2009, 2011 and 2013. At the Jan. 28th meeting, I submitted public input with the tainted history of appointments in Cotati (see attached) . Now, the City's actions have tainted our community's ability to have fair elections and appointments.
The agenda packet does not have a cover sheet for George Barich's application or any explanation why the first part of the special meeting agenda packet shows Barich's supposed criminal record first. This history was submitted by Barich to prevent what happened in the 2012 campaign from happening again.
( This graphic was by the same graphic artist that did the "neighbors for Measure S" committee that were misleading in 2020. Damien O'Bid was paid by the fundraising committee (mostly city staff and council members were the donors to the committee, no Cotati individual citizens) to host the website according to FPPC records. ) This graphic was used to paint George Barich as a pot grower and with a criminal past. The charges were fully dismissed as it was not Barich who was growing the marijuana, it was someone else. George Barich turned in to the City the records showing the dismissal of the charges to be proactive and transparent and to prevent false information to be spread. Placing the criminal record first has tainted the appointment process once again.
Plus, there is no process on the agenda to how the council member appointee will be selected and whether the candidates will be able to speak at the meeting. The special meeting to select the new council member wasn't even on the city calendar until a few days ago.
I do not know if even the city has informed all of the candidates of the special meeting at 5:00 p.m. The application instructions only mention a special meeting on 2/18 with no time mention, before the agenda was posted.
Plus, as I stated in citizens business last week, having the yearly strategic planning meeting right after at 6:00 p.m., puts anyone who is not an insider at a disadvantage. There are some "newbies" that potentially would be appointed at the meeting at 5:00 p.m., and then they would have to all read the strategic planning meeting agenda packet and then fully participate in such an important meeting as strategic planning within an hour? It reeks of giving advantage to such candidates as John Savage and Ryan Long who are planning commissioners. Ben Ford rudely made a comment directed to me at the last meeting about this, which further taints the selection.
Over and over again, the elections and appointments have been tainted and interfered with the people's right to choose their representative in an fair process. This council appointment is once again tainted once again by the City's actions. The only solution that would be fair and have the citizens voices and votes matter, is to cancel the special meeting, and call for an special election.
I can only hope that you will do the right, just and fair choice on this matter, and call for a special election, leaving the citizens the choice who their council member representatives are.
P.S. Kevin, please use this email as my written comment for Tuesday's 5 p.m. meeting.
Disappointed that once again the people's voices don't count in Cotati.
Laurie Alderman
Cotati resident