Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING COMMISSIONERS
Date: March 25, 2025
Written by: Damien O'Bid, City Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Council ratify, by adoption of a motion, Councilmember Sparks’ and Savage’s nominations to fill the vacant Planning Commission positions.
Background
Qualifications, terms, and appointment process for the City’s Planning Commission (Commission) are set forth in Chapter 2.16 of the City’s Municipal Code. The Commission is comprised of five members, each of which is nominated by one of the five Council members, and ratified by a majority of the Council. Commissioner terms are coincident with, and at the discretion of, the nominating Council member. Section 2.16.050 of the Municipal Code requires all Commissioners to be residents of the City.
Councilmember Savage has elected to re-appoint Planning Commissioner Shelley Berman, initially appointed by former Councilmember Kathleen Rivers.
Councilmember Sparks’ had appointed John Savage to the Planning Commission. When Councilmember Savage was subsequently appointed to the City Council, Councilmember Sparks‘ planning commission appointment became vacant. This vacant position was advertised on the City’s social media & website. Applications were received up to and on the March 13, 2025 deadline.
A total of four applications were received for Planning Commission. The applications are attached for review and indicated in the table below.
Analysis/Discussion
The current composition of the Commission is as follows:
Commissioner Nominating
Councilmember Current Term Expiration
Kimberlyn Moffet Susan Harvey 2028
Ryan Long Ben Ford 2028
Shelley Berman (Pending Re-Appointment) 2026
Ed Gilardi Sylvia Lemus 2026
The applicants for Planning Commission are as follows:
Nominees: Responsible Councilmember:
Mike Steckler Laura Sparks
Eric Gage
Sarah Sparks
Laurie-Ann Barbour
Councilmember Savage has re-nominated Shelley Berman to continue her term.
Councilmember Sparks has nominated Sarah Sparks (no relation) to fill the vacant position.
Financial Considerations
The Community Development Department, as staff to the Planning Commission, supports the needs of the Planning Commission through the Department’s operating budget.
Environmental Issues
The action of appointing a Planning Commissioner is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because they are not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.