Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: APPROVAL OF 2025 NIXON FAMILY CELEBRATION OF
LIFE EVENT IN LA PLAZA PARK.
Date: June 24, 2025
Written by: Ashley Wilson, Recreation Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the 2025 Nixon Family Celebration of Life event in La Plaza Park; authorizing the sales of beer and wine to benefit a nonprofit organization.
Background
Cheryl Nixon was a Cotati business owner for almost three decades, as one of the owners of local favorite watering hole, Friar Tucks. Cheryl passed away this past spring and her sons would like to honor her memory with a celebration in La Plaza Park. The Nixon Family Celebration of Life event is proposed for Saturday, August 2, 2025, in La Plaza Park.
Randy Nixon has submitted a completed City of Cotati Park Use and Special Event Application along with sufficient descriptions of the event.
Analysis/Discussion
Randy Nixon has requested the following: 1) exclusive use of La Plaza Park; 2) live, amplified entertainment; and 3) sales and service of beer and wine.
The public celebration of life event in La Plaza Park will be free of charge to enter and is family friendly, taking place from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm. The event host has requested exclusive use of the Park from 10:00 am through 6:00 pm to allow for set-up, breakdown, and clean-up.
The proceeds from alcohol sales will benefit the Rohnert Park Rebels, a nonprofit youth girls softball organization.
The applicant has reviewed the insurance requirements and has indicated that they can provide adequate insurance. A Condition of Approval has been included which requires proof of insurance be supplied to the City before the event.
A Condition of Approval has been included which requires a California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control approved temporary permit to allow for the sale of alcohol to be supplied to the City before the event.
Financial Considerations
Financial considerations for the City include $213 for the park permit fee, $100 for the restroom cleaning fee, $17 for the electricity fee, and a $250 refundable security deposit, to be collected by the applicant prior to the event. Total fees collected would be $580, with $250 being refundable after the event, as long as there is no damage to the park or facilities and no extra cleaning is required. No fee waivers are requested.
Environmental Issues
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is 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.