Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: CITY COUNCIL RULES UPDATE
Date: June 24, 2025
Written by: Damien O'Bid, City Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council approve a resolution updating the City Council Rules to consolidate the agenda and add additional public comment opportunities.
Background
Over the past several months, City Council meetings have routinely been disrupted by a member of the public who insists on speaking during routine ceremonial items, announcements, and other non-action agenda items. Despite ample opportunities to speak, including the Chair allowing the commenter to speak out of order to diffuse the situation, the meeting disruptions have continued.
Disruptions generally consist of approaching the speaker's podium and yelling over the Chair, which significantly delays the proceedings, creates a hostile environment in City Council meetings and generally makes it difficult to accomplish the public‘s business.
As a result, the City has modified the City Council rules twice this year, which have not reduced the continual meeting disruptions.
Analysis/Discussion
In accordance with Government Code §54952.6, “action taken” means a collective decision made by a majority of the members of a legislative body, a collective commitment or promise by a majority of the members of a legislative body to make a positive or a negative decision, or an actual vote by a majority of the members of a legislative body when sitting a body or entity, upon a motion, proposal, resolution, order or ordinance.
The proposed edits will preserve the Action/Non-Action hierarchy and preserve the existing three (3) minute public comment time for action items. However, the proposed changes also go beyond what is required by the law under the Brown Act (cited above) and add a 1-minute public comment period on all non-action items, as defined, such as routine ceremonial items, announcements, etc. Although not common in any city, nor needed to comply with the Brown Act, it is intended to reduce the continual meeting disruptions and delays by providing a place for the public to comment at every agenda heading.
In practice, the Chair already opens all Proclamations to public comment, but the proposed changes will formally add Proclamations to the list of Action Items. Lastly, the changes made this year are deleted and largely revert the rules to their prior state, aside from the changes described above.
Financial Considerations
There are no financial considerations with modifications to the City Council meeting rules, in accordance with Cotati Municipal Code Section 2.04.040 and Government Code Section 36813.
Environmental Issues
Where it can be determined with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA review.
This general rule can be applied to activities which could be subject to the CEQA process, but which logic dictates should not be subject to CEQA review. Therefore, based on the information provided above, the proposed resolution is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 14.03.021 of the CEQA Guidelines in that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant impact on the environment.