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, August 12, 2025
6:00 PM REGULAR MEETING
1. CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
Mayor Ford called the meeting to order at 6:00pm.
2. 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 – JUL 8, 2025
No public comment.
RESULT: Approve [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Councilmember
AYES: Ford, Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
3. 7A.
AGENDA REVIEW (ACTION)
City Manager O’Bid recommended that item 7A be moved to before item 4. There being no objection from the Council, the item was moved.
No public comment.
CONSIDERATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING ANNEXATION
OF CERTAIN PROPERTY TO COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT NO. 2017-01 (PUBLIC SERVICES) AND TAKING ASSOCIATED ACTIONS During Agenda Review, this item was moved to immediately before item 4.
Presentation by Director of Public Works/City Engineer Craig Scott.
Councilmembers comment.
Cotati City Council Minutes August 12, 2025
No public comment.
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Councilmember
AYES: Ford, Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
4. 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 the City Council Rules of Conduct, 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 timer indicator lights will display yellow when there are thirty (30) seconds remaining, and red when time has expired.
Public Comment:
George Barich of Cotati
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
Michael Ceremello
5. CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
A. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
REGULATORY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND PINK VIKING ORH LLC
IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLAHAVAN ESTATES, AND
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGREEMENT
B. ACCEPTANCE OF THE IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND APPROVAL OF THE FINAL
MAP AND SUBDIVISION IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT, AND ACCEPTANCE OF
THE ASSOCIATED DEDICATION OF EASEMENTS FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES FOR
THE FLAHAVEN ESTATES SUBDIVISION
C. RESOLUTION APPROVING THE SIDEWALK GAP CLOSURE PROJECT,
AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK TO FILE THE NOTICE OF COMPLETION WITH THE COUNTY RECORDER, AND AFTER 35 DAYS WITH NO PROTEST,
AUTHORIZING RELEASE OF THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT RETENTION D. APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT WITH ARGONAUT CONSTRUCTORS AND AN
AGREEMENT WITH BRELJE AND RACE CONSULTING ENGINEEERS FOR THE
URGENT WATER REPAIRS PROJECT
E. APPROVE MINOR CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT WITH ENTERPRISE ROOFING FOR ROOF REPAIRS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUILDING AND REROOFING THE SUNFLOWER PARK RESTROOM AND THE WELL 2 PUMP HOUSE Cotati City Council Minutes August 12, 2025
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Sylvia Lemus, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Councilmember
AYES: Ford, Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
6. DIRECTION OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilmember Sparks requested a future agenda item on a discussion around the City’s process on soliciting proposals for projects, and ways to ensure the City receives high quality bids for its projects, during the City Council’s mid-year review.
7. PUBLIC HEARINGS (ACTION)
B. APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEE UPDATE
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid and Carlos Villareal of Willdan Financial Services.
Councilmembers comment.
Public Comment:
Omar Lopez of Generation Housing
Ebi Arnold of Santa Rosa
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
The City Council requested that staff return within 60 days with developed policies, with the following feedback on the policy options that were presented:
• Affordable Housing
o How are Development Impact Fees (DIFs) calculated with expansions/renovations of existing buildings?
o Preference for eliminating DIFs by policy for deed restricted affordable units in inclusionary multifamily developments.
o A cap of a 1,500 square foot unit size for DIF elimination. o Provide DIF elimination assurance at time of entitlement, provide 24 months (subject to discussion with housing developers) to pull a building permit. If the building permits are not pulled for the affordable units, this assurance expires and is only extendable by the City Council.
o Provide a 3-year sunset on the affordable housing DIF elimination to check in on the effectiveness of the policy.
• Lodging
o Analyze the payback time horizon and total estimated cost for lodging with DIFs eliminated.
Council voted on adopting the Resolution to approve the DIF Nexus Study and recommended DIFs, and introducing the Ordinance to consolidate inflationary indices, separately.
Cotati City Council Minutes August 12, 2025
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0] Resolution
MOVER: Sylvia Lemus, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: John Savage, Councilmember
AYES: Ford, Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
RESULT: Introduce [5 TO 0] Ordinance
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: John Savage, Councilmember
AYES: Ford, Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
C. CONSIDERATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE OUTSTANDING BACKFLOW TESTING CHARGES FROM FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 AND LEVYING
OF ASSESSMENTS
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Councilmember
AYES: Ford, Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
Presentation by Director of Public Works/City Engineer Craig Scott.
Councilmembers comment.
No public comment.
8. REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
A. REVISED SCOPE OF SERVICES FOR THE HIGHWAY 116 AND WEST COTATI
AVENUE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers comment.
Public Comment:
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
RESULT: Approve [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Councilmember
SECONDER: John Savage, Councilmember
AYES: Ford, Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
Cotati City Council Minutes August 12, 2025
9. 10.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT & COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS
Report by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers report out on local and regional events and meetings.
11. A.
CLOSED SESSION
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL—EXISTING LITIGATION (PARAGRAPH (1) OF SUBDIVISION (D) OF SECTION 54956.9) NAME OF CASE: COUNTRYSIDE MHP LLC V. CITY OF COTATI, SONOMA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CASE NO. 24CV00804
Mayor Ford announced the closed session topic. No public comment. Council adjourned to closed session at 8:56pm.
Council returned from closed session at 9:30pm. Mayor Ford announced that there was nothing to report out of closed session.
12. INFORMATION RECEIVED AFTER THE AGENDA WAS POSTED
13. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Ford adjourned the meeting at 9:31pm.
/s/ Kevin Patterson, Deputy City Clerk