Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: ENDORSEMENT OF THE CITY OF COTATI’S APPLICATION
FOR THE WHALE TAIL GRANT FUNDS FROM THE
CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION
Date: January 27, 2026
Written by: Ashley Wilson, Recreation Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution endorsing the City of Cotati’s application for the Whale Tail Grant funds from the California Coastal Commission.
Background
The California Coastal Commission's Whale Tail Grants fund projects that connect people to the California Coast and its watersheds through education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences.
Grant projects can engage people of all ages and can take place anywhere in California.
Approximately $2 million in funding is available for the grant, with approximately $1 million reserved for projects led by California Native American tribal communities.
Government entities, public schools or districts, California Native American tribes, projects with a non-profit fiscal sponsor, and non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply for the grant to engage communities in California and include education about coastal and marine environments. This can include classroom-based programs, field trips, climate change education and stewardship, coastal habitat restoration or shoreline cleanup programs, community or participatory science, cultural and ancestral practice preservation, workforce development, and more.
The maximum request amount is $50,000, and the grant is reimbursement based, with no match required.
Analysis/Discussion
The City’s grant application requests $50,000 to fully fund the proposed programs and projects at the Veronda-Falletti Ranch, which would be administered by our partner, Sandy Loam. The projects include establishing a native plant nursery, propagating plants to help with erosion mitigation, facilitating erosion mitigation trips to plant for erosion resiliency, providing ocean recreation field trips for seniors and others facing access barriers, and more.
A more detailed description, including a sample timeline of programs, is provided in the proposed project description, which is attached to the resolution endorsing the submittal of the application.
Financial Considerations
A portion of the grant, totaling $27,800, will offset labor costs and indirect costs already included in the Veronda Falletti Ranch Work Plan by supporting project management & program implementation for youth enrichment, adult livelihood programming, ecological land stewardship (including development of the small greenhouse), and community festivals and gatherings. These funds will be retained by the City.
An additional $11,000 will fund new geo-textile research and development work that is not included in the Veronda Falletti Ranch Work Plan and will be additional work funded by the grant.
The remaining $11,200 in grant funds will cover additional materials and external contractor costs not included in the Veronda Falletti Ranch Work Plan and will be reimbursed via the grant.
A description of the administrative requirements for the grant, if awarded, including information on budget and reimbursement, is included in Exhibit B, attached to the resolution. If the grant is awarded a budget amendment will be required to increase the Grant Fund Revenues and Expenses by the same $50,000 amount leading to a $0 change to the Fund Balance. Staff propose that this adjustment would be approved for the City Manager to process when the award is granted.
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.