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, May 12, 2026
6:00 PM REGULAR MEETING
1. CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL
Mayor Lemus called the meeting to order at 6:00pm.
Attendee Name Title Status
Sylvia Lemus Mayor Present
Susan Harvey Vice Mayor Present
Ben Ford Councilmember Present
Laura Sparks Councilmember Present
John Savage Councilmember Present
Staff Present: City Manager Damien O’Bid, City Attorney John Bakker, City Clerk Kevin Patterson, Director of Administrative Services Angela Courter, Director of Community Development Noah Housh, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Craig Scott, Police Chief Chris Simmons
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 – APR 28, 2026 No public comment.
RESULT: Approve [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Ford, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
3. PROCLAMATIONS (ACTION)
A. PROCLAIMING MAY 2026 AS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER
HERITAGE MONTH IN COTATI
Cotati City Council Minutes May 12, 2026
Mayor Lemus read the proclamation. Proclamation was accepted by Grace Cheung-Schulman of AAPIC North Bay, and Sema Sharma of Sai’s Sprouts Preschool.
B. BIKE MONTH PROCLAMATION
Councilmember Ford read the proclamation. Proclamation was accepted by Eris Weaver of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.
C. AFFORDABLE HOUSING MONTH PROCLAMATION
Vice Mayor Harvey read the proclamation. Proclamation was accepted by Sonia Byck-Barwick of Generation Housing.
Public Comment:
George Malkemus of Cotati
4. AGENDA REVIEW (ACTION)
No changes.
5. 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 City Council Policy 2025-03, 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 seconds remaining, and red when time has expired.
Public Comment:
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
George Malkemus of Cotati
6. CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
Before voting on the consent calendar, Councilmember Savage announced that he would recuse himself from the vote on item 6C, due to owning property in the subject area. Council voted separately on item 6C.
A. APPROVAL OF 2026 CITY OF COTATI SUMMER MOVIES IN THE PARK, FOOD
FESTIVAL, AND NATIONAL NIGHT OUT EVENTS IN LA PLAZA PARK B. APPROVAL OF 2026 COTATI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MUSIC FESTIVAL
EVENT IN LA PLAZA PARK
C. SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE TO REZONING
MULTIPLE PARCELS TO THE TRANSIT ORIENTED COMMUNITIES (TOC) AND
SANTERO WAY (SW) ZONING DISTRICTS AND MAKE ANY FURTHER NEEDED
REVISIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE TOC LAND USE POLICIES
Cotati City Council Minutes May 12, 2026
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0] ITEMS 6A & 6B
MOVER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
SECONDER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Ford, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0] ITEM 6C
MOVER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
SECONDER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Ford, Sparks
NAYS: None
RECUSE: Savage
7. DIRECTION OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
None.
8. REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
A. GENERAL FUND LONG-RANGE FINANCIAL FORECAST - FISCAL YEARS 2025-26 THROUGH 2035-36
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid and Director of Administrative Services Angela Courter.
Councilmembers comment.
Public Comment:
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
B. REVIEW FISCAL YEAR WORKPLAN PRIORITY
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers comment.
No public comment.
9. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT & COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS
Report by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers report out on local and regional events and meetings.
10. LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT & PLEDGE OF ALLIGIANCE
Cotati City Council Minutes May 12, 2026
The City of Cotati recognizes that we’re on the ancestral lands of the Coastal Miwok, who are the original caretakers of this area. We respectfully acknowledge the Indigenous peoples who have been stewarding and maintaining a relationship on this land as knowledge keepers for millenia. This acknowledgment does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities but serves as a gesture of respect to the land we are on.
11. 12.
CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Lemus announced the closed session topics.
Public Comment:
Laurie Alderman of Cotati.
Council adjourned to closed session at 8:08pm.
Council returned from closed session at 10:31pm. Mayor Lemus announced that there was nothing to report out of closed session.
A. CONFERENCE WITH CITY LABOR NEGOTIATORS (GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957.6) CITY DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE: CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE. EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION: COTATI EMPLOYEE
ASSOCIATION (CEA) AND POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (POA) B. CONFERENCE WITH NEGOTIATORS (GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957.6) AGENCY REPRESENTATIVE: CITY COUNCIL. UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEE:
CITY MANAGER
INFORMATION RECEIVED AFTER THE AGENDA WAS POSTED
13. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Lemus adjourned the meeting at 10:32pm.
/s/ Kevin Patterson, City Clerk