Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: COOPERATIVE FUNDING AGREEMENT, REDWOOD DRIVE
CLASS IV BIKE LANE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AND
ADA TRANSITION PLAN
Date: June 23, 2026
Written by: Damien O'Bid, City Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a cooperative funding agreement with the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority (SCTCA) for the first phase of an ADA transition plan and design and construction of a Class IV bike lane on Redwood Drive.
Background
The Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority (SCTCA) is the congestion management agency for Sonoma County. This means that one of SCTCA’s primary functions is to be the conduit of most state and federal transportation funding in Sonoma County. In the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Safe Streets for All (SS4A) funding round, the City of Cotati (City) was awarded funding for an ADA transition plan as well as a pilot Class IV bike lane on Redwood Drive.
Analysis/Discussion
After many recent starts and stops with federal transportation funding, the funding has now become available. SCTCA works collaboratively with local agencies through what is known as a Cooperative Funding Agreement (Coop Agreement). The Coop Agreement defined the funding and respective responsibilities of both parties in the agreement.
In this case, the ADA transition plan was identified as an upcoming need several years ago and applied for in the FY 23-24 funding cycle. Although the City does not have 50 employees yet, the City is getting closer, particularly with the various part-time staff in recreation. Agencies with 50 or more employees are required to have an ADA transition plan, so this work is preemptive so it is in place when the City eventually reaches the 50-employee threshold. The proposed funding will cover the first phase of work, with the second and final phase anticipated in FY 27-28.
The City also identified a pilot Class IV bike lane as a good project for the SS4A funding.
Redwood Drive was believed to be a good pilot location, due to it being a community connector to Rohnert Park, a very busy arterial roadway with no bike lane protection on the west side of the road, and a wide enough shoulder to allow standard street sweeping vehicles into the bike lane to ensure that the bike lane stays free of debris.
Financial Considerations
The total City obligation is not to exceed $57,500. These funds consist of a combination of matching funds for both projects, as well as some direct expenditures on the construction of the Class IV bike lane. This cost was anticipated and included in the FY 26-27 budget.
Environmental Issues
There is no possibility that entering into a cooperative agreement or drafting an ADA transition plan will have a significant effect on the environment, therefore these actions are 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. In the future, the ADA transition plan may recommend physical improvements to facilities, but these will be evaluated and a determination made prior to implementing the physical improvements. The Class IV bike lane is not expected to be publicly bid, but completed with City forces. Construction of the Class IV bike lane on an existing paved roadway is found to qualify for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption under CEQA Section 15301 in that the project consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of the existing or former use.