Laurie Alderman
Subject: Public Comment on June 23, 2026 Agenda – Item 6b (Cooperative Funding Agreement, Redwood Drive Class IV Bike Lane Demonstration Project and ADA Transition Plan)
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council,
I am speaking tonight to request that Item 6b be pulled from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion and voter transparency.
While infrastructure improvements on Redwood Drive are important, the community needs to understand the stark disproportion in how this funding is being utilized. This resolution authorizes a cooperative funding agreement with the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority (SCTCA). However, as written, it directs the vast majority of regional ADA grant monies toward a Class IV bike lane demonstration project, leaving a mere $10,000 for the actual execution of Phase 1 of our city's ADA Transition Plan.
An ADA Transition Plan is a critical legal and structural blueprint. ADA accessibility in Cotati has been ignored for many years here in Cotati. The ADA Transition Plan identifies physical barriers to accessibility in our public rights-of-way, sidewalks, and municipal facilities. It ensures that residents with disabilities, seniors, and parents with strollers can navigate Cotati safely. Allocating just $10,000 to this plan—while absorbing the lion's share of accessibility-targeted grant funds into a single bike lane project—neglects our broader city-wide compliance responsibilities.
By pulling this item from the consent calendar, the Council can address two vital questions for the public record:
1. Scope: Will $10,000 genuinely cover a comprehensive, compliant Phase 1 ADA Transition Plan, or is it a token amount that delays true systemic accessibility upgrades?
2. Prioritization: Why is a demonstration bike lane prioritized over the immediate, critical need for city-wide sidewalk gap closures and curb ramp rectifications? I urge the City Council to pull Item 6b, hold a transparent discussion, and ensure that grant monies intended for accessibility are meaningfully used to remove barriers for our most vulnerable residents.
Thank you for your time and consideration.