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 11, 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, Assistant City Attorney Kimia Mahallati, 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 – JULY 28, 2026 No public comment.
RESULT: Approve [4 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Councilmember
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: Ford
3. AGENDA REVIEW (ACTION)
City Manager Damien O’Bid recommended that the Council add an urgency item to the end of the Regular Agenda, as item 8C. The item regarded a request by Cal Cities to send a letter of opposition Cotati City Council Minutes August 11, 2026
to the State, opposing legislation that would limit how cities can recover damages following a utilitycause wildfire. The need for the item came to Staff’s attention on Monday August 10, after the agenda was published, and a response to Cal Cities was required before the next Regular Council meeting on August 25.
No public comment.
With a motion from Councilmember Ford, seconded by Vice Mayor Harvey, the Council voted unanimously to add the item as Item 8C on the Regular Agenda.
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 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 (Citizen’s Business):
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
Public Comment (Consent Calendar):
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
5. CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
A. APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT FOR GRANT WRITING ASSISTANCE ON THE HIGHWAY 116 INTERSECTION SAFETY PROJECT
B. REQUEST TO SIGN ONTO LETTER FROM ASSEMBLY MEMBER PELLERIN
SUPPORTING FUNDING AT DEFINED LEVELS FOR PREVENTION AND EARLY
INTERVENTION
C. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO RESCIND AND REPLACE THE EXISTING RESOLUTION NO. 2026-25, APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF A DIGITAL SIGN,
APPROVING AGREEMENTS FOR THE INSTALLATION AND SOFTWARE
LICENSES FOR REPLACING THE EXISTING MARQUEE, AND AUTHORIZING
THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SAID AGREEMENTS AND APPROVE ANY
NEEDED CHANGE ORDERS OR AMENDMENTS UP TO THE APPROVED BUDGET AMOUNT OF $72,000
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Laura Sparks, Councilmember
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Ford, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
6. DIRECTION OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
None.
Cotati City Council Minutes August 11, 2026
7. PUBLIC HEARINGS (ACTION)
A. REPORT RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL INTRODUCE AN
ORDINANCE AMENDING SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE COTATI MUNICIPAL CODE TO CORRECT ERRORS AND STREAMLINE THE CITY’S PERMITTING
PROCESS
Presentation by Associate Planner Autumn Buss.
Councilmembers discuss.
No public comment.
RESULT: Introduce [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Ford, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
8. REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
A. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE A CONTRACT FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT SERVICES WITH WILLDAN ENGINEERING FOR UP TO $50,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026/27 AND FOR UP TO TWO ADDITIONAL YEARS
THEREAFTER
Presentation by Director of Community Development Noah Housh.
Councilmembers discuss.
Public Comment:
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
RESULT: Adopt [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Ford, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
B. DISCUSS POTENTIAL ALPR ITEM FOR EVALUATION BY THE COMMUNITYPOLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers discuss.
Public Comment:
Cotati City Council Minutes August 11, 2026
Laurie Alderman of Cotati
Council requested that Staff ask the Community-Police Advisory Committee to investigate the following items related to ALPRs:
-Balancing overall privacy concerns with public safety, considering City Council goals and objectives
-Review how and what data is collected, stored, shared, and protected (including reviewing data sharing/protection vendor agreements) versus the public safety utility of the ALPR systems (including examples)
-Compare the features, benefits, and limitations of the City’s ALPR vendors, including others (if they exist)
-Provide a comparison of public safety ALPR systems versus commercial versions C. CONSIDERATION OF LETTER OF OPPOSITION TO SB 254
This urgency item was added to the agenda during Agenda Review.
Presentation by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers discuss.
No public comment.
RESULT: Approve [5 TO 0]
MOVER: Ben Ford, Councilmember
SECONDER: Susan Harvey, Vice Mayor
AYES: Lemus, Harvey, Ford, Sparks, Savage
NAYS: None
9. 10.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT & PLEDGE OF ALLIGIANCE
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.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT & COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS
Report by City Manager Damien O’Bid.
Councilmembers report out on local and regional events and meetings.
11. INFORMATION RECEIVED AFTER THE AGENDA WAS POSTED
12. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Lemus adjourned the meeting at 7:27pm.
Cotati City Council Minutes August 11, 2026
/s/ Kevin Patterson, City Clerk