RESOLUTION NO. (XX)
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COTATI
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND EXECUTE THE
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WITH PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER, SONOMA STATE
UNIVERSITY, AND THE CITY OF ROHNERT PARK TO OPERATE AND
MANAGE AN ALTERNATIVE CRISIS RESPONSE PROGRAM KNOWN AS THE
ROHNERT PARK-COTATI SPECIALIZED ASSISTANCE FOR EVERYONE (SAFE) TEAM
WHEREAS, each year approximately 5% of all calls for service (Rohnert Park, Cotati, and Sonoma State University) are crisis calls involving homelessness, mental illness, or substance abuse which could be diverted to an alternative response team; and WHEREAS, alternative care providers are trained, suited, and equipped to deliver more cost effective and appropriate services related to mental health, substance abuse, and shelter and housing services to individuals in need, in lieu of police response to such calls for assistance; and WHEREAS, in November 2021, in accordance with a three-party Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Petaluma People Services Center (PPSC), a California non-profit public benefit corporation, implemented a pilot program with the City of Cotati and City of Rohnert Park to provide mobile mental health crisis services; and WHEREAS, the City of Cotati (City) in partnership with the City of Rohnert Park share the benefits of the services of the new crisis response team, Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE), and share the costs of the program based on a cost share that is fair and reasonable, based on a 2 year rolling average of actual calls for service; and WHEREAS, the program expanded to include Sonoma State University (SSU) in October 2022; and
WHEREAS, in Fiscal Year 2024-25, the SAFE team began 24/7 operations; and WHEREAS, to begin to develop a sustainable funding model and as a precondition for Measure O grant funding, the SAFE team must become a certified Medi-Cal service provider to allow the County of Sonoma to recover eligible Medi-Cal expenses from the SAFE team patient interactions; and
WHEREAS, on September 1, 2026, the SAFE team was fully compliant as a Medi-Cal service provider and began collection Medi-Cal billing data; and WHEREAS, the action of entering into an MOU does not constitute a project as defined by California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378; therefore, no further environmental review is required.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Cotati that it does hereby authorize the City Manager, to execute the Second Amended and Restated MOU with Petaluma People Services Center, City of Rohnert Park and Sonoma State University in substantially similar form as Exhibit A, subject to such revisions as may be approved by the City Attorney.
IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Cotati held on September 8, 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
Approved:___________________________
Mayor
Attest:______________________________
Kevin Patterson, City Clerk
Approved as to form:______________________________
City Attorney