[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,85,97],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6483812,"mediaKeyId","5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4","parentId",5575114,"title","Caltrans favors roundabout; Cotati approves amended design contract to pursue roundabout at Highway 116/West Cotati","audioSeconds",1701,"startMs",7730000,"endMs",9431000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4&start=7730&end=9431","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4/thumbnail_7730000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6483812/Cotati-City/Sonoma-County/California/Caltrans-favors-roundabout-Cotati-approves-amended-design-contract-to-pursue-roundabout-at-Highway-116West-Cotati","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483812-35ce20356fadcc81e4984df2d534faf4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153223&Signature=XwSxsZsoEx2sYr-ROmf3VVyz50hEqptnpoluAaLsCSzr0~pELR38jZarucDwuJ2j2oCuzDUX5IHAVi1EJJaByqet3GSpZLoOyTyYwZUoraN3Lg92kr2vLkR1BuOu408cOE6DMCIjCtsCdre5HJPB2r~JZo3y0GOzQ-HSLO4kOqX2CoPShs2xOFj6~Sf9Givlbv8~PifLo2Ob7d-LXEe-H4934ThiPzgIXgv3K5rhQCPVG2zWXpZmOeuEMBecgIvZG8VfxWpLYMEtvUcvSZnPfCx3oB6zgenYwKyPn7WZP-JD4ntneqdAQ7qQrjg6hWcYEtIgTprX1kd64C7t-OcWvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cotati, CA","date","2025-08-13T17:15:02.097Z","article","Cotati — The Cotati City Council on Aug. 11 approved an amended professional‑services agreement for final design of safety improvements at the Highway 116/West Cotati Avenue intersection, directing staff to update design work to support a roundabout after Caltrans advised that a roundabout was the safer preferred alternative.

Public works director Craig Scott summarized the history: the intersection study began under a 2019–2022 design effort with a 35% traffic‑signal design, but Caltrans’ Intersection Safety and Operations Process (ISOP) — adopted to prioritize safety in state‑highway intersection control — concluded a roundabout provided a superior safety outcome in this location. Scott told the council the change in design control required an amended scope and roughly $100,000 of additional design work and that the project schedule has shifted, moving the anticipated bid date from March 3, 2026, to March 3, 2027.

Scott said the city’s consultant and Caltrans have discussed partnership opportunities, including the possibility Caltrans could incorporate the roundabout design into a 2028 Caltrans paving window, but that any funding to advance construction remains to be determined.

Council approved the amendment and authorized the city manager to execute it. Council members asked staff to ensure pedestrian and bicycle crossings would be addressed in the roundabout design and noted the importance of maintaining connectivity between new housing and downtown.

Why this matters: Highway 116 is a state route; Caltrans controls intersection design approvals for state facilities. A Caltrans‑preferred roundabout will change geometric design, right‑of‑way needs and construction timing for a key intersection that affects planned housing and pedestrian access.

Next steps: Staff and the design consultant will finalize roundabout design details, evaluate pedestrian/bicycle crossings, continue coordination with Caltrans about potential paving incorporation in 2028 and return to council with further schedule and funding details.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 12, 2025 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","After a multi‑year design process, the city approved an amendment to the design agreement for safety improvements at the Highway 116/West Cotati intersection. Consultants and staff said Caltrans’ intersection safety process favored a roundabout over a traffic signal; council authorized the amended scope despite added cost and delay.","taxTitle","Cotati City, Sonoma County, California","taxId",72376,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":44,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":50,"_51":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":83,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":84,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483817,"Cotati council levies assessments for unpaid backflow testing charges",184,7914000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4&start=7730&end=7914","/articles/6483817/Cotati-City/Sonoma-County/California/Cotati-council-levies-assessments-for-unpaid-backflow-testing-charges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483817-9fd3e48c67f183de1171ddddff3b112f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153223&Signature=T5lQzNatNILY4DFc-KZiU0EeBvGfynFCecVTUKi-XEWtG7zs19qSDN9-dOrKRZEeYmXSmCks1Vp5D8VdOduZKcNGY9X0HurUQ~8Du83I3Il-z5Vy~qU6gtvXcTtKuTiDROr-zqWS04Z5LjlzyMrDblQFrstFd6B-kvHy-uMJsUzKBJG1slb496VVBYQp9z~V9e-VJNv3dVQgshgKLWWruptSc86ZZUmB4vTsfvUrvg9c6pZaCRr2mtdTe3z8JQjTlM6Ly~sI9d1qCIWrZjZmbq30g7B62iYjVzkI2cbSmQUbT86O6JJOZcVDfBZElepHeQ6q~T1s4bM0ZeSH5q4C-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cotati — The Cotati City Council on Aug. 11 adopted a resolution establishing outstanding backflow‑testing charges for properties that have not paid required annual certifications and directed staff to levy those assessments on the 2025–26 property tax roll.

Public works director Craig Scott explained the program, noting the city’s ordinance No. 773 requires property owners to test backflow devices that protect the drinking‑water system from contamination. Scott said the city has about 650 backflow devices citywide and the current assessment list includes 47 properties with unreturned certifications or unpaid testing charges. The assessments include the testing cost plus an administrative fee (about $37) and a late penalty ($15), all rolled into the assessment amounts.

After opening and closing the public hearing with no public comment, the council moved, seconded and approved the resolution by voice vote; the motion carried unanimously.

Why this matters: Annual backflow testing is a state and local water‑system safeguard; assessments collect unpaid testing charges and authorize their placement on the property tax roll when owners do not comply.

Next steps: Staff will prepare the assessment roll and forward it to the county for inclusion on fiscal year 2025–26 property tax bills.","The city adopted a resolution establishing outstanding backflow testing charges for 47 properties and directed those assessments be levied on the fiscal 2025–26 property tax roll; the motion carried unanimously.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483821,"Cotati adopts AB 602‑compliant impact fee update; council asks staff to refine hotel and affordable-housing options",1779,2004000,3783000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4&start=2004&end=3783","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4/thumbnail_2004000.jpg","/articles/6483821/Cotati-City/Sonoma-County/California/Cotati-adopts-AB-602compliant-impact-fee-update-council-asks-staff-to-refine-hotel-and-affordable-housing-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483821-2e05f5636d92b8c5ddca6e9767d9e929/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153223&Signature=SqQdK5SYQlBeVuS-8QBpz~5O-mBNTzPIAC-GghZfZ2WdggeuNKl9pt6sMcncpG4K~6FWOh9SvIUY9FY-qljPFPlMKcDAqXDZ8WBE75M1et6t5JTYp-~CgOLNxB0evYt8gp~hUzIJUSeuFN8nw03qkb3pGgtXMUEgXnepfIQR1iutVorWaSt8py7NmX-egkfNCv7kVDg8TgV9VNV7dQsqmfZyS14KmdoQl5UkMBVJFJLtR8mdCrQqZ7XQlkahpDGsTSHn0htRx2jWAY9K1VBd~UeWmd99HtujSedxr5fdV4kznX~U-r4r3UKbciMdt8mLWIObkgYJ5vQVXaV~YmmxBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cotati — The Cotati City Council on Aug. 11 adopted a comprehensive update of the city’s development impact fees, moving most fees to a square‑foot basis to comply with state law (AB 602) and the Mitigation Fee Act, and approved an ordinance to standardize inflation adjustments and enable residential fee deferrals to occupancy.

Carlos Villareal of Willdan Financial Services, the consultant who prepared the updated nexus study, presented the analysis and the recommended fee schedule. Villareal summarized the study’s conclusion: “The maximum justified fee for residential across all the fees that we are looking at is $25.54 per square foot.” He told the council the study used multiple allocation methodologies — planned facilities, buy‑in, existing standards and system planning — and projected citywide build‑out of roughly 2,100 dwelling units and 3,900 additional residents.

After public comment that included support from affordable‑housing advocates, the council voted by roll call to adopt the nexus study and the associated fee updates (Savage: yes; Sparks: yes; Harvey: yes; Vice Mayor Lemus: yes; Mayor Ford: yes). The resolution sets a 60‑day waiting period before the new fees take effect.

Council also approved an ordinance to pull the city’s disparate inflation indices together under a single index and to permit deferral of many residential fees until occupancy. That ordinance passed on a unanimous voice vote.

Policy discussion: lodging and affordable housing

Council then held a separate, nonbinding policy discussion about whether the city should reduce or waive development impact fees as an incentive for (a) new higher‑quality lodging and (b) deed‑restricted affordable housing. Staff framed lodging as distinct because hotels generate transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue; staff estimated a hotel could repay forgone fees through TOT in about three years under typical scenarios but said they would run updated scenarios tied to the new fee schedule if the council wanted more detail.

For affordable housing, staff summarized regional precedents (Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County) that either waived or piloted fee waivers for deed‑restricted units and presented two possible backfill sources: Cotati’s Inclusionary Housing fund and linkage fee fund, which together held about $1.2 million as of the last accounting. Staff noted that those funds could be used to backfill waived fees but would be depleted faster for larger single‑family units than for multifamily units.

Council direction and next steps

Council members expressed a preference for targeting incentives toward multifamily and mixed‑market projects that are most likely to be stalled rather than broadly waiving fees for single‑family subdivisions that historically have had better development activity. Several council members asked staff to return with refined options that could include: a limited pilot (for example, 12–36 months), entitlement‑time allocations with a fixed window to pull building permits, sliding‑scale fee reductions favoring very‑low and low income units, and scenario analyses showing TOT payback periods for lodging under the finalized fees.

Why this matters: The updated nexus study aligns Cotati with AB 602 and gives developers a single, transparent square‑foot metric to estimate impact fees. The council’s policy direction indicates possible targeted use of fee waivers or deferrals as levers to accelerate certain project types, but no change to the fee schedule or fee waivers was adopted tonight.

Next steps: Staff will record the adopted nexus study and fee schedule (effective after the 60‑day period) and return with refined policy options and financial scenarios for lodging and affordable‑housing incentives.","Council adopted a nexus study and an updated fee schedule that moves most development impact fees to a square-foot basis and approved an ordinance to standardize inflation indexing and residential fee deferrals. Council discussed policy options to reduce or defer fees for lodging and affordable housing but took no policy vote; staff will return.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483827,"Cotati council approves annexation of FlyHaven property into Community Facilities District",342,274000,616000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4&start=274&end=616","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5575114-1b4b7991044d1d8dccd2cabc197e8ca4/thumbnail_274000.jpg","/articles/6483827/Cotati-City/Sonoma-County/California/Cotati-council-approves-annexation-of-FlyHaven-property-into-Community-Facilities-District","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483827-7ffd9eac1e9edf30ac618b6271cc7d2b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153223&Signature=luYRUCWP~mavQ5NnUxwaeaaOwcXLNMxUUuzjmxshTx5eh4uPqbTf9PIzm5~Y2MuIUKKQS7b8h-iu~BUWdQvq8KWFhogTbxsB4uXk10XFRP2Hdk2hbhXooEq6N~TkpKbn8nQEGP4qIuUJOI296~x5WL7C-QIoZRVG9D7XD~cZoRPhQpQ4iyxMDysb0KyXMfeRWVmV7h2lshFnZu-WEWE~dWWIDQYqEusm9Pd2EWKSWVEJh34sc~ouXKSDauTmR5FAHrm5P3h18XXuPG4y8GPFVIKvRsqsFAixzdyTtvzVrH2sZWxX~ELMhHGLJ53ZpKGekudVQl4jdKs2csZea3UZAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cotati — The Cotati City Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Aug. 11 approving the annexation of a single property proposed for subdivision into Community Facilities District Number 2017-01, a special assessment district formed in 2017 to fund local services and public infrastructure.

Public works director and city engineer Craig Scott opened the council presentation, saying, “Tonight’s item is consider annexing a property into the city’s Community Facilities District 2017-01.” The council then conducted a duly noticed public hearing before taking action.

The resolution authorizes recordation of an annexation map and the preparation and recording of an amended notice of special tax lien for the property, which staff said will be submitted to the county assessor once a building permit is issued. Scott outlined the types of services financed through the CFD payments, including police services, park and open-space maintenance, street lighting, storm and flood protection, equipment and staff overhead, and noted those annual assessments increase with the CPI.

Council members moved and seconded the resolution, closed the public hearing after no public comment, and carried the voice vote unanimously. Staff said the map will be recorded with the county recorder and the list of properties will be forwarded to the county assessor by May 1 following issuance of building permits for properties annexed into the CFD.

Why this matters: CFD annexations obligate future property owners to pay assessments that fund ongoing local services and capital maintenance. This annexation enables the city and the CFD to collect assessments on the subdivided parcels when development proceeds, rather than leaving those costs to general city funds and current taxpayers.

Next steps: Staff will record the annexation map and prepare the amended notice of special tax lien as directed by the resolution. The assessments will be applied after building permits are issued and the county assessor receives the submitted lists.","The Cotati City Council adopted a resolution to annex a single property proposed for subdivision into Community Facilities District (CFD) No. 2017-01, authorizing recordation of an annexation map and an amended notice of special tax lien. The vote was unanimous.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Caltrans favors roundabout; Cotati approves amended design contract to pursue roundabout at Highway 116/West Cotati

Cotati council levies assessments for unpaid backflow testing charges

Cotati adopts AB 602‑compliant impact fee update; council asks staff to refine hotel and affordable-housing options

Cotati council approves annexation of FlyHaven property into Community Facilities District