Cotati City Council unanimously adopts revisions to council rules of conduct

The Cotati City Council on a unanimous vote adopted revisions to its rules of conduct that move public comment on non-action agenda items to the start of meetings and clarify when the council will open non-action items for public comment.

City staff told the council the changes, first discussed at the April 8 meeting, are intended to allow members of the public to comment on non-action items earlier in the meeting rather than waiting until later. The staff report also said the final-agenda review item would be renamed “agenda review” and no longer be an action item in most cases.

Proponents said the change lets citizens speak on items before council discussion. During deliberations, Council Member Sparks said the updates respond to requests from residents and are meant to be responsive. Council Member Harvey asked for clarification on a line that said “repetitious or dilatory comments may be ruled out of order by the presiding officer.” After discussion, the council removed the single word “repetitious” so the rule continued to allow the presiding officer to rule out only unduly long comments or disruption.

Members of the public spoke at length before the vote. Resident George Barich and longtime commenter Laurie Alderman urged more detailed minutes and better adherence to Brown Act rules; both also criticized the previous meeting’s treatment of public comment. The council and staff responded that meetings are recorded and that the city’s minutes are currently action minutes that record decisions and votes.

Council Member Sparks moved to adopt a resolution approving the revisions; the motion carried unanimously.