Cotati planning commission administers oath to new commissioner; public commenters raise Form 700 and land‑acknowledgment concerns

The Cotati Planning Commission opened its meeting by administering the oath of office to newly appointed planning commissioner Sarah Sparks. Community development technician Carla Duncan led the oath and invited the new commissioner to sign the appointment documents.

Public comment during the administrative portion produced two distinct themes. Resident George Barich told the commission he believed some commissioners and council members had not filed required Form 700 statements of economic interest and said those filings should be completed before appointees act in their roles. Barich said, "Ms. Berman is a, convicted money launderer," and told the panel he had pursued public‑records requests and Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) complaints in the past; the commission did not act on the allegation during the meeting. A separate Zoom commenter, Laurie Alderman, urged the city to publish Form 700 disclosures so the public could review potential conflicts.

Another member of the public used the public‑comment period to criticize a proposed or existing land‑acknowledgment statement. A speaker described the acknowledgement as "a bunch of hyperbole" and objected to changes to the city seal; the speaker urged commissioners to research and reconsider the wording. The commission proceeded with the agenda after the public‑comment period closed.

Why it matters: Form 700 filings are a state‑required disclosure of economic interests for many public officials; public requests to see completed statements are a recurring transparency issue for local governments. Residents also raised political and cultural objections to the city’s land‑acknowledgment language during the same public‑comment period.

Quotations - "Ms. Berman is a, convicted money launderer," — George Barich, public commenter (verbatim from the meeting record). - "They’re supposed to be given on obtaining office ... they're supposed to be readily available," — Laurie Alderman, Zoom public commenter, urging the city to post Form 700 statements.

What the commission did: The commission administered the oath to Sarah Sparks and proceeded with the meeting. The meeting record does not show any formal city action on the Form 700 concerns or on the land‑acknowledgment wording during this session; commissioners did not vote on those matters at the meeting.

Next steps: The comments are part of the public record. If residents wish to pursue alleged statutory violations they may file complaints with the FPPC (as described by speakers) or pursue public‑records requests; any staff follow‑up on Form 700 filings or land‑acknowledgment language would be handled in subsequent meetings or by city administration.