Cotati City Council adopts updated meeting rules, moves some ceremonial items to policy

The Cotati City Council voted 5-0 to adopt revisions to its rules of conduct, removing several ceremonial items from the formal agenda and clarifying how new projects or programs are added to the council's annual work plan.

Council and staff said the changes are aimed at preventing repeated disruptions and shortening meetings so the council can address action items more quickly. City staff presented edits that convert items such as the land acknowledgment and the pledge of allegiance from agendized items into standing ceremonial duties and add language that the items are to be read by the chair of the meeting or the council’s designee.

City Manager Damien Obeid told the council the changes are intended to “ensure that city council meetings are orderly and can efficiently conduct the city's business.” The staff report said the proposed edits also fold a separate policy on future agenda items into a single document so related procedures are easier to find.

Supporters on the dais said the revisions will reduce repeated procedural interruptions that have delayed meetings. Council Member Sparks, who asked for a small wording change to allow the chair’s designee to lead the pledge or land acknowledgement, said she supports trimming repetitive agenda material so people who attend for specific items do not have to wait through long preambles.

Public comment was sharply divided. Former Council member George Barich told the council the proposed edits risk “brainwashing” and criticized the council for moving ceremonial items out of the public agenda. Resident Laurie Alderman said the changes would limit public access and suggested the policy would be overturned if it conflicts with state law. Mayor Ford earlier in the meeting had acknowledged prior disruptions and told the audience, “to avoid the continued disruption of the meeting, I will make an exception to our policy and open up public comment at this time.”

The adopted resolution directs staff to finalize the rules, correct formatting and numbering, and publish the revised policy. The council also directed staff to return with any necessary clarifications if the suggested reordering of public-comment opportunities requires further legal review.

The revisions take effect immediately; staff said they will circulate the final, renumbered policy and bring any follow-up refinements (for example, timing of non-action public comment) back to council if needed.