Cotati council directs water advisory representative to endorse Sonoma Water FY 2025–26 transmission budget

The Cotati City Council moved on March 11 to direct its water-advisory committee member to endorse Sonoma Water’s proposed fiscal year 2025–26 transmission system budget, voting 3–0.

Sonoma Water officials told the council the agency’s $82 million draft transmission budget responds to aging facilities and resiliency needs. Jake Spaulding, finance manager for Sonoma Water, said the budget includes roughly $18.3 million in capital work next year, nearly $10 million for resiliency projects and a multiyear tank recoating and operation-and-maintenance program. "We are proud of the transparent and the collaborative process that we undertake annually," Spaulding said during the presentation.

The council’s decision follows a staff report from Craig Scott, Cotati public works director and city engineer, who described Sonoma Water as providing about two-thirds of the city’s water supply and noted that payments to Sonoma Water make up about 30.5% of Cotati’s water utility budget. Scott told the council that Sonoma Water provided revised budget information to member contractors after Cotati staff finalized the city’s draft water and sewer rate study,…