Cotati council presents Juneteenth proclamation; approves minutes and consent calendar votes

The Cotati City Council on June 10 presented a Juneteenth proclamation and completed routine consent business, including approving minutes and adopting consent-calendar items.

Proclamation: The council read a proclamation recognizing June 19, 2025 as Juneteenth in the City of Cotati and invited representatives from Sonoma State University’s Black Faculty & Staff Association (BFSA) and local educators to accept the proclamation and say a few words. Speakers included Tina Rogers (multicultural educator) and representatives from Sonoma State University’s BFSA, who discussed the historical and cultural importance of Juneteenth and community events in Sonoma County commemorating the holiday. The council presented the proclamation and took a photo with the guests.

Consent calendar and minutes: The council considered three sets of minutes (special meeting April 15 and regular meetings May 13 and May 27) and opened public comment. After public comment, a council member moved to approve the three sets of minutes; the council approved the minutes and waiving of reading of resolutions and ordinances by voice vote (recorded as “carries 5 to nothing”).

Council took up the consent calendar and approved items A, B, C, D and F together by voice vote. Councilmember Savage recused himself from consent item E (lighting and landscaping assessment) because he lives in one of the affected districts; council approved item E without his participation. The record shows unanimous council action on the consent calendar with the noted recusal.

Public comment during the consent and announcements periods included multiple speakers raising Brown Act and code-enforcement concerns and asking for further transparency; the mayor and city attorney responded that ceremonial readings (pledge and land acknowledgment) are ceremonial and do not constitute council action requiring separate agenda notice.

Votes on consent and minutes were recorded on the meeting record as carried unanimously where indicated; recusal was noted on item E.