Cotati council appoints John Savage to fill vacant seat after contested packet error

The Cotati City Council appointed John Savage to fill the council seat vacated Jan. 20, 2025, voting 4-0 at a special meeting Feb. 18. Council Member Sparks moved to appoint Savage; Council Member Harvey seconded. Sparks, Harvey, Vice Mayor Lemus and Mayor Ford voted yes.

The decision comes after an application period that ran Jan. 30–Feb. 13 and produced six applicants: George Barich, John Savage, Ryan Long, Kathleen Tandy (who withdrew before the meeting), Sarah Sparks and Steven O'Nines. The appointee will serve the remainder of the term, which expires in December 2026.

The appointment followed a period of public comment in which several residents and applicants raised concerns that portions of George Barich’s full application were not included in the PDF and paper packets provided at the meeting. City staff and the city attorney said Barich’s materials were available on the meeting’s HTML agenda page and that, according to the city attorney, the omission from the PDF did not violate the Ralph M. Brown Act. Mayor Ford said, “I do regret the error,” and noted council members had received full copies in advance.

Applicants each spoke for four minutes. Savage, who serves on the Cotati Planning Commission, described his work on the city’s active transportation plan and housing element and said his commission experience had given him “a joy to learn how this city works.” Ryan Long, also a planning commissioner, highlighted work on public engagement for infrastructure projects and his service on regional water committees. George Barich, a former council member, criticized the city’s use of grants and its staffing and accused staff of excluding his full application from the packet; he urged the council to adjourn and reschedule the appointment.

Public commenters reiterated concerns about the packet omission and urged fairness in the appointment process. Kimberly Moffett, chair of the planning commission, told the council she had worked with both Savage and Long and that either would be a strong choice. One Zoom commenter noted Barich’s 2009 recall history; residents referenced that recall during public comment but no legal bar to appointment was raised by staff.

Council discussion moved through each member’s preferences; most members said they considered Savage and Long their top choices because of planning commission experience and the short timeline for filling the seat. Council Member Sparks said the council chose appointment over a special election so the seat could be filled sooner. After brief remarks comparing the two finalists, Sparks nominated Savage and Harvey seconded. A roll-call vote followed with four affirmative votes and no recorded no votes or abstentions; the appointment carried.

Council members and staff reminded the public that other volunteer opportunities are available and noted at least one planning commission vacancy may be filled in the coming weeks. The council then recessed briefly before a scheduled strategic planning session.