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Cotati to pay $1,800 a month for short‑term downtown parking lease while long‑term plan is developed
Summary
Council authorized a month‑to‑month extension of a privately owned downtown parking lot lease at $1,800 per month with a 90‑day termination clause to avoid sudden disruption; staff will return at midyear with a broader parking‑management discussion.
The Cotati City Council approved a short‑term extension to maintain public parking behind downtown businesses after the majority property owner sought compensation when a 25‑year no‑cost lease reached its expiration.
Staff reported that the city originally improved and has maintained the privately owned lot under a longstanding arrangement. The majority owner recently asked the city to pay to continue the public use; staff negotiated a month‑to‑month arrangement at $1,800 per month with a 90‑day termination provision. “We negotiated a little bit down to $1,800, with a 90‑day termination for any party for any reason,” a staff presenter told the council.
Council members said the payment is costly but agreed the short‑term arrangement avoids a disruptive immediate loss of downtown public parking and buys time to develop longer‑term options. The council moved and approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute the amendment, amend the budget for the remainder of the fiscal year to cover lease payments, and directed staff to place a midyear work‑plan item to consider broader parking‑management strategies.
No public speakers spoke during the item. Staff said the month‑to‑month approach is intended only as a stopgap until the council can consider longer‑term funding or parking‑management alternatives.
