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Public commenter calls Cotati land acknowledgment 'racist' during planning commission meeting
Summary
During public comment at the Aug. 18 Cotati Planning Commission meeting, a resident called the city's land acknowledgment 'racist' and asked the commission to move it to the end of meetings; the chair later read the city's land acknowledgment and the meeting proceeded to agenda items.
A public commenter at the Cotati Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 18 urged the commission to move the city's land acknowledgment to the end of meetings and described the existing wording as "racist and asinine." The commenter, who introduced himself as a former city councilman, said the acknowledgment was political pandering and suggested it was linked to outside casino interests.
Chair Moffitt later read the city's land acknowledgment aloud, stating that Cotati sits on the ancestral lands of the Coastal Miwok and noting the acknowledgment "does not take the place of authentic relationships with indigenous communities, but serves as a gesture of respect to the land we are on." The meeting then recited the Pledge of Allegiance and continued to the night's business.
No formal action was taken on the land‑acknowledgment wording during the meeting; the exchange occurred during the public‑comment period. The comment and the chair's subsequent reading of the acknowledgment were recorded in the public meeting transcript.
