Cotati adopts updated park‑use and special‑event permit policy; small private events exempted from insurance requirement

The Cotati City Council voted to adopt an updated Park Use and Special Event Permit Policy that sets uniform park hours, clarifies permitted amenities and updates insurance requirements for small private events. Parks staff recommended the changes to align the policy with recent municipal code updates and new or renovated park facilities.

Staff said the policy will set park hours at 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. year‑round, with limited exceptions for people passing through during off hours. The revision clarifies that dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet in city parks, while off‑leash activity remains allowed at the Cotati Dog Park. The staff report also proposes removing the insurance requirement for small private events such as a child’s birthday party of up to about 50 people; staff said similar Sonoma County cities (Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Healdsburg) use the same approach.

Council members identified a few drafting errors and asked staff to add newly installed restrooms in Cotati Park to the facilities list and to correct typographical errors in the Spanish language materials. Council member Harvey moved to adopt the resolution approving the updated policy with the noted corrections; the motion was seconded and the mayor announced the motion carried (record: “That carries 5 down”).

Staff said fee changes would be handled through the annual master fee schedule and that the sample application would be updated to reflect new spaces such as Putnam Field and Cater Field. The city clerk’s office will publish the corrected PAFR and the finalized policy documents following the meeting.