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Outgoing Cotati mayor honored as public commenters accuse council of code enforcement scandal

Cotati City Council · January 14, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The council held a reception to honor outgoing Mayor Ben Ford. Public speakers offered both praise and sharp criticism; one former council member accused the mayor and council of violating civil‑rights protections, Brown Act obligations and enabling a multi‑year code‑enforcement scandal, while others thanked Ford for his service and welcomed incoming leadership.

The meeting opened with a ceremonial reception recognizing outgoing Mayor Ben Ford and welcoming Mayor Lemus and Vice Mayor Harvey. Several residents offered public comment at the podium: some expressed gratitude for Ford’s service and praised…

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