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Residents press council for civility, raise water and Esmeralda Land concerns
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Summary
Public commenters at the Cloverdale City Council meeting urged enforcement of decorum toward Council member Marquez, urged updated water studies for the Esmeralda project, and raised broader worries about contamination and housing impacts.
Multiple residents used the public-comment period at the Feb. 25 council meeting to press two themes: calls for civility at the dais and concerns about water resources and contamination related to the Esmeralda project.
Mary Anne Brigham told the council, "I am ashamed of the behavior I have witnessed during our recent council meetings," and called the conduct "personal, mean spirited, and bullying behavior that is being directed at council member Marquez." She urged the mayor to enforce stricter decorum rules and asked the council to prioritize listening to all community voices.
Other speakers raised technical concerns tied to the Esmeralda proposal. Katya told the council, "We know that Esmeralda Land site is contaminated. Tests have been done," and urged caution about placing residential uses near the river; she said reuse plans should be sensitive to contamination and water availability. A written comment read by staff from Caruso urged the city to require Esmeralda to pay for a new independent water study, citing that prior studies were completed in 2004 and updated in 2018 and predate recent regional projects that could affect water supply.
Annabelle Burke urged attention to regional water risks, warning about long-term shortages and urging local conservation.
Separately, Karen Chin's written comment (read into the record) argued the censure process against Council member Marquez was excessive and asked the council to end the review. Rob Koslowski's written comment requested greater transparency on Measure DD spending for roads and urged caution about additional debt financing.
Council did not take formal action on censure or Esmeralda at the meeting; several council members noted the written comments and public concerns would factor into future agenda items and staff analyses.
