Votes at a glance: Cotati Council approves EIFD resolution, employee MOU, assessment levies and financial policy updates

The Cotati City Council took several formal actions on June 23. Key votes and outcomes are summarized below.

Resolution of Intent — EIFD (Agenda item 9A) - Action: Adopted resolution declaring intent to form the Katad (Cotati) Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District and establish a Public Financing Authority to develop an infrastructure financing plan. - Vote: 5–0 (Savage, Sparks, Ford, Vice Mayor Harvey, Mayor Lemus) — approved.

Employee Memorandum of Understanding (Agenda item 9B) - Action: Adopted a five‑year MOU for the Cotati Employees Association that includes a 2.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for years 1–3, 2% for years 4–5, equity increases for select classifications, higher standby pay (weekend standby $85→$150/day), higher shoe allowance ($250→$350), bilingual pay tiers, and a pilot to expand noon hours at City Hall. - Vote: 5–0 — approved.

Landscape and Lighting Assessment District levies - Action: Council approved the engineer’s annual report, assessment diagram and levies for the fiscal year 2026–27 for the city’s landscape and lighting assessment district zones. - Vote: 4–0 (one council member recused due to residence in a district) — approved.

Backflow testing charge assessments - Action: Council held a required public hearing and adopted resolution levying outstanding backflow testing charges and authorizing collection via assessments. - Vote: 5–0 — approved.

Join coalition for tort‑reform advocacy (Agenda item 9C) - Action: Council authorized the city to join a Cal Cities/Sierra coalition advocating tort‑reform legislation intended to address rapidly rising public‑agency liability costs and insurance premiums. - Vote: 5–0 — approved. Noted: multiple public commenters opposed the measure and urged addressing alleged misconduct before supporting legislative caps on damages.

Adopt consolidated financial policies - Action: Council adopted updated financial principles and policies that incorporate a cyber‑security/data‑protection policy, adjusted purchasing thresholds (employee $1,000→$2,000; department head $5,000→$8,000), added permitted investment options (medium‑term corporate/municipal bonds), clarified capital asset thresholds, and updated SB 998 residential water‑service discontinuation language. - Vote: 5–0 — approved.

What this means: Collectively, these votes advance a formal EIFD formation process, update labor and financial frameworks, and authorize routine annual assessments; they also show the council’s willingness to engage in state‑level advocacy on liability costs while public commenters pressed the council on local accountability and ADA access.

For reporters and residents: staff committed to follow‑up on ADA/sidewalk project details and to return with the infrastructure financing plan, final fiscal analysis, and any detailed consultant phases before further commitments are made.