June 2021

Get to Know the Cotati City Council

Many California cities have adopted dividing their city into districts due to the California Voting Rights Act of 2001. The City of Cotati has not implemented this process yet. The City of Cotati is made of 5 Councilmembers who are extremely progressive in their ideological views. The terms are staggered so that not all terms expire at the same time.

Mayor John Moore started his current role as a council member in 2013 as an appointee to replace an outgoing councilmember. He was elected in 2014 for his first full term and was recently elected for his second full term in 2018. Additionally, Mayor Moore serves as a delegate to the North Bay Labor Council and District Bargaining Unit Representative of Service Employees International Union Local 1000, District Labor Council 752, serving Sonoma and Marin counties. Mayor Moore’s primary goals include continuing engagement with the community to strengthen Cotati’s fiscal, environmental, and social sustainability.

Currently, Mayor Moore is up for re-election in 2022. He is registered as a Democrat. You can email Mayor Moore at: jmoore@cotaticity.org

Vice Mayor Mark Landman was appointed to City Council in November 2009 and elected to a full four-year term in 2010. He was re-elected in 2014 and again in 2018. Councilmember Landman is a founding board member of Sonoma Clean Power, where he has served as chair twice. He has also served as chair of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority in 2019, served as Chair of the Russian River Watershed Association and served as Chair of the Sonoma County Mayor’s and Councilmember’s Legislative Committee. Councilmember Landman was elected Vice-Mayor of Cotati twice, serving in 2013 and 2018. He was again elected to be Vice Mayor in 2021.

Currently, Vice Mayor Landman is up for re-election in 2022. He is registered as a Democrat. You can email Vice Mayor Landman at: mlandman@cotaticity.org

Council member Susan Harvey was first elected to the City Council in November 2009. She was appointed as Vice Mayor in 2011 and served as Mayor in 2012. She served on the Planning Commission from November 2008 to November 2009. Councilmember Harvey currently serves as Cotati's representative on the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, the Subregional Wastewater Policy Advisory Committee, Sonoma County Health Action and Association of Bay Area Governments. She serves on the Board of Directors of the North Bay Division of the League of California Cities and as a member of the Water Advisory Committee. Councilmember Harvey says she is devoting her energy to preserving community police, maintaining essential city services, fiscal responsibility and supporting policies that enhance existing business and attract new business.

Currently, Council member Harvey is up for re-election in 2024. She is registered as a Democrat. You can email Council member Harvey at: sharvey@cotaticity.org

Council member Laura Sparks was elected to City Council in 2020. She is an Astronomy Professor at Santa Rosa Junior College. During her time at SRJC, Councilmember Sparks has taken on a variety of leadership roles, including Academic Senate parliamentarian and department chair of Earth and Space Sciences. She is a member of the American Astronomical Society and a member of Astronomers for Planet Earth, an organization of professional astronomers, educators, and students who advocate for climate action. She called for more affordable housing, citing a need for zoning reform to clear the way for new developers. She believes houses should not just build anywhere as she wishes to focus development on areas near transit centers, and to build out Cotati’s bicycle infrastructure.

Currently, Council member Sparks is up for re-election in 2024. She is registered as a Democrat. You can email Councilmember Sparks at: lsparks@cotaticity.org

Council member Ben Ford was elected to City Council in 2020. He teaches mathematics at Sonoma State University, where he has served as Chair of the Mathematics and Statistics Department and on two occasions as Chair of the University Faculty. He serves on professional bodies that help shape math education guidelines for the State of California. Before running for council, Councilmember Ford served on Cotati’s Planning Commission where he was able to gather bureaucratic experience and familiarized himself with local politics. He also spent time on Cotati’s Design Review Committee and worked as the treasurer for the Northern California Earth Institute. He cited sustainability and Cotati’s role in climate change as one of the foundations of his electoral platform. Councilmember Ford currently represents Cotati on the Russian River Watershed Association Board of Directors and is Cotati’s alternate representative to the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability agency and Sonoma Clean Power.

Currently, Council member Ford is up for re-election in 2024. He is registered as a Democrat. You can email Councilmember Ford at: bford@cotaticity.org

The City of Cotati has one of the better calendar sites for City Councils and the meetings are held when actual working people can attend. The Cotati City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month generally at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at Cotati City Hall, located at 201 West Sierra Avenue. Check the specific meeting agenda to confirm the start time at:

http://cotaticityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx