1992/01/15 City Council MinutesCall to Order
ROHNERT PARK CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JOINT MEETING WITH CITY OF COTATI
January 15, 1992
The Council of the City of Rohnert Park met this date in joint
session with members of the Cotati City Council at the Green
Oaks Restaurant located at 8501 Gravenstein Highway, Cotati,
California with Mayor Linda Spiro and Mayor Bill Miller
jointly presiding.
Mayor Spiro and Mayor Miller called the joint session to
order at approximately 7:00 p.m.
Present: (5) Councilmembers Eck, Hollingsworth, Hopkins,
Reilly and Mayor Spiro
Absent: (0) None
Present: (4) Councilmembers Elles, Roberts, Shorey
and Mayor Miller
Absent: (1) Councilman Stewart
Staff present for all or part of the meeting: Rohnert Park
City Manager Netter and Cotati City Manager Bonnie Long, and
Cotati Planning Director Dennis Dorch.
Others present: Rohnert Park - Cotati Clarion staff Bob Brown
and Michelle Zeman.
There was a brief welcome from Mayor Spiro and Mayor Miller.
Following the main portion of the dinner, both Mayors
commenced with the topics for discussion as follows:
1. Community separators for Rohnert Park /Cotati - Both
Councils reviewed the most interested areas for designation of
community separators. Rohnert Park said its primary concern
was the conrunity separator between the Cities of Rohnert
Park and Santa Rosa. Cotati was interested in a joint effort
with the City of Rohnert Park to protect some open space areas
around the southeast and northwest quadrants of the City where
Cotati and Rohnert Park join. There was general discussion
about the importance of the area north of Rohnert Park being
the high risk area. Both Councils agreed that the other areas
should be protected, not to the sense of looking at a
protection between Rohnert Park and Cotati, but more of a
comnanity separator to protect both comaunities.
2. Item Nos. 2 & 4 as listed on the agenda were take
together which was Redwood Drive Agreement and update on 30
acre parcel (the Bennett Property). The City of Cotati
informed the Council of Rohnert Park that the 30 acre parcel
known as the Bennett properties has received environmental
clearance. This included the problems that were encountered
J its ,32 2` v CITY OF frJTHTl
P.2'4
Minutes of the Special Joint Session with
Menbers of the Rohnert Park City Council
at the Green Oaks Restaurant 10cated at
5501 Gravenstein Highway, Cotati, caiifornia
with Mayor Bill Miller and mayor Linda Spiro =:r
Jointly Presiding
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Miller and Mayor Spiro called the Joint
session to carder at approximately 7:00 p.m. �
Councilmembers present: Miller, Elles, Shorey, Roberts
Councilmembers absent: Stewart
Staff present: Long, Dorch
Councilmembers present: Spiro, Eck, Hollingsworth, Hopkins,
Reilly
Staff present: Netter
Others present: Rohnert park- Cotati clarion staff Bob
Brown and Michelle Zeman
Mayors Miller and Spiro welcomed those in attendance. Fallowing
dinner, Mayors Miller and Spiro commenced discussion on the
following topics:
1. Community Separators for Rohnert Park and cotati ° Both
councils reviewed their concerns and interests for passible areas
for community separators. iotati's main concern is in South
Cotati. Cotati expressed interest in a joint effort with Rohnert
Park to protect some open space areas around the southeast and
northwest quadrants where cotati and Rohnert Park join. Rohnert
Parr expressed primary concern about the community separator
between Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park. There was discussion
regarding the possib- le need to share services in the future and
the potential for a joint effort at developing a park. There was
consensus that cooperation between the two cities was desirable.
2. Redwood Drive Agreement and, 4. Update on 30 Acre Parcel
(Bennett property) - Mayor Spiro asked for clarification on the
sub - committee's agreement in regards to Redwood Drive. City
Manager Netter indicated that staff in the two cities had met and
Rohnert Park had made a commitment to pay for half of the bridge
at Copeland Creek and road widening north of the bridge. Rohnert
Park would contract out for the design work for the bridge along
Copeland Creek as well as Cotati's bridge south at the Laguna de
Santa Rosa, and Cotatils road work. cotati would reimburse
Rohnert Park for its share of the cost Of the design work and
Hi'i 11� 1`::m -IT`r' (Y COTHTI P. 4
Minutes of Joint Meeting
January 15, 1992
Page 2
overlays, if the work is bid together. With regards to the cost
sharing on the signal at Highway 116 and Redwood. Drive, the Cotati
Council had understood the agreement was for Rohnert Park to pay
25% of the total cost of a three -way signal. Mayor Spiro asked if
Rohnert Park was willing to agree to paying 25% of the three -way
signal. councilmember Eck indicated he remembered the agreement
to be up to 25% and that Rohnert Park had agreed to pay their fair
share. city Manager Long asked for clarification on how that fair
share would be determined. City Manager Netter said that staff
was waiting for traffic counts collected before and after the
Rohnert Park projects were completed to see if there is a trend.
Since the amount of participation is still in dispute, staff was
directed to meet and .pork out a reasonable agreement for cost
share of the signal and report back to their respective sub-
committees.
The City of Cotati reported that environmental clearance from the
Army Corps of Engineers has been obtained for the 30 acre parcel
(Bennett Property) and the owners are marketing the property.
There are no plans for the property as yet.
3. Cotati's Plans within Sphere of Influence - Planning Director
Dorch pointed out Cotati's sphere of influence on the aerial map
on display and indicated that there are no immediate plans.
5. Future Development by Rohnert Park on ]East Cotati. Avenue and
Petaluma Mill Road; ether Mans Within Sphere of Influence - City
Manager Netter outlined the plan for Rohnert Park's upcoming
General Plan Review. Cotati councilmembers asked Rohnert Park to
think about the impact on East Cotati Avenue of any future
development noting that a projection of 10 car trips per day per
400 homes in the proposed development off Petaluma Hill Road could
have a tremendous impact on East Cotati Avenue. councilmember Eck
indicated we should all look at the impact of the automobile and
move our resources array from that means of transportation as we
look at the next general plan update.
9. Sound Problem in L Section (taken out of turn) - Cotati City
Council indicated they had received complaints from L section
residents because of noise generated by Cotati's industrial uses
on Industrial Avenue, and wanted to discuss the possibility of a
sound wall. There was discussion on who would pay since the
problem is a joint one and construction of a sound wall would be
costly. Rohnert Park is now aware of the problem. The businesses
are more sensitive to the neighboring homes, and hopefully there
will not he future complaints.
6. Regional Government - There was brief discussion on regional
government, jobs- housing balance, and the Congestion Management
Plan.
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Minutes of Joint Meeting
January 15, 1992
Page 3
7. Fees for Senior Citizen Activities - Cotati requested that
their residents be able to attend Senior Center functions without
being charged a non- 4 °esident rate since the Center receives
funding from the Area Agency on Aging (which includes Cotati,.
City Manager Netter indicated that programs are already running in
the red and the funding from AAA is a very minor amount.
a. Household Hazardous Waste Collection - Both Councils agreed
that this is a worthwhile program that should be continued as a
joint program. Collection will take place on May 2nd, 1992 at the
Rohnert Park Stadium.
1.0. Cotati l s Sewer interceptor Line - city *tanager Long presented
an update on Cotati's plans, indicating that Cotati's long term
objective is to separate Rohnert Park and Cotati Lines, with the
He man Lane interceptor being the first phase. Cotati will be
discussing this with Santa Rosa officials. Rohnert Park indicated
they would be cooperative with the City of Cotati. city Manager
Netter indicated there needed to be discussion between the City
Managers of the two cities regarding capacity.
11. Integrating Bikeways and Walkways - The City of Rohnert Park
updated Cotati on its Commerce Blvd. Bike Plan and their grant
submittal for $60,000. Cotati indicated they need to crass the
Laguna. Rohnert Park has a CalTrans approved bike plan and Cotati
is working on their plan. There was consensus that both cities
should work cooperatively on bikeways and walkways, and perhaps in
other areas as well.
12. Cotati.'s Housing Element Update - Planning Director Dorch
presented an update; the Housing Element has been sent to the
State for comments.
13. Cotati - Rohnert Park Unified School District relations - There
was discussion regarding the need for cooperation between the
cities and the school district and the belief that yearly meetings
with the school district are not enough. Rohnert Park recommended
the City / School coordinating committee be revived. Membership
would include members of Cotati City Council, Rohnert Park City
Council, and the School District.
14. New Areas for Inter--City Cooperation - There was general
discussion on ways to cooperate and more effectively provide
services. one area of particular interest is a study on a joint
park system. There was a suggestion that the two cities may want
to meet more Frequently than annually and that perhaps a meeting
it July, fallowing the cc�tati council election, would be a good
idea. Rohnert Park, will host the next joint meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
(Cotati City Council Joint Meeting Minutes (4) January 15, 1992
Clerk
11. Integrated bikeways and walkways - The City of Rohnert
Park updated Cotati on its Commerce Blvd. Bike Plan and
indicated that a grant has been submitted that may be coming
forth in a few months. It vas the general consensus of both
City Councils that the City of Rohnert Park and Cotati should
work more cooperatively in joint programs that may even
include joint dispatch, joint parks, joint open space, etc.
Other items of general discussion included Cotati updating
Rohnert Park on its housing element, the relationship between
the two cities, and the Cotati - Rohnert Park Lhified School
District. There was a comment on a City /School coordinating
committee of which Councilman Dave Eck recommended this
coordinating committee be revived which would include members
of Rohnert Park City Council, Cotati City Council and the
School District. And finally, there was a comment that the
two cities should have bi- annual meetings, especially one
following the November election because there will be new
faces on the City Council of Cotati and maybe a new face on
Rohnert Park's City Council. The date was deferred until such
time after the elections are held.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at
approximately 9:10 p.m..
,
Mayor
Jarivary i5, i992
nerty. City of Cotati
)otential development
axed a development.
,,operty was one step
ial development, and
Id be aware of this
:t across Highway 116
City Manager Netter
t Park may want to
s Agreement, that a
order to recoup any
m the traffic signal
ped within a certain
t that a potential
ise Cotati to install
of Rohnert Park's
:, it was made clear
xoint was to pay for
north of the bridge.
design work of the
btati's bridge south
:hen would reimburse
of the design work as
gether, Cotati would
ire of the actual
its share of road
the immediate area.
.d that the staffs of
:h the traffic counts
tohnert Park projects
traffic counts after
:Zg can be formulated
,Lt that Rohnert Park
3iscussed that the
inert Park Clarion of
ientific and it was
was worked out by
-en.tioned that staff
a1 joint Committee
Engineer Paul Shark
f January.
'luence - Planning
1 map on display and
Council, Cotati's
i south of the City.
)rised that Cotati's
id west as Planning
apdate was reviewed
*ement .