The Cotati City Council voted 4-1 to oppose Measure J, a high-profile countywide ballot measure, reversing their previous decision to take no stance.
Cotati City Hall, located at 201 West Sierra Avenue in Cotati, California, on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
ANNA ARMSTRONG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
October 9, 2024, 7:22AM
The Cotati City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to oppose Measure J, reversing their previous decision to take no stance on the high-profile countywide ballot measure that calls for an end to so-called factory farming.
The resolution that was adopted Tuesday was introduced by Vice Mayor Ben Ford. It was “stripped down” to remove much of the language of the original council resolution that failed to pass in August.
If passed in November, the Measure J would phase out larger farming operations known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, which advocates of the measure refer to as “factory farms.”
Cotati is the latest city to oppose the measure, following in the footsteps of Sonoma, Sebastopol, Cloverdale, Rohnert Park, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Windsor and Santa Rosa, all of which signed resolutions much earlier.
Cotati Mayor Laura Sparks voted in favor of the resolution, but requested a clause affirming Cotati and the county’s commitment to enforcing applicable laws and to “take every possible action to end animal suffering in Sonoma County.”
The council agreed to add the language.
“Measure J is flawed,” Sparks said. “There are not exemptions for people who are doing good practices. At this time, I do not think Measure J is the right solution, but my conscience doesn’t allow me to support a no resolution unless we try to do something.”
Every seat in the council chambers was filled, and people lined up in the back of the room and into the hallway. Dozens of supporters and opponents of the measure used the public comment period to try and convince the council to adopt their stance.
Shelina Moreda, a fifth generation dairy farmer and Petaluma resident urged the council to oppose the measure and credited farmers with protecting and caring for animals in the county.
Moreda is also president of the organization Norcal Livestock Evacuation, which evacuates and rescues animals during fires.
“Thousands of citizens have trusted us with their pride and joy pets and backyard animals, yet somehow we are being labeled as the ones who are being abusive toward our own animals,” Moreda said. “Make this make sense.”
Cassie King, a Petaluma resident and organizer with the Coalition to End Factory Farming, said Measure J would set “very reasonable limits” on the number of animals that are held and confined in commercial farms.
“It’s intuitively obvious that limiting the number of animals confined in farms will improve their welfare,” King said. “Will Measure J solve every issue? Of course not. No initiative can do everything, but over a decade of evidence collected from investigations into Sonoma County CAFOs shows that animal abuse is rampant and the authorities are doing absolutely nothing about it.”
Public comment lasted until 8:30 p.m. Following a brief recess, the council reconvened to discuss the resolution.
Council member Kathleen Rivers was the sole nay vote and said she believed the resolution was “inaccurate” after asking the city attorney several clarifying questions that he was unable to answer.
Vote-by-mail ballots started going out Monday and Election Day is November 5. Measure J must receive a majority of the votes, or greater than 50%, to pass.
Contact Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at 707-521-5255 or anna.armstrong@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @annavarmstrongg.