Dixon City Council Votes to Dismantle Relationship with Solano Irrigation District

Weeks of talking about dismantling the Dixon Solano Water Authority came to a conclusion Monday with a Dixon City Council decision to dismantle the agreement between the City of Dixon and Solano Irrigation District.

The vote passed by a margin of 3-2, with Mayor Jack Batchelor and Councilman Rick Fuller dissenting. While the city begins a request for proposal period, soliciting water companies to bid for a water contract in Dixon, the city will prepare a proposal on its own to see if it can begin providing water for residents without a third party involved.

Following the special meeting of the Dixon City Council Monday, DSWA met and voted to begin the process to raise the water rates in Dixon, an average of $14 per ratepayer, said Dixon City Manager Jim Lindley.

"If the protest vote is positive, which means they have to have 50 percent plus one on the protest vote to deny it, if the vote is successful it will probably be implemented early next year."

Meanwhile, DSWA will continue to provide water to Dixon customers for the next two years, while the city decides who will be the long-term provider of water for many of Dixon's households.

Last night's meeting was flush with testimony from Dixon residents, some who worked for SID, asking the council not to severe the relationship.

Dixon resident Russ Cayler told the council it needs to have a plan in place before moving forward to dismantle the agreement. Dixon resident and SEIU field supervisor Ian Arnold told the council that they should not be in business with a company that would seek retaliation for the dismantling of DSWA by refusing to sell them water. Arnold said that he didn't believe that DSWA would do that, but said it raises concerns if they were to do it.

Another resident told the council that it was crazy to be talking about dismantling a water service that's significantly less than Cal Water, the water company that provides water to those who are not served by DSWA.

Dixon Councilman Thom Bogue said one of the biggest reasons why he would like to seek another water provider for the city is Dixon's sustainability. He would like for Dixon to be able to provide its own water service in the future, he said last night.

Dixon City Councilman Dane Besneatte said the decision to break apart the agreement was one of the most difficult decisions he's had to make as a councilmember. But said that that increases, from 112 percent to 119 percent, in SID wage-based surcharges caused him to consider the idea, and ultimately vote for it.

He said SID has not attempted to make any concessions to lower those fees. Many questions are left in the wake of the decision that the council hopes to answer for its citizens in the coming months.

Dixon Patch will continue to follow this story as it develops.

You can watch the meeting in its entirety on the City of Dixon's web page.

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