Solano Drive In

Rio Vista leaders, residents weigh future of water, sewer services

RIO VISTA -- Proponents of a failed measure to lower sewer and water rates here said its defeat will allow city leaders to spend money needlessly and delay a decision to close one of two wastewater treatment plants.

Its opponents -- which include the majority of the City Council -- said the results prove that voters care more about the city than saving some cash.

The June 7 special election was held a little more than a week after a Solano County grand jury released a report saying Rio Vista leaders could save the city money by connecting the Beach Drive plant's collection system built in 1972 to the Northwest plant's wastewater treatment system that came online in 2005. It recommended that the Beach Drive plant be closed.

"(Lowering rates) would have forced the issue immediately," said Loetta Papetti, of the Solano County Taxpayers Association, who spearheaded the effort to lower fees. "Now the council is going to drag their feet on that."

The report concluded that "operating two wastewater treatment plants in a city the size of Rio Vista is a burden for the taxpayers."

Measure A, which was rejected by 55 percent of voters, would have rolled back sewer and water rates in the Delta city north of Antioch to their 2009 levels. Monthly water bills for single-family homes rose from $16.80 to $25.36, and jumped again to $43.99 that year -- an increase of nearly 162 percent.

Sewer rates also rose significantly in September 2009. Customers served by the city's Northwest wastewater treatment facility saw rates go from $36.15 to $51.60 per month. Rates for those served by the Beach Drive plant jumped from $36.15 to $77.36 per month.

Mayor Jan Vick had said the rate hikes were necessary to maintain and improve the city's aging sewer and water pipes and other machinery.

A group of residents, led by Papetti, collected signatures to qualify the measure for a special election. The group believed the city could make many of the required improvements without the high fees to taxpayers.

"I think voters realized it was the best thing for the city, in order to get the wastewater system to transition to one plant," Councilwoman Constance Boulware said. "We have to maintain Beach Drive until we get ready to transfer over to the Northwest plant."

Councilman Fred Kogler, the only proponent of decreasing fees on the council, said he was baffled by the measure's failure.

"There was speculation that the city would not be able to continue services (if the rates were lowered)," he said. "But that was not proven. Voters are a fickle group.

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