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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

January 1, 2006

The Year Ahead

Much on 'must-do' list for Solano County in 2006

For starters, it is the year that we must pass a transit tax, if we are ever to get a handle on our transportation woes. As numerous lawmakers have advised, it will only be through matching dollars that Solano County will qualify to receive a mother lode of federal help.

We must ensure the measure will address the gridlock woes of the interchange at Interstate 80 and I-680, as well as safety improvements for Highway 12, and repairs for everything from rural thoroughfares to neglected city streets and busy intersections in need of upgrades.

In recent years, two measures have failed, albeit narrowly. Transit officials backed down from proposing a tax on last year's ballot after Fairfield decided to place a half-cent sales tax proposal to fund increased law enforcement before voters.

This must be the year a transit tax gets a green light.

The biggest issue Vacaville will face is the creation of an ultimate urban limit line.

It's not clear when it will go to voters, but it will happen sooner or later, thanks to the settlement of a lawsuit between the Greenbelt Alliance, the city of Vacaville and Triad Communities, the builder of a proposed lower Lagoon Valley development. This could be the year.

The agreement, which resulted in a 300-home reduction for the project, required Triad to fund a future ballot measure establishing an urban limit line around Vacaville's current sphere of influence.

One thing for sure: If the issue comes before voters in 2006, debate on the city's best interests must follow.

Vacaville has grown at a relatively fast clip since the 1970s. Where will we stop? Vacaville will have to answer that question, because we have to stop growing at some point, or we will become another Contra Costa County, where cities run willy-nilly into each other.

Granted, officials had the foresight to create a green belt between Dixon and Vacaville, but Vacaville needs to determine its ultimate boundary on all sides.

Another major decision in Vacaville will be how the school board will spend - if at all - about $35 million in Measure V funds that were originally intended for a new high school.

Since reality has not reflected the forecast in Vacaville, trustees realize that building a new high school might not be the best use of the funds. As a result, trustees are considering a number of options, from disbursing the funds among existing high schools for facility improvements to not spending the money at all.

In 2006, Vacaville will finally see the beginning of the renaissance at the Nut Tree - a long-awaited event which officially was christened in 2005. Repairs to major roadways and freeway interchanges should wrap up in 2006 and, well, pave the way for smoother access throughout town. In addition, we expect some long-awaited housing developments will come to fruition at last, both in the north and south regions.

In Dixon, the City Council will finally get a chance to decide whether a proposed racehorse track is a good thing or bad thing for the community.

Voters may also be asked to consider recalling the mayor and vice mayor, if a committee of recall proponents get its way.

Fairfield must deal with its public safety woes, especially since voters did not approve the half-cent sales tax it placed on the ballot in November. The community has at least acknowledged that crime is a problem, and that's the first step toward progress.

How do we feel about 2006? Certainly there are a number of challenges that must be tackled, and issues that must be raised. For the most part, we enter 2006 with a positive belief that most of our leaders understand the musts on our priority list and appear determined to work collaboratively to attain success in these key areas.

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