Home Care In Rio Vista, CA

California Forever announced Thursday that it is interested in working with Suisun City and Rio Vista and that both cities have formally reached out to the company regarding possible annexation.

The confirmation culminates months of discussions in both cities and officially starts the process of the three entities working together to annex land.

“We look forward to working with Solano County and the cities of Suisun and Rio Vista to find the right mix and approach to making Solano stronger with new industries, new neighborhoods, and the Solano Shipyard,” a statement from the organization reads.

The city councils of each community directed its staff to send letters to the controversial developer expressing interest in annexation last month. In a letter signed by CEO Jan Sramek, the company responded to Suisun City. Sramek also signed and returned Rio Vista’s letter, expressing interest in annexation.

“California Forever is interested in exploring the possibility of annexation into Suisun City,” the letter to Suisun City, dated April 1, reads. “If you could please let us know regarding any proposed next steps, we would appreciate it.”

Rio Vista’s letter outlines potential properties for annexation as “those properties known as the East Solano Plan, and properties located in the Montezuma Hills, including but not limited to the Collinsville area.” The letter also notes that Suisun City and Rio Vista are working collaboratively on their annexation efforts.

Suisun City’s letter to California Forever — sent March 19 following the City Council’s direction — outlines potential benefits of annexation including enhanced public safety, inclusion in Parks and Recreation, Access to other municipal services and city infrastructure improvements. It also outlines considerations including Travis Air Force Base, well-paying jobs, retail opportunities, housing diversity and a fiscal net benefit to the city.

The letter also expresses an intention to bring the issue back before the Suisun City Council on April 15.

“We understand that annexation is an important decision, and we want to ensure you have all of the necessary information,” Development Director Jim Bermudez wrote.

Suisun City Manager Bret Prebula said his staff was ready for the challenge and excited to work collaboratively with all stakeholders.

“ I think we are looking forward to getting the real work started,” he said.

While lots of questions remain about the issue, he said, there will be many chances to check in with the community and the city council for input moving forward. Still, given the city’s difficult financial position, time is of the essence.

“We have a three or four-year window, I would say, is where I’m trying to get us through,” he said.

Any agreement that the community signs with California Forever will need to immediately address the city’s financial struggles, Prebula said, helping to pay for essential services before stakes and shovels are even in the ground. Without direction from the council, he said, the potential scale can be difficult to outline, but he expected it will be more than a one-off subdivision and less than the 400,000 population often cited by opponents of the project. Within ten or twenty years, he said, Suisun City might reach a size closer to Vacaville or Fairfield.

“The council is very mindful that they need money today to help Suisun today,” he said.

Prebula made clear that he thinks the city can help itself, Rio Vista, California Forever and the entire county find a path forward that is agreeable, and that he views the process as a highly collaborative and productive one.

“ This is not Rio Vista and Suisun fighting each other — we are in really good talks,” he said.

Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy, a longtime critic of California Forever and Suisun City’s annexation effort, said she was glad to see the process going through LAFCO and the proper channels with the county.

“It is the proper way to go about growing in the areas in Solano County: true annexation,” she said. “So that is a good thing.”

While she wants Suisun City to grow financially, Moy remains very worried about the future of her city and of Travis Air Force Base. She described it as “cherry stem” development, which she said her community did (before her tenure) in the area of Cordelia.

“Most of the land is further away from the city than I would expect for a healthy annexation,” she said.

Suisun City is largely unable to develop towards Fairfield, Moy said, because her city previously developed that land. Moy said she and City Manager David Gassaway have discussed what would happen if Suisun City went bankrupt due to a lack of developable land.

“Suisun City was asleep at the wheel and Fairfield took advantage of it,” Moy said, “and that’s why we have Anheuser Busch and Jelly Belly.”

Moy worried that without revenue, however, Suisun City would become a “drain” on Fairfield, which is already fighting a structural deficit.

“It’s already impacted us, their money issues,” she said.

Moy said she respected the work of those on the Suisun City Council, but thinks the city has places it could still cut to balance its budget.

“All of us are going to have to live with tighter belts,” she said. “I’ve seen some things over in Suisun City that make no sense to me.”

Asked for specifics, Moy alleged that the city spent $40,000 on a holiday party for staff last year. Asked for comment later, Prebula said the city spent $26,000 on the event, less than $150 per staff member, in an attempt to raise morale.

“I don’t think $150 per person is outrageous to reward a group of people who give their days and nights to service,” Prebula said.

Prebula said he is happy to chat with Moy about her concerns for Suisun City and asked that community members think twice before posting personal attacks about people in this issue involved online.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, I do this because I care about the community,” he said.

Originally Published: April 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM PDT

RIO VISTA, Calif. —

Three people were injured in a car crash Monday morning in Rio Vista, officials said.

The Rio Vista Fire Department was dispatched to Highway 12 between Drouin Drive and Church Road.

It was unclear what caused the crash. Two vehicles were involved and three people with minor injuries were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the Rio Vista Fire Department said.

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District: District 3 - Marysville Caltrans Contact: Dennis Keaton Phone: (916) 825-5252

Rio Vista - Caltrans is advising motorists of six scheduled weekend closures of the Rio Vista Bridge (Helen Madere Memorial Bridge) on State Route 12 (SR 12) for ongoing repairs.

This $27.2 million project is funded through the Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement Program and will require multiple 56-hour weekend closures for the work to be completed because of the limited width of the bridge to allow for heavy equipment access.

The project is making necessary mechanical repairs, replacing the movable deck span and replacing bridge rails. Completion is expected late this summer.

During the weekend closures that are scheduled between March and June, the contractor will replace the movable span bridge deck concrete, and 60 steel stringers needed to extend the service life of the bridge.

Due to the limited width of the exiting bridge deck, 56-hour weekend bridge closures are necessary to facilitate safe access to the work for contractor and Caltrans personnel. The weekend bridge closure schedule will lessen total project workdays and help avoid long wait times at peak commute hours during the week.

Motorists could encounter additional travel times of up to two hours using detours from Rio Vista to Sacramento County on SR 12 across the Sacramento River (see map below).

Please allow for extra travel time to reach your destination, especially for scheduled appointments and work schedules.

Weekend Closure Dates:

Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment or material availability, or other unexpected events.

Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. Caltrans reminds motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert” and slow in construction zones for the safety of travelers and crews performing these improvements.

The department will issue construction updates on X @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.

For at least the past few months, two of the smallest Solano County cities have been eyeing land owned by California Forever and exploring whether to annex some of it. Now, they want to team up and negotiate together.

On Tuesday, the city councils of Rio Vista and Suisun City each approved an agreement to work together as both continue to explore expanding their respective boundaries and controlling land owned by the company that’s behind a controversial plan to build a city from scratch on pastureland.

“I am looking forward to working with the city of Rio Vista to ensure we can collaborate thoughtfully on exploring annexation efforts that best support both of our communities,” Suisun City Mayor Alma Hernandez said in an email to KQED. “Collaboration will be key, and I’m optimistic about what we can achieve together.”

The Memorandum of Understanding between Suisun City and Rio Vista vows to protect Travis Air Force Base, ensure sustainability of each city’s economy and water supply, mitigate impacts on traffic and education and address infrastructure needs as each city negotiates how much and where it will annex land.

“Suisun City and Rio Vista have made clear that regional benefit is central to their participation,” Michael Fortney, California Forever’s director of partnerships, said during Suisun City’s council meeting. “We’re grateful to be part of this conversation, and we remain committed to open, honest and respectful engagement every step of the way.”

On Tuesday, Suisun City’s council also voted to begin drafting a series of agreements that would formalize a working relationship between it and California Forever. The agreement would require the company to cover costs to explore annexation, so the city doesn’t have to dip into its general fund. City staff said those draft agreements could be presented to the council as early as May 20.

But during the meeting, many residents, some of whom live outside of Suisun City, raised questions about how annexation of the land, technically owned by California Forever subsidiary Flannery Associates, could impact wildlife and traffic and might circumvent county voters’ ability to decide on the project.

A ballot measure for California Forever’s proposed walkable city, which promised to bring thousands of new jobs and homes to the county, was set to go before Solano voters in November.

But a few months before the election, as calls for more detailed information about the plan grew, the company pulled its initiative and vowed to return in 2026 with another measure that would include an environmental impact report and development agreement, which the county would review.

“Suisun is proposing to help push the project forward by going around the people’s vote and incorporate the Flannery land into the Suisun City,” said Don Lipary, who owns county land near Suisun City and California Forever’s properties. “The majority of people are not on board with this.”

Some, who spoke out against the company’s proposal, urged the council to stop annexation discussions for fear that the process could happen too quickly and without public input.

“There’s no discussion, there’s no public input, there’s no transparency,” said Jim DeKloe, a professor at Solano College and resident of Cordelia. “This is when you decide whether or not you’re going to partner with the least respected entity in Solano County.”

Flannery Associates owns more than 60,000 acres and is currently one of the largest private landowners in Solano. Rio Vista and Suisun City — both under 7 square miles in size — sit closest to it.

Officials in both cities have discussed the idea of expanding their respective boundaries since the beginning of this year, and while they share some reasons for expanding, they differ in motivations.

For years, Suisun City has faced a structural deficit, and according to City Manager Bret Prebula, it had to use 40% of its reserves last year to avoid cuts to essential services. But if it expanded and broadened its tax base, Prebula said the city might have a more secure financial future.

“Expanding allows us to see if we can create an economy of scale, where we can provide the level of service for the entire community,” he said. “We believe this is the best opportunity to help our residents in Suisun City.”

Suisun City Councilmember Princess Washington was less sure. She cast the sole dissenting vote at Tuesday’s meeting and said she was elected “to represent the people.”

“I represent — or I hear — people who don’t [want the project], and it would not be fair if I didn’t voice that,” she said. “My concern is that we’re putting all of our eggs in one basket.”

Rio Vista also wants to broaden its tax base, but it doesn’t face the existential financial crisis its neighboring city does.

In March, members of Rio Vista’s city council said they were motivated to look into annexation after Suisun City expressed interest in January. Council members said they wanted to protect the feel of their “quaint river town” in the face of California Forever’s bold proposal. Company executives have said the proposed city could eventually support some 400,000 residents at full build-out, making it roughly the size of Oakland.

Last month, both cities sent letters to the surrounding 24 landowners, including Flannery Associates, to gauge interest in which might be interested in discussing annexation.

Two property owners have so far said they are definitely not interested. But California Forever, along with Mount Calvary Church and Hatch Investments, responded in early April to say they are.

Clark Hatch, Hatch Investments’ general partner, told KQED that much of the company’s land, which includes nearly 3,000 acres of pastureland, is not very productive as farmland but could be a good spot for new housing.

“There’s no flood issue, there’s no fire issue, there’s no earthquakes, and it’s relatively flat and smooth,” he said. “It’d be nice if some more housing gets built because people want to raise their kids in Solano County, and [there are] not that many houses. It’d be nice to have a new city there.”

Amit Pal, another Suisun council member, said that while there were still many questions left unanswered, exploring annexation is just the beginning.

“I think once we look at all the facts, we can make the decisions,” he said. “I don’t have the information to do that, and that’s why I wanted to do the exploration — to find out the facts.”

Photo courtesy of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

RIO VISTA, CA (MPG) - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is advising motorists of six scheduled weekend closures of the Rio Vista Bridge (Helen Madere Memorial Bridge) on State Route 12 (SR 12) for ongoing repairs.

This $27.2 million project is funded through the Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement Program and will require multiple 5

The six-hour weekend closures for the work to be completed because of the limited width of the bridge to allow for heavy equipment access.

The project is making necessary mechanical repairs, replacing the movable deck span and replacing bridge rails. Completion is expected late this summer.

During the weekend closures that are scheduled between March and June, the contractor will replace the movable span bridge deck concrete, and 60 steel stringers needed to extend the service life of the bridge.

Due to the limited width of the exiting bridge deck, 56-hour weekend bridge closures are necessary to facilitate safe access to the work for contractor and Caltrans personnel. The weekend bridge closure schedule will lessen total project workdays and help avoid long wait times at peak commute hours during the week.

Photo courtesy of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

Please allow for extra travel time to reach your destination, especially for scheduled appointments and work schedules.

WEEKEND CLOSURE DATES:

Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment or material availability, or other unexpected events.

Motorists are encouraged to check Caltrans’ QuickMap before traveling for current road conditions or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.

Road information is also available on Caltrans’ website or by calling the California Highway Information Network automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties.

The department will issue updates on X @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook CaltransDistrict3.