DIXON, CA (MPG) - Dixon City Councilmember Thom Bogue pulled Item 9.5 from the Consent Calendar for discussion at the Jan. 7 City Council meeting. The item was an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 General Fund Budget to increase the amount allowed for consultant services for fire plan reviews and inspections, primarily needed for new developments. The new not-to-exceed limit would be $237,600 (an increase of $135,000). 

Bogue said that the annual salary of a fire inspector is approximately $82,000, so he questioned whether funding would be better spent on hiring a dedicated inspector to serve the city, especially “considering all the development we have coming in for at least the next 20 years.”  

Bogue asked if one inspector would be able to handle the workload. 

“They could not at the level of development we have going on right now,” City Manager Jim Lindley said. 

The city might need up to three fire inspectors to handle the work, according to Lindley. However, he said, the city is looking into updating the fee schedule to ensure that developers are covering the associated costs of these inspections. Those proposed updates could come to council for consideration as part of the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. 

City Council voted unanimously to approve the budget amendment.

Council also considered an amendment to the Northeast Quadrant Specific Plan (NQSP) for a 37.5-acre site along Pedrick Road.

The Northeast Quadrant Specific Plan guides land use and policies for the future development of 643 acres in the northeast corner of the city, mostly undeveloped agricultural land. In 2021, the City of Dixon updated the General Plan to change the site designation from Highway Commercial to General Industrial and then the Zoning Code was also updated to match. 

But at that time, the city did not undertake the work of updating the designation in the Northeast Quadrant Specific Plan, leaving property owners to request site-specific amendments when planning for development. 

The applicant, Buzz Oates Construction, is not planning any development at this time but this amendment is the first step toward future site improvements. They requested that the 37.5-acre site be designated Light Industrial, to conform with the City’s General Plan and Zoning Code. 

The applicant intends to pursue phased development of the site for light industrial, research and development, and office uses, likely to commence in the next few years, dependent upon market demand. Any future development proposals on this site would be subject to separate city review and approvals.

Development project manager Bret Hogge with Buzz Oates Construction spoke to City Council about the application, explaining there are “many steps we need to take before we can develop out here. This is the first one.” Other necessary improvements include getting water and sewer to the site. 

“It’s a great idea. And we want to support development and want to open things up and get things so they’re easily processed,” said Councilmember Jim Ernest. 

But Ernest brought up a concern about industrial sites attracting businesses such as storage facilities, which don’t generate many jobs or sales tax revenue. Staff clarified that there is a Fee in Lieu of Taxes policy in the Zoning Code requiring warehouses of a certain size negotiate a fee to compensate for a lack of jobs or sales tax generation. Language can be added to the amendment so that future developers are informed of that policy.  

City Council voted unanimously to approve the Northeast Quadrant Specific Plan amendment, with the addition of language pointing to the applicable Zoning Code policy.

Council then considered the installation of a red curb No Parking Zone for the Dixon May Fairgrounds at Gate A, near 180 East Chestnut St. 

Fairgrounds staff reported that the gate is used as an exit and evacuation route, and also as an entrance for emergency vehicles. When there are events, an encroachment permit must be requested from the city to establish a temporary no parking zone at that gate.  But on some occasions, attendees have ignored those temporary signs and parked there anyway, blocking the gate. So the fairgrounds staff is requesting that the curb be painted red and the area officially designated as a No Parking Zone.  

This request was reviewed by the Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC), which recommended approval by the City Council. The request was also supported by the City of Dixon Emergency Services personnel, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol. 

A fairgrounds representative said it’s important to have that gate accessible if emergency services are needed on that side of the property. That gate is also needed when other vehicles have to be moved in or out of the property during events, because it’s not safe to drive through the fair when it is full of attendees. 

During Public Comment, a resident who lives on that street said he has never seen an emergency vehicle go through the gate but he has seen the gate used by bands performing during weekend events. He said they often leave trash and debris on the street and have caused damage to vehicles parked on the street. 

“They’re not good neighbors,” the resident said. “You guys don’t live there. You don’t have to put up with the garbage on the street.”

Another resident said that painting the curb red will result in a significant loss of street parking. While he supports the use of the gate for emergency vehicles during events, he suggested that the fairgrounds “should just continue requesting encroachment permits when needed.”

The request was “misleading and disingenuous,” Councilmember Bogue said, because while the request states that the gate is primarily intended for use by emergency vehicles, the “ulterior purpose” is to allow vendors to use that gate. 

Vice-Mayor Kevin Johnson said he understands the importance of having easy access for emergency vehicles when needed and that it would save time and paperwork for the fairgrounds staff not to have to request an encroachment permit for every event. But he was concerned about taking away a significant amount of street parking, since that gate is only used for a limited number of events each year. 

Councilmember Don Hendershot agreed. 

“It’s a Dixon city street. It should be shared,” Hendershot said.

Mayor Steven Bird wondered what the fairgrounds staff are supposed to do when their no parking signs are ignored and the gate is blocked when they need it. 

Vice-Mayor Johnson said the police will have to enforce the temporary no-parking zone during an event. Johnson said he would like to see other options, such as an allowance for the fairgrounds to submit one request for an encroachment permit each year, so that all the event dates could be approved at once. In addition, Johnson suggested that locking posts could be installed to prevent drivers from parking in front of the gate. 

City Council agreed to table the issue and have staff bring back other options for consideration. 

The next Dixon City Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 21.