DIXON, CA (MPG) - A previous discussion about the Grillin-n-Chillin event, which will be held on June 28 in downtown Dixon, was picked up at the March 4 Dixon City Council meeting.

The event will feature a chili and rib cookoff, car show, music, alcohol sales, and kids’ activities, and various road closures managed by the city. 

The cost to the city is approximately $23,150, primarily in overtime for city staff, including police, fire and public works. The funding was already included in the city’s current special events budget. At the last meeting, approval was delayed because some councilmembers wanted more details about how much money the organizers, the nonprofit Dixon’s Action Team, were putting toward the event. 

A representative from Dixon’s Action Team attended the current meeting to lay out the specific costs carried by the organization, explaining that they spent $42,126 on the event last year and the total revenue was $49,724. Profits from the event go toward the group’s various charitable donations in the community, such as support for veterans, youth sports and animal shelters. 

Dixon Vice-Mayor Thom Bogue said that his concern at the last meeting was that nothing in the report indicated how much the organizers were putting into the event.

“I wanted to hear from Grillin-n-Chillin what was their share of this, which now I’m kind of like, not embarrassed, but I’m a little bit like in awe of what the costs are in comparison to what the city’s donating,” Bogue said.

Bogue also acknowledged that the event supports downtown businesses by attracting more visitors, and in turn, the city benefits from the additional sales tax revenue. 

Councilmember Kevin Johnson said it “is a wonderful event for the community” and that it was good to ensure transparency in city spending. 

Dixon City Council voted unanimously to approve the Grillin-n-Chillin request. 

Finance Director Kate Zawadzki presented the mid-year budget projections for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, which has expected revenues at $29.5 million and expenditures at $31.7 million for a projected deficit of $2.1 million. Zawadzki said the city started the fiscal year with reserves at 59% but that is expected to decline to 45%. 

Contributing to the deficit were lower-than-expected revenues from sales taxes and property taxes. Despite residential growth in Dixon, Zawadzki said, property tax revenue is below projections due to an issue with Solano County’s new property tax software, which did not properly save some parcel splits and new parcels. The city estimates that 81 parcels were missing from this year’s tax rolls. By the time that the problem was discovered, the deadline for issuing the property tax bills had passed, so those funds will have to be collected during the next tax cycle. 

Councilmember Don Hendershot asked what the city was doing to address this problem with the county. But City Manager Jim Lindley explained that the city didn’t have many options, beyond suing the county, a course of action which he cautioned would not get them the funding any faster. 

Bogue suggested that “the county should pay a penalty for not getting their job done.” 

Zawadzki also highlighted mid-year staffing adjustments to the budget, with salaries and benefit expenses projected to be slightly higher than originally budgeted, due to overtime and temporary help covering vacant positions. However, that increase is partially offset by maintaining some staff vacancies. 

Despite an expected deficit this fiscal year, Zawadzki said an $86,475 surplus in 2025-2026 is anticipated, in part due to the increased sales tax measure going into effect this year.

Councilmember Jim Ernest said it was “better news than normal.” 

The council voted unanimously to approve the mid-year budget adjustments. 

The council then considered possible options for a shade structure in Pardi Plaza. Public Works director Louren Kotow explained that since the plaza was completed in 2022, the city has received feedback that the stage gets extremely hot on late afternoons in the summer. 

In 2023, staff looked into design options for a shade structure and council approved a $300,000 budget for the project. However, due to the city’s financial constraints, the project was halted in 2024. But the need for shade in Pardi Plaza remains, so staff asked for updated council direction. 

A shade study showed that due to the location of the stage and the angle of the setting summer sun, any successful option would need to be a vertical bill-board style screen located asymmetrically within the site. Kotow said that option would detract from the plaza’s aesthetics. 

Possible shade solutions include shade rentals at $40,000 for a six-month season or a large permanent metal structure with removable shade sails for up to $220,000.

“There’s no perfect solution,” Kotow said.

Mayor Steven Bird said the proposed permanent structures have heavy-duty metal posts, which are expensive to install. But when visiting the city of Winters, he saw shade structures with a smaller, simpler design that were very effective. Bird suggested a field trip for councilmembers and city staff to look at those structures as a possible option. 

Councilmember Johnson said that while the priority is to shade the stage, he would like to consider options that would also shade plaza visitors. Such a design could provide the symmetry needed to retain the site’s aesthetics while also benefiting the community by increasing the ability to use the site. 

The council consensus was to organize a field trip to look at shade solutions in other areas and then review potential design options.  

The next Dixon City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 18.