It was a very, busy week for the staff and council of the City of Dixon

DIXON, CA (MPG) - The city held a goal setting meeting to identify the council’s goals for the next 12 months on Saturday, May 15; the following Tuesday, May 18, the council held a meeting to approve the 2020-2040 Dixon General Plan; and the next day, May 19, they met to approve next year’s budget.

A neighborhood group, active for years in the older residential neighborhood of downtown, submitted a letter in opposition to the adoption of the 20-year General Plan. The group pointed out the need for a fire station on both sides of the railroad tracks by identifying a recent train derailment that caused the evacuation of a five-mile radius around the community of Sibley, Ohio on May 17. The train was carrying explosive fertilizer.  

As the neighborhood group pointed out, “If that type of disaster befell Dixon, our at-grade RR crossings at First Street and A Street, as well as the eventual above-grade crossing at Parkway, could all be impacted. Emergency responders would have to rely on more distant access to the old and new neighborhoods east and southeast of the RR tracks. Both the John Knight Middle School and Dixon High School are located on the same side of town, the side of town where there is no fire station, nor is a fire station proposed for that side of town in the 20-year General Plan.

The neighborhood groups brought up a number of other issues pointing out how the General Plan Update would impact our older areas of town. For example, the group is concerned about some of the uses proposed for downtown Dixon. They wrote: “Economic development of the downtown area should consider the close proximity of residential uses. Increased traffic, overflow parking into neighborhoods, frequent large events, live entertainment, etc. all contribute to increased noise for residents in the vicinity. The quality of life of those residents shouldn’t be sacrificed for the sake of economic interests. Many residents of the area do not have the economic means to escape new sources of noise in the downtown area by moving to more privileged neighborhoods such as the Southwest Development area. Make no mistake, we would like to see downtown thrive. We only ask for consideration of those who live nearby.”

Ginger Emerson, General Plan Committee member, addressed the Level of Service: “Not long ago, the City reduced the Level of Service (LOS) in order to avoid widening of streets. The reality for our older neighborhoods meant accepting a further decline in our quality of life and public safety associated with ever increasing traffic (LOS issues) OR sacrificing the historic character of our neighborhoods and losing much needed on-street parking by widening streets to accommodate more traffic. The idea that the opening of the Parkway Boulevard overcrossing will alleviate the traffic issues is nothing more than a pipe dream. It won’t address traffic created by more and more families throughout town needing to access the junior high school.”

I (Shirley) am a General Plan member and wrote that a former fire chief said that a fire score is a rating that determines how well our local fire department can protect your community and home. Insurance companies use the score to help set home insurance rates, such as a home that is less likely to be severely damaged or destroyed by fire is less expensive to insure. However, the impact of your area’s ISO score on your homeowner’s insurance policy varies by insurer. 

If both fire stations are on one side of town, how much is the city willing to subsidize fire insurance rates for affected residents if homeowners insurance premiums are increased due to a negative ISO fire rating. If your area has a poor fire score, it’s a good idea to take extra steps to fireproof your home, like installing a sprinkler system or smart smoke alarms. How much is the city council willing to subsidize homeowners for this type of expenses?

The outcomes from the meetings included: The city council setting goals for the next 12 months. (Residents should request to see a copy of the goals that were established so they can follow the City’s progress on the goals over the next year.) The 2020-2040 General Plan was approved as submitted by the council members, regardless of citizens’ concerns regarding lack of a fire station on one side of the railroad tracks resulting in slower emergency response times. And, the city council approved the next year’s budget. It was a very, busy week for the staff and council of the City of Dixon.