Dixon City Junior Engineer Jordan Santos presents the Capital Improvement Projects slotted for this year, including a new fire truck ladder and City Hall mold infiltration system. Photo by Angela Underwood

DIXON, CA (MPG) – Dixon Planning Commission members are chunking away at the five-year Capital Improvement Project (CIP) totaling $160 million.

Dixon junior engineer Jordan Santos presented the commissioners with a short presentation summing up a 106-page document made available to the public on the agenda. Simply put, the Capital Improvement Project is “the primary planning tool used to identify projects, funding sources, and schedule implementation over the next five years,” including the rehabilitation of existing and new structures needed for projected growth.

According to the Capital Improvement Project description, it contains 96 projects totaling approximately $168 million through 2029. The Capital Improvement Project states that the “implementation of projects in years 2-5 may change as funding estimates are updated each year.”

This year, eight new projects are slotted for completion, including East A Street and South 7th sewer repairs, fire ladder truck replacement, northwest park shade structure, and Hall Park expansion and barbecue shade area renovation.

Other projects are City Hall mold infiltration system, Southeast Community Park phase 1 Aquatic Center and the Northwest Park agricultural well. When it comes to the environment, the Capital Improvement Project states any detriment will be reviewed prior to the award of the construction contract or land acquisition.

Commissioner Rubi Medrano wanted some line items regarding bike safety further defined since she considered them too “vague.” According to Santos, the items in question are “more defined with the Engineering Department’s transportation plans, most specifically there was the Transportation Impact Fee in 2022 that cited improvements from around the city.”

The bikeway improvements on North 1st Street, State Route 13 on the northern side would be an increase in the shoulder, and at minimum Class 2 bikeway with a stripped individual lane for bicyclists.

South 1st Street will also see more room to ride with expansions on the shoulder as well as the inclusion of a Class 2 bikeway, Santos explained. Commissioner Randy Davis wanted more information on specific sewer crossings costing around $700,000.

“Are existing ratepayers bearing the cost of getting that sewer line into the new development?” Davis asked.

Santos answered no and said, “That would be a developer-funded item.”

Planning Chair Jack Caldwell wanted it “on the record” that the Northwest Park Irrigation Well project “looks like that well can recoup its cost” in probably three years.

“I would argue that that well could recoup its cost, assuming that the water rate increase does indeed happen, that well will recoup its cost in less than a year,” Santos said.

Caldwell said it is also important to note that project will take a “load off the system as far as meeting demands especially during the peak months of the year.”