Photo courtesy of the City of Dixon

DIXON, CA (MPG) – At the April 7 meeting, the Dixon City Council recognized Police Lieutenant Jenna Cameron for her years of dedicated service on the occasion of her retirement. 

Mayor Steven Bird read the proclamation, stating that Lieutenant Cameron served with “dedication, professionalism and a steadfast commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the community.” 

Police Chief Robert Thompson said Cameron’s impact on the police department and the people of the city was “evidenced by the presence in the room tonight,” indicating the crowd of people in attendance. 

The council members all congratulated Cameron and wished her well. Mayor Bird said, “You will be dearly missed.” 

The council heard an update on the city’s Chrome VI litigation, which they are pursuing against the State of California and the state water board, in conjunction with several other cities and public agencies. As part of the plaintiff group, the City of Dixon asserts that the state’s updated Chrome VI regulations are economically and technologically infeasible, fail to comply with safe water drinking act requirements, violate the Administrative Procedures act and are an unconstitutional and unfunded mandate.

Arguments were submitted at a hearing on March 5, and the judge will issue an order no later than June 3. Once it is received, the city will have more information about how to move forward, depending on the decision. 

During public comments, a resident expressed concerns about the city’s plan for meeting the Chrome VI requirements. A number of wells would be placed on standby, drastically reducing the overall water production. Other wells would receive costly treatment to reduce the amount of Chrome VI, and he worried those costs would be passed on to the ratepayers. 

Mayor Bird said the council shares many of the residents’ concerns on this issue, which is why they are fighting the state requirements through litigation. 

The council then considered a purchase agreement with LC Action Police Supply for 40 Generation 6 Glock pistols equipped with the Aimpoint COA red dot optic and duty holsters. 

Chief Thompson explained that the department currently uses Generation 5 service pistols, but Generation 6 has enhanced optics allowing for improved officer accuracy, “especially under combat conditions.” He said every round that’s fired “is not only a tremendous liability for human life, it’s also a liability for the city for every round that doesn’t go where it’s intended.” 

When testing the new technology in combat simulations, Thompson said officers demonstrated improved accuracy in marksmanship without any transition training. The department would trade in city-owned surplus firearms to offset the cost of the purchase, with the remaining $29,818 coming from COPS Grant state funding. There would be no impact on the general fund. 

The council voted unanimously to approve the purchase. 

The council also considered an amendment to Chief Thompson’s employment agreement to provide a 5 percent technology incentive for oversight and coordination of the city’s information technology systems. Thompson has already taken on a lead role in this area, going beyond the traditional scope of police chief job responsibilities. The incentive pay will compensate him for this additional time and responsibility. 

The council voted unanimously to approve the amendment to the employment agreement. 

The next meeting of the Dixon City Council is scheduled for April 21.