Esmeralda Courts Locals as It Tries to Learn From California Forever’s Mistakes
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"content": "\u003cp>Mark Thayer and his wife quietly perused the brightly colored presentation boards arranged around the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on a recent Wednesday in October. They were curious, but skeptical, and wanted to learn more about a project called Esmeralda, potentially coming to their city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thayer had read some Facebook posts about the proposed project: a\u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomamag.com/a-temporary-village-is-popping-up-in-healdsburg-for-people-wanting-to-create-a-better-future/?gSlide=4\"> dense, walkable development\u003c/a> on the southern end of Cloverdale, where he lives, a city perched at the northernmost tip of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sonoma-county\">Sonoma County\u003c/a>. That night was important: he would be getting information straight from the source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Esmeralda Land Company, the group behind the project, was hosting an informational open house. The development would include a resort hotel, hundreds of homes and an event space — a substantial change for the small city of nearly 9,000 people — and locals had questions, Thayer included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who would live there? How big would it be? What about water? Would this project actually pan out?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m interested in how it will be developed,” Thayer said. Would it be a bunch of vacation homes? “I hope that it’s something that’s for people that live [there] full-time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But one of the biggest questions plaguing the company since it first introduced its plans \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240801024109/https:/www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/cloverdale-alexander-valley-resort-esmeralda/\">last year\u003c/a>: Was it connected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000185/this-tech-backed-company-tried-to-disrupt-californias-housing-crisis-it-couldnt\">California Forever\u003c/a>, the company that wants to build a mega-development in southeast Solano County?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063484 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The plot of land in Cloverdale that the Esmeralda Land Company is seeking to develop on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That proposed development faced a rocky start and backlash from residents who criticized California Forever for secretly buying land and suing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005460/farmers-who-refused-to-sell-land-to-california-forever-settle-suits-against-them\">local farmers\u003c/a>. The project has remained controversial ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esmeralda is not related to the Solano-based company, but as it prepares to submit a formal project application to Cloverdale city officials, \u003ca href=\"https://esmeralda.org/public-process\">expected Nov. 12\u003c/a>, leaders have tried to distance their project from California Forever and learn from its mistakes. The Esmeralda Land Company has spent the past two years on outreach, even before securing the property, though it has an exclusive negotiating deal to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the efforts seem to be paying off with local leaders rallying around the project, and many residents are cautiously optimistic about it. Urbanist and author Alex Schafran credited the warmer reception to the company’s approach of getting local buy-in before submitting an official development application.[aside postID=news_12059985 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250804-CALIFORNIAFOREVERSUISUNCITY-53-KQED.jpg']Compared to California Forever, he said, “It’s night and day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Esmeralda] is — at least on paper — trying to do things the way a lot of folks have been hoping that urban planning and development would be done: starting with a consultation, starting with the conversations, incorporating local people in the visioning of what’s there, and then being able to actually deliver on the vision that they created,” Schafran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, some residents remain skeptical of whether Esmeralda will actually deliver on its ambitious plan and whether the new development will truly be affordable and accessible to the rest of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cloverdale is a great town, so people are protective of it,” Esmeralda CEO and Founder Devon Zuegel said. “We’re really committed to making sure that we create a place that people are proud of being part of this community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both California Forever and Esmeralda want to build walkable neighborhoods, but the latter project is much smaller. Preliminary plans show the Cloverdale project would include a 184-room hotel, retail space, an outdoor amphitheater and around 600 homes, ranging from apartments to single-family homes to senior housing. Year-round, the neighborhood would host educational events for visitors and Cloverdale residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, the 266-acre lot where the development would be built is largely vacant, with low rolling hills and a lone truck repair facility. But Zuegel imagines her project will transform the area into a “\u003ca href=\"https://esmeralda.org/\">mini college campus\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063481 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The proposed plot of land abuts rolling Sonoma County hillsides on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s modeled after \u003ca href=\"https://www.chq.org/\">Chautauqua\u003c/a>, a small resort town in upstate New York that became home to a cultural movement named after the city. When Zuegel talks about her inspiration for the project, she reminisces over summers spent in Chautauqua, where her grandmother lived. During that time, she attended seminars, including one hosted by Jane Goodall, and saw the Beach Boys perform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she chose to develop Esmeralda in Cloverdale precisely because of its small-town feel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love Cloverdale, I think it’s such a charming town,” she said. “It really reminded me of Chautauqua, and so, I think leaning into what Cloverdale is already so amazing at, and bringing that out even further, was something that really drew to me.”[aside postID=news_12043295 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed.jpg']While the company has been working hard to garner trust in the community and distance itself from California Forever, Esmeralda shares similarities with the Solano-based company. Like California Forever CEO Jan Sramek, Zuegel worked in Silicon Valley, including at the software developer platform Github and blockchain company Bloom Protocol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And similar to California Forever’s experience in Solano County, residents in Cloverdale raised questions about Esmeralda’s investors. Rumors circulated early on, claiming Esmeralda is backed by venture capitalist Peter Thiel. While Zuegel has refuted that rumor and denied any relations to the conservative libertarian, she has declined to reveal the identities of the project’s 19 backers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the question came up during a project open house in October, Zuegel was nonspecific, saying they “tend to actually be private individuals who live in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like California Forever, Esmeralda has its detractors. Skeptical residents pointed to similar proposals for Cloverdale that have failed to materialize and concerns that the new development will be populated by rich Silicon Valley tech-types.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063494\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063494\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Devon Zuegel, Esmeralda development leader, addresses residents at the Cloverdale Museum of History open house on July 24, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nilda Andrews, who attended the company’s first project open house in July, came away with mixed feelings. She recently moved to the small city from San Francisco and said the whole project sounded “very elitist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How are they going to bring in the rest of Cloverdale?” she asked. “I’m good for change. But I’m for change for everybody. Not just for the few, the elite.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Ann Brigham, a Cloverdale resident and former mayor of the city, attended Esmeralda’s second open house in October. She has seen multiple projects proposed — and dropped — on the vacant site where Esmeralda would be located and doubts this project will be an exception.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most recently, in 2004, a developer completed an \u003ca href=\"https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2003072142/2\">environmental impact report\u003c/a> for a similar project called the Alexander Valley Resort Project, which included a 150-room hotel, a spa, and a golf course, along with 165 single-family homes. But, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240801034717/https:/www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/for-sale-again-in-cloverdale-267-acres-of-resort-property/\">Press Democrat\u003c/a>, the project fell through in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063479 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bicyclists out for a ride in Cloverdale on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They all end up wasting a lot of the city’s time and money, and then they never go through with it. So, am I skeptical? Yeah,” Brigham said. “I don’t believe anything until a check’s in my hand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But perhaps one of the sharpest differences between the two companies is their relationships with local elected officials, with California Forever starting on shaky ground and never quite recovering. Esmeralda is hoping to find surer footing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon after California Forever formally announced its ambitious plan, the project became a political hot potato as some local and county officials were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11976108/california-forever-faces-resistance-from-federal-lawmakers-and-local-leaders-in-solano-county\">vocal in their opposition\u003c/a>, while others declined to comment on it. Some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11985711/fairfield-officials-wife-returns-money-from-campaign-for-new-california-city\">distanced themselves\u003c/a> after initially trying to work with California Forever or learn more about the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project was scheduled to go before voters in November 2024, but the company scrapped its ballot measure, in part due to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000185/this-tech-backed-company-tried-to-disrupt-californias-housing-crisis-it-couldnt\">lack of support among local elects\u003c/a>. California Forever is now pursuing its project through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059985/california-forever-clears-first-hurdle-in-suisun-city-annexation\">annexation deal\u003c/a> with nearby Suisun City. But even there — after attempting to bypass reluctant county officials and a contentious vote — there are headwinds. Residents are \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/suisun-city-neighbors-push-to-recall-entire-city-council/\">gathering signatures\u003c/a> in a bid to recall the entire Suisun City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The start of the process was always going to be controversial — the secrecy [of the land acquisition] raises understandable concerns,” California Forever CEO Jan Sramek \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/jansramek/status/1981014132632830099\">recently tweeted\u003c/a>. “We made mistakes when rolling it out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991791\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11991791 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, speaks during a town hall meeting in Rio Vista on Dec. 5, 2023, for the proposed California city backed by Silicon Valley investors on farmland in eastern Solano County. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she watched those mistakes and tried to learn from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing the frustration that people had with California Forever definitely further underlined ‘Okay [community outreach] is really important to do,’’ she said. “We’re all learning from different examples that we see out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Cloverdale, Mayor Todd Lands said that when he first heard about Esmeralda, he was worried it was connected to California Forever and became one of its biggest critics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I made fun of them. They came in here with a project called ‘Edge Esmeralda.’ I called them ‘Utopia,’ I called them ‘the Emerald City,’” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But his opinion changed as he learned more and got to know Zuegel. “I listened to their pitch, and I went through what they were actually proposing to the city, and it was done very well. And it was the exact opposite of what I was expecting it to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063486 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PLANK Coffee in downtown Cloverdale on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beginning in the summer of 2024, the company hosted Edge Esmeralda, a month-long “pop-up village” in Healdsburg, which illustrated what amenities the future development could include. Zuegel said the pop-up was a way to embed into the community and get to know the locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Developers often don’t necessarily know how to speak to a local community,” she said. “We wanted to show the ‘Chautauqua way’ of having this multi-generational community in a place that people can walk around. Instead of just having a presentation… we wanted people to be able to live it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Company staff also reached out to local organizations, including the Cloverdale Senior Center, the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce and the Veterans Memorial Building, among others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melanie Hall, the Senior Center’s program manager, said Zuegel came to the center for a tour and eagerly engaged with staff and residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063482\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063482 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oak trees stand on the plot of land in Cloverdale that the Esmeralda Land Company is proposing to develop on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This doesn’t happen that often,” she said. “You don’t usually hear a developer say, ‘We want to hear from the community first if what we’re going to do is going to fit for them.’ So I’m really impressed with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she has tried to incorporate feedback from locals into her company’s plan. After speaking with local businesses, she expressed interest in opening what she called “outposts” within Esmeralda — Plank Coffee could have a grab-and-go station in the hotel. Dahlia & Sage, a small grocery store, could offer hotel guests deli sandwiches and baked goods with their morning coffee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erik Terreri, a local realtor who attended the July event, said he hopes those outposts lead to visitors patronizing downtown Cloverdale, too, which currently sees little foot traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In order to sort of bring people from outside, you’ve got to have more than one good restaurant that’s attracting them. You’ve got to have a few. There’s a critical tipping point, right?” he said. “I see a symbiotic relationship between what they’re going to try and do there and what we’ve been trying to do here in town.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Mark Thayer and his wife quietly perused the brightly colored presentation boards arranged around the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on a recent Wednesday in October. They were curious, but skeptical, and wanted to learn more about a project called Esmeralda, potentially coming to their city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thayer had read some Facebook posts about the proposed project: a\u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomamag.com/a-temporary-village-is-popping-up-in-healdsburg-for-people-wanting-to-create-a-better-future/?gSlide=4\"> dense, walkable development\u003c/a> on the southern end of Cloverdale, where he lives, a city perched at the northernmost tip of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sonoma-county\">Sonoma County\u003c/a>. That night was important: he would be getting information straight from the source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Esmeralda Land Company, the group behind the project, was hosting an informational open house. The development would include a resort hotel, hundreds of homes and an event space — a substantial change for the small city of nearly 9,000 people — and locals had questions, Thayer included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who would live there? How big would it be? What about water? Would this project actually pan out?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m interested in how it will be developed,” Thayer said. Would it be a bunch of vacation homes? “I hope that it’s something that’s for people that live [there] full-time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But one of the biggest questions plaguing the company since it first introduced its plans \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240801024109/https:/www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/cloverdale-alexander-valley-resort-esmeralda/\">last year\u003c/a>: Was it connected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000185/this-tech-backed-company-tried-to-disrupt-californias-housing-crisis-it-couldnt\">California Forever\u003c/a>, the company that wants to build a mega-development in southeast Solano County?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063484 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The plot of land in Cloverdale that the Esmeralda Land Company is seeking to develop on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That proposed development faced a rocky start and backlash from residents who criticized California Forever for secretly buying land and suing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005460/farmers-who-refused-to-sell-land-to-california-forever-settle-suits-against-them\">local farmers\u003c/a>. The project has remained controversial ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esmeralda is not related to the Solano-based company, but as it prepares to submit a formal project application to Cloverdale city officials, \u003ca href=\"https://esmeralda.org/public-process\">expected Nov. 12\u003c/a>, leaders have tried to distance their project from California Forever and learn from its mistakes. The Esmeralda Land Company has spent the past two years on outreach, even before securing the property, though it has an exclusive negotiating deal to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the efforts seem to be paying off with local leaders rallying around the project, and many residents are cautiously optimistic about it. Urbanist and author Alex Schafran credited the warmer reception to the company’s approach of getting local buy-in before submitting an official development application.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Compared to California Forever, he said, “It’s night and day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Esmeralda] is — at least on paper — trying to do things the way a lot of folks have been hoping that urban planning and development would be done: starting with a consultation, starting with the conversations, incorporating local people in the visioning of what’s there, and then being able to actually deliver on the vision that they created,” Schafran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, some residents remain skeptical of whether Esmeralda will actually deliver on its ambitious plan and whether the new development will truly be affordable and accessible to the rest of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cloverdale is a great town, so people are protective of it,” Esmeralda CEO and Founder Devon Zuegel said. “We’re really committed to making sure that we create a place that people are proud of being part of this community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both California Forever and Esmeralda want to build walkable neighborhoods, but the latter project is much smaller. Preliminary plans show the Cloverdale project would include a 184-room hotel, retail space, an outdoor amphitheater and around 600 homes, ranging from apartments to single-family homes to senior housing. Year-round, the neighborhood would host educational events for visitors and Cloverdale residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, the 266-acre lot where the development would be built is largely vacant, with low rolling hills and a lone truck repair facility. But Zuegel imagines her project will transform the area into a “\u003ca href=\"https://esmeralda.org/\">mini college campus\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063481 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The proposed plot of land abuts rolling Sonoma County hillsides on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s modeled after \u003ca href=\"https://www.chq.org/\">Chautauqua\u003c/a>, a small resort town in upstate New York that became home to a cultural movement named after the city. When Zuegel talks about her inspiration for the project, she reminisces over summers spent in Chautauqua, where her grandmother lived. During that time, she attended seminars, including one hosted by Jane Goodall, and saw the Beach Boys perform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she chose to develop Esmeralda in Cloverdale precisely because of its small-town feel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love Cloverdale, I think it’s such a charming town,” she said. “It really reminded me of Chautauqua, and so, I think leaning into what Cloverdale is already so amazing at, and bringing that out even further, was something that really drew to me.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>While the company has been working hard to garner trust in the community and distance itself from California Forever, Esmeralda shares similarities with the Solano-based company. Like California Forever CEO Jan Sramek, Zuegel worked in Silicon Valley, including at the software developer platform Github and blockchain company Bloom Protocol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And similar to California Forever’s experience in Solano County, residents in Cloverdale raised questions about Esmeralda’s investors. Rumors circulated early on, claiming Esmeralda is backed by venture capitalist Peter Thiel. While Zuegel has refuted that rumor and denied any relations to the conservative libertarian, she has declined to reveal the identities of the project’s 19 backers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the question came up during a project open house in October, Zuegel was nonspecific, saying they “tend to actually be private individuals who live in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like California Forever, Esmeralda has its detractors. Skeptical residents pointed to similar proposals for Cloverdale that have failed to materialize and concerns that the new development will be populated by rich Silicon Valley tech-types.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063494\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063494\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250724_VISIT-TO-ESMERALDA_-0008_GH-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Devon Zuegel, Esmeralda development leader, addresses residents at the Cloverdale Museum of History open house on July 24, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nilda Andrews, who attended the company’s first project open house in July, came away with mixed feelings. She recently moved to the small city from San Francisco and said the whole project sounded “very elitist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How are they going to bring in the rest of Cloverdale?” she asked. “I’m good for change. But I’m for change for everybody. Not just for the few, the elite.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Ann Brigham, a Cloverdale resident and former mayor of the city, attended Esmeralda’s second open house in October. She has seen multiple projects proposed — and dropped — on the vacant site where Esmeralda would be located and doubts this project will be an exception.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most recently, in 2004, a developer completed an \u003ca href=\"https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2003072142/2\">environmental impact report\u003c/a> for a similar project called the Alexander Valley Resort Project, which included a 150-room hotel, a spa, and a golf course, along with 165 single-family homes. But, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240801034717/https:/www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/for-sale-again-in-cloverdale-267-acres-of-resort-property/\">Press Democrat\u003c/a>, the project fell through in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063479 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bicyclists out for a ride in Cloverdale on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They all end up wasting a lot of the city’s time and money, and then they never go through with it. So, am I skeptical? Yeah,” Brigham said. “I don’t believe anything until a check’s in my hand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But perhaps one of the sharpest differences between the two companies is their relationships with local elected officials, with California Forever starting on shaky ground and never quite recovering. Esmeralda is hoping to find surer footing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon after California Forever formally announced its ambitious plan, the project became a political hot potato as some local and county officials were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11976108/california-forever-faces-resistance-from-federal-lawmakers-and-local-leaders-in-solano-county\">vocal in their opposition\u003c/a>, while others declined to comment on it. Some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11985711/fairfield-officials-wife-returns-money-from-campaign-for-new-california-city\">distanced themselves\u003c/a> after initially trying to work with California Forever or learn more about the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project was scheduled to go before voters in November 2024, but the company scrapped its ballot measure, in part due to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000185/this-tech-backed-company-tried-to-disrupt-californias-housing-crisis-it-couldnt\">lack of support among local elects\u003c/a>. California Forever is now pursuing its project through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059985/california-forever-clears-first-hurdle-in-suisun-city-annexation\">annexation deal\u003c/a> with nearby Suisun City. But even there — after attempting to bypass reluctant county officials and a contentious vote — there are headwinds. Residents are \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/suisun-city-neighbors-push-to-recall-entire-city-council/\">gathering signatures\u003c/a> in a bid to recall the entire Suisun City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The start of the process was always going to be controversial — the secrecy [of the land acquisition] raises understandable concerns,” California Forever CEO Jan Sramek \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/jansramek/status/1981014132632830099\">recently tweeted\u003c/a>. “We made mistakes when rolling it out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991791\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11991791 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-40-BL_scr-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, speaks during a town hall meeting in Rio Vista on Dec. 5, 2023, for the proposed California city backed by Silicon Valley investors on farmland in eastern Solano County. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she watched those mistakes and tried to learn from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing the frustration that people had with California Forever definitely further underlined ‘Okay [community outreach] is really important to do,’’ she said. “We’re all learning from different examples that we see out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Cloverdale, Mayor Todd Lands said that when he first heard about Esmeralda, he was worried it was connected to California Forever and became one of its biggest critics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I made fun of them. They came in here with a project called ‘Edge Esmeralda.’ I called them ‘Utopia,’ I called them ‘the Emerald City,’” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But his opinion changed as he learned more and got to know Zuegel. “I listened to their pitch, and I went through what they were actually proposing to the city, and it was done very well. And it was the exact opposite of what I was expecting it to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063486 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-10-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PLANK Coffee in downtown Cloverdale on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beginning in the summer of 2024, the company hosted Edge Esmeralda, a month-long “pop-up village” in Healdsburg, which illustrated what amenities the future development could include. Zuegel said the pop-up was a way to embed into the community and get to know the locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Developers often don’t necessarily know how to speak to a local community,” she said. “We wanted to show the ‘Chautauqua way’ of having this multi-generational community in a place that people can walk around. Instead of just having a presentation… we wanted people to be able to live it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Company staff also reached out to local organizations, including the Cloverdale Senior Center, the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce and the Veterans Memorial Building, among others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melanie Hall, the Senior Center’s program manager, said Zuegel came to the center for a tour and eagerly engaged with staff and residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063482\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12063482 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251107-ESMERALDA-WANTS-TO-LEARN-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oak trees stand on the plot of land in Cloverdale that the Esmeralda Land Company is proposing to develop on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This doesn’t happen that often,” she said. “You don’t usually hear a developer say, ‘We want to hear from the community first if what we’re going to do is going to fit for them.’ So I’m really impressed with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she has tried to incorporate feedback from locals into her company’s plan. After speaking with local businesses, she expressed interest in opening what she called “outposts” within Esmeralda — Plank Coffee could have a grab-and-go station in the hotel. Dahlia & Sage, a small grocery store, could offer hotel guests deli sandwiches and baked goods with their morning coffee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erik Terreri, a local realtor who attended the July event, said he hopes those outposts lead to visitors patronizing downtown Cloverdale, too, which currently sees little foot traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In order to sort of bring people from outside, you’ve got to have more than one good restaurant that’s attracting them. You’ve got to have a few. There’s a critical tipping point, right?” he said. “I see a symbiotic relationship between what they’re going to try and do there and what we’ve been trying to do here in town.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "everybody-needs-food-how-a-solano-county-food-bank-is-dealing-with-snap-delays",
"title": "‘Everybody Needs Food’: How a Solano County Food Pantry Is Dealing with SNAP Delays",
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"headTitle": "‘Everybody Needs Food’: How a Solano County Food Pantry Is Dealing with SNAP Delays | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">The ongoing federal government shutdown has reduced and delayed SNAP benefits this month. As a result, food banks in the Bay Area are bracing for an even greater surge in demand. We join Heather Pierini, the executive director of \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-ihgnxF fGbrTd\" href=\"https://fifbayarea.org/\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Food Is Free Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\" data-slate-fragment=\"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\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">, on a donation day at the Solano County Fairgrounds. \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982957/snap-calfresh-ebt-november-shutdown-meals-food-assistance-san-francisco-bay-area#calfresh-snap-ebt-free-meals\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area restaurants offering free meals to families using CalFresh\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5704201846&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:35] \u003c/em> I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, and welcome to the Bay. Local news to keep you rooted. It was a sunny Monday morning at the Solano County Fairgrounds when I went to meet Heather Perrini, the executive director of Food is Free Bay Area. On this day, they were receiving donations and getting ready to distribute things like produce, bread, and canned goods for the following day. Even the office manager was helping lift donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:15] \u003c/em>We got two drivers and our office manager doing not office management stuff because everybody needs to do it. All hands on deck. Office manager lifting 50 pound bags of produce, right? Those are huge bags of carrots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:32] \u003c/em>Nearly 42 million Americans who rely on federal SNAP benefits are worried about how they’ll feed their families this month as the government shutdown continues into its 36th day, now the longest shutdown in U.S. History. And although the Trump administration said it would issue partial payments this month thanks to a court order, people like Heather don’t expect the lines to get shorter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:05] \u003c/em>It’s increasing every month with or without an emergency as more people are feeling the effects of inflation, as more are feeling of the rising grocery prices and all of the things that are happening in our community right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:26] \u003c/em>Heather says the needs in Solano County are especially dire compared to other wealthier counties in the Bay Area. So today we take you to Food is Free’s distribution site in Vallejo as they prepare for another day of giving out food under the government shutdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062725\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Natalie DeNicholas inspects food donations at the Food is Free Solano facility at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:35] \u003c/em>Can you introduce yourself for us, Heather? Tell us who you are, what you do, and where we are right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:42] \u003c/em>Hi, my name is Heather Pierini. I am the executive director of Food is Free Bay Area, a nonprofit based here in Vallejo in Solano County. Right now we’re standing in McCormick Hall at the Solano county fairgrounds in Vallejo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:56] \u003c/em>This is an actually a familiar place to me. My family comes here every year for a fiesta, but I’ve never seen it in this form, which is like, it’s now, I mean, a food distribution, food donation space. I mean can you like describe for us what is happening here today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:19] \u003c/em>So we use this site for our Tuesday and Thursday food distributions. We distribute food on average to about 400 to 450 families before the EBT and SNAP shut down. 450 families would come here on a Tuesday and a Thursday afternoon each day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:39] \u003c/em>That’s a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:39] \u003c/em>Yeah, it’s a lot. Food is Free started as a idea put together that we all come together as a community and kind of share with what is available. I loved that idea many, many, many years ago and I put in a permaculture food forest with the help of sustainable Solano at my house in Benicia and we always would grow way too much food and I gave it away in our front yard. And Over the years, it became kind of a community sharing space. And then COVID hit and I saw people looking at our food stand for food in this little neighborhood in Benicia where you wouldn’t expect to see a lot of food insecurity and we were seeing it. You hadn’t seen anything like that before. I hadn’t see the volume of people. So what we did was we coordinated with a bunch of other organizations and neighbors and friends in the community to collect donations, to start finding food, to create more food stands. And so Food is Free Benicia all of a sudden became Food is free Solano and then all of the sudden became Food is Free Bay Area. So we go everywhere from Rio Vista, Dixon. All the way down to Contra Costa County for picking up food, delivering food. And we allow anyone anywhere to come and access food. People will ask me what the requirements are and I’m like, you’re an alive human. That is your requirement right there. You’re a live human asking for food and we will make sure there’s something for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:29] \u003c/em>It’s hard to imagine that you started just like with a table in your front yard because now we’re standing in McCormick Hall on the Solano County fairgrounds. Like this is very much an operation. You have, I mean, dozens and dozens of pallets of food here. This electric vehicle van thing I mean, did you expect to?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:50] \u003c/em> Absolutely not. There was no expectation that this would grow. There, was for me, it was I want to try and make sure people don’t experience food insecurity during this huge pandemic issue because I grew up food insecure and I was a single mom for a long time and I thought, you know, I’m stable now. What if I weren’t? And then all of a sudden I’m… Learning about food insecurity in Solano County, I’m seeing that Solano County is the lowest funded county for non-profit money. So we are magnificently underfunded and we are extraordinarily high need. So right now what we’re looking at with this SNAP and EBT shutdown, we’re looking at kind of a perfect storm and once again we’re going into emergency response mode.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062721\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pallets of food at the Food is Free Solano facility at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:42] \u003c/em>I mean Heather, it’s been like a month now since the start of the government shutdown. I wonder if there was like a specific moment that things seemed to get bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:54] \u003c/em>Third week of October was when things seemed to get bad, when people thought, okay, what if they don’t fund SNAP? We’d started seeing impacts from people from Travis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:05] \u003c/em>Travis Air Force Base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:06] \u003c/em>So we started seeing more furloughed workers and then as the shutdown continues, because of SNAP and EBT being halted, for the last two weeks we have seen a drastic increase in numbers. We distribute food on average to about 400 to 450 families before the EBT and SNAP down in mid-October. We started seeing a large amount of new families coming in at each distribution. So Tuesday the 21st, we served, I think, 573 families, which was a massive increase. Then that Thursday we served even more. And the next Tuesday we topped 600 families, which was record. And then Thursday the 30th, so day before Halloween, we served 673 families. In three hours here at the Fairgrounds. Had you ever seen anything like that before? At our regular food distributions, no. I personally do all the check-in because, truthfully, it’s one of the things I love about this work is talking with our community and being able to say, hi, I’m glad you’re here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:23] \u003c/em>So you’re presumably checking in folks who are standing in line to receive food. It sounds like many folks who came the last couple of days have been first timers. I mean, what have you been hearing from people about why they’re standing in line and just like what they’re experiencing right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:43] \u003c/em>People are afraid. People are scared that they’re not going to have enough food for their family. We have seen everything from people crying in line, to people giving hugs in line to people seeing neighbors or friends. And then in the line, we have people telling the new people, kind of this is what information you’ll need to give when you get up there. They’re really nice, it’s okay. And we have this community supporting the new people, I feel like. There are a lot of elderly people, there are a lots of disabled people, there are lot of families with children who come through. So they come to the front desk where I’m set up and I ask the three questions. I just need a first name, a zip code, and how many people you’re feeding. Beyond that, any other information is a bonus. People will come in with their ID out and say, what do I need to qualify? Here’s my pay stub, and I’m like, no, it’s okay. We’re here to make sure that you have the food and the resources you need. I don’t need that from you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:46] \u003c/em>Do you get people who are, I mean, especially with the increase in immigration and customs enforcement actions around the Bay… I mean have you seen fewer people wanting to show up into the community, or people being worried\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:59] \u003c/em>Yes, we did see that. We saw a drop in our Latino population when there was a larger risk of ice coming out. One of the things I saw was children coming through for their families. And what the gossip was around that from other participants was that if the parents were undocumented, the kids had legal status and felt more comfortable sending the kids through to pick up food. And we have always allowed kids to come through and get food because we know that it’s probably a pretty hard situation going on. I get asked this very frequently actually, how do you know they need it? How do you they need food? And I asked them, well, how many times have you come out to stand in line at the fairgrounds for free food? Because if you’re coming and spending hours of your day waiting in line, in the heat, in rain, in wind, to come get food that someone else has provided that you have some choice about what you’d pick, but you don’t have choice like you would in a grocery store. You’re not doing that for fun. You’re doing that to scam the system. What you’re doing is trying to make it. You’re trying to survive. And… And that could be really hard to have to do. Oh yes. Could be a lot of shame associated with that, I imagine. Yes, there can be a lotta shame associated with that and so I really try, when we train our volunteers, we try and let them know, you know, if someone comes in here with a bad attitude. Our job is not to police somebody’s attitude. When people come here, they’re coming in the full gamut of humanity. Our job, is to be here to provide the food, to give them a smile, to hopefully help them make it through this day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062723\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062723\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Angel Torres unloads food that was picked up from a local grocery store at the Food is Free Solano facility at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:05] \u003c/em>We were talking earlier about how last week a federal judge actually ordered the Trump administration to begin redistributing SNAP benefits, mentioning a moral obligation to do so, but of course we don’t know how soon those benefits will come or how much people will actually be getting. So I mean, do you still have concerns?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:28] \u003c/em>Yes, I definitely have concerns. Number one, there’s this erosion of trust in the system, and that erosion in trust in the system is what’s going to keep people in fear. I don’t know how fast the system can ramp back up. I don’t know how much will be paid, if any. And if I’m in that position of not knowing and I’m tapped into all of the email lists and I mean, food insecurity is my job, then someone who is working and taking care of a family, getting verifiable information is difficult right now. Even if EBT goes out, I don’t think we’re gonna go back to normal, whatever normal was before this. And the food bank sees the same thing. Once the numbers increase, they don’t really go back down to. Either pre-pandemic levels or pre-emergency levels. We have failed as a society to create a system where working a full-time job doesn’t pay for rent and basic necessities for a small family. It just doesn’t. This right here, I wish I didn’t have to do it. I would love to be worked out of a job. I think that nonprofits are bearing the brunt and bearing the weight of the failures of our social services system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:58] \u003c/em>Well, Heather, thank you so much for making the time to chat with me. I really appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:04] \u003c/em>You’re very welcome and thank you for coming and helping us kind of share about what we do, helping kind of let the community know what we, do and hopefully people who are able will be able to donate, volunteer, share the word. All of that is amazing. Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">The ongoing federal government shutdown has reduced and delayed SNAP benefits this month. As a result, food banks in the Bay Area are bracing for an even greater surge in demand. We join Heather Pierini, the executive director of \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-ihgnxF fGbrTd\" href=\"https://fifbayarea.org/\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Food Is Free Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\" data-slate-fragment=\"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\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">, on a donation day at the Solano County Fairgrounds. \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982957/snap-calfresh-ebt-november-shutdown-meals-food-assistance-san-francisco-bay-area#calfresh-snap-ebt-free-meals\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area restaurants offering free meals to families using CalFresh\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5704201846&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:35] \u003c/em> I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, and welcome to the Bay. Local news to keep you rooted. It was a sunny Monday morning at the Solano County Fairgrounds when I went to meet Heather Perrini, the executive director of Food is Free Bay Area. On this day, they were receiving donations and getting ready to distribute things like produce, bread, and canned goods for the following day. Even the office manager was helping lift donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:15] \u003c/em>We got two drivers and our office manager doing not office management stuff because everybody needs to do it. All hands on deck. Office manager lifting 50 pound bags of produce, right? Those are huge bags of carrots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:32] \u003c/em>Nearly 42 million Americans who rely on federal SNAP benefits are worried about how they’ll feed their families this month as the government shutdown continues into its 36th day, now the longest shutdown in U.S. History. And although the Trump administration said it would issue partial payments this month thanks to a court order, people like Heather don’t expect the lines to get shorter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:05] \u003c/em>It’s increasing every month with or without an emergency as more people are feeling the effects of inflation, as more are feeling of the rising grocery prices and all of the things that are happening in our community right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:26] \u003c/em>Heather says the needs in Solano County are especially dire compared to other wealthier counties in the Bay Area. So today we take you to Food is Free’s distribution site in Vallejo as they prepare for another day of giving out food under the government shutdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062725\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-01-KQED-1_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Natalie DeNicholas inspects food donations at the Food is Free Solano facility at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:35] \u003c/em>Can you introduce yourself for us, Heather? Tell us who you are, what you do, and where we are right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:42] \u003c/em>Hi, my name is Heather Pierini. I am the executive director of Food is Free Bay Area, a nonprofit based here in Vallejo in Solano County. Right now we’re standing in McCormick Hall at the Solano county fairgrounds in Vallejo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:56] \u003c/em>This is an actually a familiar place to me. My family comes here every year for a fiesta, but I’ve never seen it in this form, which is like, it’s now, I mean, a food distribution, food donation space. I mean can you like describe for us what is happening here today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:19] \u003c/em>So we use this site for our Tuesday and Thursday food distributions. We distribute food on average to about 400 to 450 families before the EBT and SNAP shut down. 450 families would come here on a Tuesday and a Thursday afternoon each day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:39] \u003c/em>That’s a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:39] \u003c/em>Yeah, it’s a lot. Food is Free started as a idea put together that we all come together as a community and kind of share with what is available. I loved that idea many, many, many years ago and I put in a permaculture food forest with the help of sustainable Solano at my house in Benicia and we always would grow way too much food and I gave it away in our front yard. And Over the years, it became kind of a community sharing space. And then COVID hit and I saw people looking at our food stand for food in this little neighborhood in Benicia where you wouldn’t expect to see a lot of food insecurity and we were seeing it. You hadn’t seen anything like that before. I hadn’t see the volume of people. So what we did was we coordinated with a bunch of other organizations and neighbors and friends in the community to collect donations, to start finding food, to create more food stands. And so Food is Free Benicia all of a sudden became Food is free Solano and then all of the sudden became Food is Free Bay Area. So we go everywhere from Rio Vista, Dixon. All the way down to Contra Costa County for picking up food, delivering food. And we allow anyone anywhere to come and access food. People will ask me what the requirements are and I’m like, you’re an alive human. That is your requirement right there. You’re a live human asking for food and we will make sure there’s something for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:29] \u003c/em>It’s hard to imagine that you started just like with a table in your front yard because now we’re standing in McCormick Hall on the Solano County fairgrounds. Like this is very much an operation. You have, I mean, dozens and dozens of pallets of food here. This electric vehicle van thing I mean, did you expect to?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:50] \u003c/em> Absolutely not. There was no expectation that this would grow. There, was for me, it was I want to try and make sure people don’t experience food insecurity during this huge pandemic issue because I grew up food insecure and I was a single mom for a long time and I thought, you know, I’m stable now. What if I weren’t? And then all of a sudden I’m… Learning about food insecurity in Solano County, I’m seeing that Solano County is the lowest funded county for non-profit money. So we are magnificently underfunded and we are extraordinarily high need. So right now what we’re looking at with this SNAP and EBT shutdown, we’re looking at kind of a perfect storm and once again we’re going into emergency response mode.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062721\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pallets of food at the Food is Free Solano facility at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:42] \u003c/em>I mean Heather, it’s been like a month now since the start of the government shutdown. I wonder if there was like a specific moment that things seemed to get bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:54] \u003c/em>Third week of October was when things seemed to get bad, when people thought, okay, what if they don’t fund SNAP? We’d started seeing impacts from people from Travis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:05] \u003c/em>Travis Air Force Base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:06] \u003c/em>So we started seeing more furloughed workers and then as the shutdown continues, because of SNAP and EBT being halted, for the last two weeks we have seen a drastic increase in numbers. We distribute food on average to about 400 to 450 families before the EBT and SNAP down in mid-October. We started seeing a large amount of new families coming in at each distribution. So Tuesday the 21st, we served, I think, 573 families, which was a massive increase. Then that Thursday we served even more. And the next Tuesday we topped 600 families, which was record. And then Thursday the 30th, so day before Halloween, we served 673 families. In three hours here at the Fairgrounds. Had you ever seen anything like that before? At our regular food distributions, no. I personally do all the check-in because, truthfully, it’s one of the things I love about this work is talking with our community and being able to say, hi, I’m glad you’re here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:23] \u003c/em>So you’re presumably checking in folks who are standing in line to receive food. It sounds like many folks who came the last couple of days have been first timers. I mean, what have you been hearing from people about why they’re standing in line and just like what they’re experiencing right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:43] \u003c/em>People are afraid. People are scared that they’re not going to have enough food for their family. We have seen everything from people crying in line, to people giving hugs in line to people seeing neighbors or friends. And then in the line, we have people telling the new people, kind of this is what information you’ll need to give when you get up there. They’re really nice, it’s okay. And we have this community supporting the new people, I feel like. There are a lot of elderly people, there are a lots of disabled people, there are lot of families with children who come through. So they come to the front desk where I’m set up and I ask the three questions. I just need a first name, a zip code, and how many people you’re feeding. Beyond that, any other information is a bonus. People will come in with their ID out and say, what do I need to qualify? Here’s my pay stub, and I’m like, no, it’s okay. We’re here to make sure that you have the food and the resources you need. I don’t need that from you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:46] \u003c/em>Do you get people who are, I mean, especially with the increase in immigration and customs enforcement actions around the Bay… I mean have you seen fewer people wanting to show up into the community, or people being worried\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:59] \u003c/em>Yes, we did see that. We saw a drop in our Latino population when there was a larger risk of ice coming out. One of the things I saw was children coming through for their families. And what the gossip was around that from other participants was that if the parents were undocumented, the kids had legal status and felt more comfortable sending the kids through to pick up food. And we have always allowed kids to come through and get food because we know that it’s probably a pretty hard situation going on. I get asked this very frequently actually, how do you know they need it? How do you they need food? And I asked them, well, how many times have you come out to stand in line at the fairgrounds for free food? Because if you’re coming and spending hours of your day waiting in line, in the heat, in rain, in wind, to come get food that someone else has provided that you have some choice about what you’d pick, but you don’t have choice like you would in a grocery store. You’re not doing that for fun. You’re doing that to scam the system. What you’re doing is trying to make it. You’re trying to survive. And… And that could be really hard to have to do. Oh yes. Could be a lot of shame associated with that, I imagine. Yes, there can be a lotta shame associated with that and so I really try, when we train our volunteers, we try and let them know, you know, if someone comes in here with a bad attitude. Our job is not to police somebody’s attitude. When people come here, they’re coming in the full gamut of humanity. Our job, is to be here to provide the food, to give them a smile, to hopefully help them make it through this day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062723\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062723\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SOLANO-FREE-FOOD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Angel Torres unloads food that was picked up from a local grocery store at the Food is Free Solano facility at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:05] \u003c/em>We were talking earlier about how last week a federal judge actually ordered the Trump administration to begin redistributing SNAP benefits, mentioning a moral obligation to do so, but of course we don’t know how soon those benefits will come or how much people will actually be getting. So I mean, do you still have concerns?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:28] \u003c/em>Yes, I definitely have concerns. Number one, there’s this erosion of trust in the system, and that erosion in trust in the system is what’s going to keep people in fear. I don’t know how fast the system can ramp back up. I don’t know how much will be paid, if any. And if I’m in that position of not knowing and I’m tapped into all of the email lists and I mean, food insecurity is my job, then someone who is working and taking care of a family, getting verifiable information is difficult right now. Even if EBT goes out, I don’t think we’re gonna go back to normal, whatever normal was before this. And the food bank sees the same thing. Once the numbers increase, they don’t really go back down to. Either pre-pandemic levels or pre-emergency levels. We have failed as a society to create a system where working a full-time job doesn’t pay for rent and basic necessities for a small family. It just doesn’t. This right here, I wish I didn’t have to do it. I would love to be worked out of a job. I think that nonprofits are bearing the brunt and bearing the weight of the failures of our social services system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:58] \u003c/em>Well, Heather, thank you so much for making the time to chat with me. I really appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Pierini: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:04] \u003c/em>You’re very welcome and thank you for coming and helping us kind of share about what we do, helping kind of let the community know what we, do and hopefully people who are able will be able to donate, volunteer, share the word. All of that is amazing. Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-forever-wants-to-build-a-manufacturing-town",
"title": "California Forever Wants to Build a Manufacturing Town",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated at 11:35 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, officials from California Forever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011148/sold-out-california-forevers-uphill-battle-to-build-a-walkable-city\">pulled an initiative from the ballot box\u003c/a> to build a city from scratch in Solano County. Now, it’s back with a plan to build something else there, too: the largest site for advanced manufacturing in North America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CEO Jan Sramek announced the plans at the Reindustrialize Summit in Detroit on Thursday. The proposed 2,100-acre site, called the “Solano Foundry,” would be located within the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043295/suisun-city-proposes-annexing-most-of-california-forevers-new-city\">mega-development \u003c/a>the company is pursuing in southeast Solano County. It includes dedicated manufacturing space for companies focused on robotics, logistics, energy, aerospace and defense, among other fields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Andreas Lieber, the Foundry’s general manager, said the proposal solves several problems plaguing Silicon Valley — and the United States — right now: \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/05/31/the-state-of-the-american-middle-class/\">a shrinking middle class\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2021/may/investigating-us-reliance-foreign-suppliers#:~:text=In%20a%20further%20breakdown%20of,machinery%20and%20equipment%20(18.4%25)%3B\">dependence on other countries to build things\u003c/a>, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You cannot really operate as a country if you’re only doing service jobs and basically outsource your middle class,” he said. “And then you’re not building anything anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But opponents of California Forever’s proposed megaproject argue the company doesn’t have to build a whole new city to bring jobs to the county. It could just build factories in existing cities. Nate Huntington, a member of Solano Together, a coalition opposed to the project, said the Foundry announcement could be “just another marketing gimmick.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are sites that can accommodate industries such as this that do not require… the development of an entire new community to make this happen,” he said. “Many of the things that they put out [are] to create hype and potential attraction to this project, but some of those things fade.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes nearly four months after executives expressed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037142/california-forevers-shipbuilding-plans-need-more-details-solano-county-officials-say\">interest in building ships\u003c/a> in Collinsville, an unincorporated town in Solano County that sits at the mouth of the Sacramento River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12048457\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12048457\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2-1536x805.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Solano Foundry would be located in an area previously designated for “industry and technology” within the new city. It would also be close to Collinsville, where the company wants to build a shipyard. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Forever)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Foundry would be located just seven miles away and includes space for companies working on advanced transportation systems and supply chain technology, which officials say could help support \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/california-forevers-statement-on-bringing-shipbuilding-back-to-solano-county/\">shipbuilding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The white paper projected the Foundry could produce about 40,000 jobs — and even more with shipbuilding — adding billions of dollars to the county’s economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a significant increase from the 15,000 jobs the company proposed last year, when it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11986569/california-forever-says-12-start-ups-will-open-workplaces-in-its-new-city\">announced 12 start-ups would open\u003c/a> in its proposed city. The Foundry would be built next to homes, in an area that has been designated for industrial space, according to previous maps the company released. California Forever will work with commercial real estate broker JLL to lease space on the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12048464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1199px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12048464\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CaliforniaForeverMap-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1199\" height=\"763\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CaliforniaForeverMap-1.jpg 1199w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CaliforniaForeverMap-1-160x102.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Forever’s proposed plans for its new city last year. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Forever)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to a whitepaper JLL published Thursday, several companies expressed interest, including some that had already pledged support last year: aerospace company Hadrian and Serve Robotics. The expressed interest is not legally binding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, Lieber said these companies realize that the state is at an inflection point. It’s not that manufacturing doesn’t happen at all in Silicon Valley, the birthplace of semiconductors and the microchip, but that it doesn’t happen at a large enough scale. And when companies want to expand their factories, they leave California, often to states with lower tax and regulatory burdens, or to \u003ca href=\"https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/94bf8985-1e87-438b-9a3a-e3334489dd30/background-on-issues-in-us-manufacturing-and-supply-chains-final.pdf\">other countries entirely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a recent report from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/are-company-headquarters-leaving-california/#overall-trends-in-headquarter-relocations\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/a>, fewer than 2% of the state’s more than 47,000 headquarters left the state between 2011 and 2021. But of those, roughly half were in manufacturing, wholesale trade or business services.[aside postID=news_12043295 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed.jpg']The perception that manufacturing jobs are fleeing California and the country has been echoed by \u003ca href=\"https://sd11.senate.ca.gov/news/governor-newsom-signs-broadest-ceqa-reform-ever-boost-affordability-cut-red-tape\">state\u003c/a> leaders and the administrations of both Presidents \u003ca href=\"https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/09/fact-sheet-two-years-after-the-chips-and-science-act-biden-%E2%81%A0harris-administration-celebrates-historic-achievements-in-bringing-semiconductor-supply-chains-home-creating-jobs-supporting-inn/\">Joe Biden\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/02/chipmakers-get-bigger-tax-credits-in-trumps-latest-big-beautiful-bill.html\">Donald Trump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046558/california-lawmakers-approve-major-overhaul-of-landmark-environmental-law\">Governor Newsom refused to sign the state’s budget\u003c/a> unless two bills aimed at streamlining reviews under the state’s landmark environmental law were included. One of those bills included a carve-out to hasten environmental reviews specifically for advanced manufacturing sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The burgeoning \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/our-country-has-building-problem\">Abundance movement also highlights this issue\u003c/a> as one of the biggest impediments to the country’s economic progress. And, in late June, a company called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044710/a-company-wants-to-build-a-city-for-ai-on-alameda-point-but-the-land-is-already-spoken-for\">Frontier Valley\u003c/a> proposed building a similar site on the former Naval Air Station in Alameda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Russell Hancock, president and CEO of think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley, studies economic and social trends of the region and said that, while California Forever might not be well-liked — or even trusted — amongst locals, the company’s premise is realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re going in with a lot of attitude. I call them swashbucklers,” he said. “They need to spend time with the locals. They need to talk it through. Lots of lunches, lots of community meetings. They have to sit there and listen to the public comment. And they’re not doing that very well. But the idea is fairly sound.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12043297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12043297\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wind turbines in Solano County outside of Suisun City on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some leaders, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/technology/apple-iphone-trump-india-china.html\">Trump\u003c/a>, have called for consumer products, like smartphones, to be built in the United States. But economists and \u003ca href=\"https://tech.yahoo.com/business/articles/trump-pushes-apple-iphones-u-181027224.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIDG0dn2U58Xz3RI61CO9mezIPLk_NGf-PpHojSvkhOxnDmfNT24LYSIxUYMCxa4LIa7T9mJjDuUq_4Lu-whbPr7Ezlx3IP7ldG0xCVtw59egwlQsmyjBjbNXcV0-fNIpU5KqV9yoDUhT9-tuti0LOcf9qN1fGp3rjzqtOb-t_c5\">history\u003c/a> have shown those ventures to be economically infeasible for companies to realistically pursue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hancock said the factories California Forever wants to build likely won’t be for “stamping out widgets,” but instead for building complicated electronics that require highly-skilled workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manveer Sandhu, a city council member for Fairfield, a city that neighbors California Forever’s proposed development, said he has seen his constituents and friends commute long distances to work in Silicon Valley. Sometimes, they move out of the city entirely.[aside postID=news_12046558 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/GavinNewsomAP3.jpg']But if jobs were closer to Fairfield, the city could keep those residents and maybe benefit from the tax revenue, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In order to sustain the future of Fairfield, the future of Solano County, you have to continue to grow your commercial base,” he said. “And the only way to do that, I think, [is] you have to have new industries come in to diversify your economy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company is currently working with nearby \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040357/2-solano-cities-could-annex-some-california-forevers-land-heres-how\">Rio Vista\u003c/a> and Suisun City to annex \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043295/suisun-city-proposes-annexing-most-of-california-forevers-new-city\">most of its proposed development\u003c/a>. The Solano Foundry would be included in the development’s master plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Rico, head of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, said the opportunity is a great one, but he worried that county offices are not properly staffed to deal with a project of this scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thereporter.com/2025/06/10/solano-supes-ask-suisun-city-to-halt-california-forever-annexation-talks/\">county supervisors requested a pause\u003c/a> on annexation talks until it’s further along in updating its general plan — a process that can take years to complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have these opportunities, you get up there and say, ‘We’re here to do whatever it takes to get this, and we’ll figure out the details as we go along because we’re gonna have to,’” he said. “[County officials are] gonna have to react and act in a way that they’re not used to acting in order to make this happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Company executives say a proposed manufacturing site will provide space for start-ups focused on robotics, defense tech, advanced transportation and other industries only a couple hours away from Silicon Valley. ",
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"title": "California Forever Wants to Build a Manufacturing Town | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated at 11:35 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, officials from California Forever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011148/sold-out-california-forevers-uphill-battle-to-build-a-walkable-city\">pulled an initiative from the ballot box\u003c/a> to build a city from scratch in Solano County. Now, it’s back with a plan to build something else there, too: the largest site for advanced manufacturing in North America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CEO Jan Sramek announced the plans at the Reindustrialize Summit in Detroit on Thursday. The proposed 2,100-acre site, called the “Solano Foundry,” would be located within the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043295/suisun-city-proposes-annexing-most-of-california-forevers-new-city\">mega-development \u003c/a>the company is pursuing in southeast Solano County. It includes dedicated manufacturing space for companies focused on robotics, logistics, energy, aerospace and defense, among other fields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Andreas Lieber, the Foundry’s general manager, said the proposal solves several problems plaguing Silicon Valley — and the United States — right now: \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/05/31/the-state-of-the-american-middle-class/\">a shrinking middle class\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2021/may/investigating-us-reliance-foreign-suppliers#:~:text=In%20a%20further%20breakdown%20of,machinery%20and%20equipment%20(18.4%25)%3B\">dependence on other countries to build things\u003c/a>, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You cannot really operate as a country if you’re only doing service jobs and basically outsource your middle class,” he said. “And then you’re not building anything anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But opponents of California Forever’s proposed megaproject argue the company doesn’t have to build a whole new city to bring jobs to the county. It could just build factories in existing cities. Nate Huntington, a member of Solano Together, a coalition opposed to the project, said the Foundry announcement could be “just another marketing gimmick.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are sites that can accommodate industries such as this that do not require… the development of an entire new community to make this happen,” he said. “Many of the things that they put out [are] to create hype and potential attraction to this project, but some of those things fade.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes nearly four months after executives expressed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037142/california-forevers-shipbuilding-plans-need-more-details-solano-county-officials-say\">interest in building ships\u003c/a> in Collinsville, an unincorporated town in Solano County that sits at the mouth of the Sacramento River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12048457\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12048457\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CAForever2-1536x805.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Solano Foundry would be located in an area previously designated for “industry and technology” within the new city. It would also be close to Collinsville, where the company wants to build a shipyard. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Forever)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Foundry would be located just seven miles away and includes space for companies working on advanced transportation systems and supply chain technology, which officials say could help support \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/california-forevers-statement-on-bringing-shipbuilding-back-to-solano-county/\">shipbuilding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The white paper projected the Foundry could produce about 40,000 jobs — and even more with shipbuilding — adding billions of dollars to the county’s economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a significant increase from the 15,000 jobs the company proposed last year, when it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11986569/california-forever-says-12-start-ups-will-open-workplaces-in-its-new-city\">announced 12 start-ups would open\u003c/a> in its proposed city. The Foundry would be built next to homes, in an area that has been designated for industrial space, according to previous maps the company released. California Forever will work with commercial real estate broker JLL to lease space on the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12048464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1199px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12048464\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CaliforniaForeverMap-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1199\" height=\"763\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CaliforniaForeverMap-1.jpg 1199w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/CaliforniaForeverMap-1-160x102.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Forever’s proposed plans for its new city last year. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Forever)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to a whitepaper JLL published Thursday, several companies expressed interest, including some that had already pledged support last year: aerospace company Hadrian and Serve Robotics. The expressed interest is not legally binding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, Lieber said these companies realize that the state is at an inflection point. It’s not that manufacturing doesn’t happen at all in Silicon Valley, the birthplace of semiconductors and the microchip, but that it doesn’t happen at a large enough scale. And when companies want to expand their factories, they leave California, often to states with lower tax and regulatory burdens, or to \u003ca href=\"https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/94bf8985-1e87-438b-9a3a-e3334489dd30/background-on-issues-in-us-manufacturing-and-supply-chains-final.pdf\">other countries entirely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a recent report from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/are-company-headquarters-leaving-california/#overall-trends-in-headquarter-relocations\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/a>, fewer than 2% of the state’s more than 47,000 headquarters left the state between 2011 and 2021. But of those, roughly half were in manufacturing, wholesale trade or business services.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The perception that manufacturing jobs are fleeing California and the country has been echoed by \u003ca href=\"https://sd11.senate.ca.gov/news/governor-newsom-signs-broadest-ceqa-reform-ever-boost-affordability-cut-red-tape\">state\u003c/a> leaders and the administrations of both Presidents \u003ca href=\"https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/09/fact-sheet-two-years-after-the-chips-and-science-act-biden-%E2%81%A0harris-administration-celebrates-historic-achievements-in-bringing-semiconductor-supply-chains-home-creating-jobs-supporting-inn/\">Joe Biden\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/02/chipmakers-get-bigger-tax-credits-in-trumps-latest-big-beautiful-bill.html\">Donald Trump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046558/california-lawmakers-approve-major-overhaul-of-landmark-environmental-law\">Governor Newsom refused to sign the state’s budget\u003c/a> unless two bills aimed at streamlining reviews under the state’s landmark environmental law were included. One of those bills included a carve-out to hasten environmental reviews specifically for advanced manufacturing sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The burgeoning \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/our-country-has-building-problem\">Abundance movement also highlights this issue\u003c/a> as one of the biggest impediments to the country’s economic progress. And, in late June, a company called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044710/a-company-wants-to-build-a-city-for-ai-on-alameda-point-but-the-land-is-already-spoken-for\">Frontier Valley\u003c/a> proposed building a similar site on the former Naval Air Station in Alameda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Russell Hancock, president and CEO of think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley, studies economic and social trends of the region and said that, while California Forever might not be well-liked — or even trusted — amongst locals, the company’s premise is realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re going in with a lot of attitude. I call them swashbucklers,” he said. “They need to spend time with the locals. They need to talk it through. Lots of lunches, lots of community meetings. They have to sit there and listen to the public comment. And they’re not doing that very well. But the idea is fairly sound.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12043297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12043297\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-38-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wind turbines in Solano County outside of Suisun City on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some leaders, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/technology/apple-iphone-trump-india-china.html\">Trump\u003c/a>, have called for consumer products, like smartphones, to be built in the United States. But economists and \u003ca href=\"https://tech.yahoo.com/business/articles/trump-pushes-apple-iphones-u-181027224.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIDG0dn2U58Xz3RI61CO9mezIPLk_NGf-PpHojSvkhOxnDmfNT24LYSIxUYMCxa4LIa7T9mJjDuUq_4Lu-whbPr7Ezlx3IP7ldG0xCVtw59egwlQsmyjBjbNXcV0-fNIpU5KqV9yoDUhT9-tuti0LOcf9qN1fGp3rjzqtOb-t_c5\">history\u003c/a> have shown those ventures to be economically infeasible for companies to realistically pursue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hancock said the factories California Forever wants to build likely won’t be for “stamping out widgets,” but instead for building complicated electronics that require highly-skilled workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manveer Sandhu, a city council member for Fairfield, a city that neighbors California Forever’s proposed development, said he has seen his constituents and friends commute long distances to work in Silicon Valley. Sometimes, they move out of the city entirely.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But if jobs were closer to Fairfield, the city could keep those residents and maybe benefit from the tax revenue, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In order to sustain the future of Fairfield, the future of Solano County, you have to continue to grow your commercial base,” he said. “And the only way to do that, I think, [is] you have to have new industries come in to diversify your economy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company is currently working with nearby \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040357/2-solano-cities-could-annex-some-california-forevers-land-heres-how\">Rio Vista\u003c/a> and Suisun City to annex \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043295/suisun-city-proposes-annexing-most-of-california-forevers-new-city\">most of its proposed development\u003c/a>. The Solano Foundry would be included in the development’s master plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Rico, head of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, said the opportunity is a great one, but he worried that county offices are not properly staffed to deal with a project of this scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thereporter.com/2025/06/10/solano-supes-ask-suisun-city-to-halt-california-forever-annexation-talks/\">county supervisors requested a pause\u003c/a> on annexation talks until it’s further along in updating its general plan — a process that can take years to complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have these opportunities, you get up there and say, ‘We’re here to do whatever it takes to get this, and we’ll figure out the details as we go along because we’re gonna have to,’” he said. “[County officials are] gonna have to react and act in a way that they’re not used to acting in order to make this happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Suisun City Could Grow by 9 Times Its Current Size",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Suisun City in Solano County will begin studying annexing land owned by California Forever, the billionaire-backed group that bought up thousands of acres of land with plans to build a brand new city from scratch in Solano County. KQED’s Adhiti Bandlamudi joins us to discuss the implications of this decision and why it has divided the local community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC2281823459\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:01:43] Right now, Suisun City is the smallest city in Solano County, geographically speaking. Because it’s the smallest city in Solano County, what the city manager says is that it’s unable to grow a lot and it’s tax-based then is like very small. So, Suisun City has faced a budget crisis for years. They’re currently using reserves to kind of sustain certain city services. But if it were to annex this area, which is almost nine times its current size, it would become one of the biggest cities in the county. And it could be good for the city’s long-term budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:35] Yeah, I mean, since I was a kid, I feel like Suisun City has pretty much stayed and looked exactly the same as it always has been, but now it’s considering, as you were just saying, to expand outward in size. How exactly do they plan to do this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:02:57] The city has been talking about annexation for a long time, basically since the beginning of this year. We didn’t really know how much land it was going to annex or where exactly it was gonna annex this land, but Suisun is kind of surrounded by Fairfield and land that is predominantly owned by California Forever. California Forever, the billionaire backed company that you might remember last year, they kind of introduced this plan to like build a city from scratch. They own a lot of land near Suisun City and they had this grand plan for all of this land, which was to build a city from scratch. It was gonna be walkable and there were gonna be jobs and manufacturing sites. And basically it was going to solve Solano County’s problems of not having enough jobs where people live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:03:56] So if a developer wants to build something out there, they have to get voter approval first. But a couple months before the election, they pulled their initiative from the ballot because a lot of people were asking for environmental reports and information about these jobs and where they would come from and how the company could basically ensure that the promises that they made along the campaign trail could actually be realized. So the company said, got it. We’re not going to bring this to the voters this November. Instead, we’re gonna wait until 2026 and then we’ll bring it back once we have all these studies done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:04:37] In January, Suisun City says, Hey, we’re facing budgetary issues. We need to talk about annexation. And so if Suisun City wants to annex, it kind of has to talk with California Forever. And what the city is proposing to do is to annex almost 23,000 acres of land located pretty much in the same place that California Forever wanted to build its new city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:05] So how would annexation actually work, Adhiti? Would Suisun City basically be paying California Forever for this land?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:05:15] Really what annexation means is that basically, the landowner, California Forever, will still own that land. So the company will pay for all the consultants and the people who will conduct environmental and fiscal studies and basically a team of people who will start compiling a series of reports that will answer some of these big questions. Then the city can figure out whether this makes sense for them in the long run. Suisun City then becomes the jurisdiction, so it controls what happens on that land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:54] Why would both Suisun City and California Forever want to do this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:05:59] So right now, there’s a lot of questions ahead. Will there be really big environmental impacts? Will it be fiscally good for the city if it kind of expands its borders and tries to develop there? What this opportunity gives Suisun is the ability to hopefully get to the bottom of those questions. What California Forever hopes to get is basically California Forever, it seems, could realize its vision for its new city by working with a city like Suisun or Rio Vista, which is also interested in annexing some of their land. But if their land gets annexed into an existing city, it doesn’t require a countywide vote. It’s up to the officials there to kind of work out the logistics of getting this big development built. So it could be a smoother path to get their vision realized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:07:07] I want to talk about the reaction and the response to this idea because there was a public meeting in Suisun last week where council members voted on this proposal to start exploring the idea of annexation. What was your sense of how the public is feeling about this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:07:40] The opinions are really split. And you know, these mixed emotions and also the level of passion that people feel one side or another was really on display during public comment on Tuesday’s meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public comment \u003c/strong>[00:07:54] This is universal change in a positive way for this county and for this region so that apprentices like these folks who are here in the room can learn their trade over here and work within half an hour of where they went to school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>[00:08:10] Oakland lost the A’s and they lost the Raiders because of a missed opportunity. This is an opportunity for us and I would highly recommend that you take it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:08:21] Some people really like the plan because they feel like it could bring opportunity and jobs and housing. You know, there are people who I’ve spoken to who were kind of, you know, pushed out of Oakland and San Francisco into Solano County because of the cost of living. And now the cost of living is starting to increase in Solano and people are really worried about getting pushed out again. And so the hope that they feel is that California Forever will provide them the housing and the jobs needed to stay in Solano and make a life there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public comment \u003c/strong>[00:08:59] I think the only responsible thing to do is explore. You have other cities in our county that have decided for decades to have no growth. And now they’re staring at financial crisis if one of their biggest employers leaves their city. And heaven forbid, you would ever have to face that as well. So please continue this, go down this road and create more opportunities for our men and women to work. Thank you for your time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:09:25] But there are other people who are really opposed to California Forever. They don’t trust the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public comment \u003c/strong>[00:09:32] These are profiteers, and they know they can make a hundred times more money than they can in the stock market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:09:39] I have grandchildren who are in their preteens. I live in a neighborhood that has so many kids. They and their parents will be the ones to face the consequences of orderly or disorderly growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:09:54] There is a lot to lose and I’m not talking about your money. I’m actually talking about this incredible amount of biological diversity that exists in basically in Suisun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:10:08] You know, the company, when it was buying up all of that land, it sued farmers. And they also don’t like the fact that the company didn’t have a lot of questions answered when they pitched this plan. So there’s a lot distrust and mixed emotions about this company and anything related to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:10:29] And what about city officials in Suisun? How are they feeling about this idea?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:10:36] Most of the city council itself is kind of open to seeing what this means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bret Prebula \u003c/strong>[00:10:42] For too long, Suisun City has been treated like an afterthought, boxed in and bypassed, and left out of the prosperity that has lifted other communities around us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:10:53] The city manager, Bret Prebula, is very excited about this opportunity. He spoke at a city council meeting recently, basically saying that like, this is an opportunity for the city to potentially grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bret Prebula \u003c/strong>[00:11:07] We are looking at expansion in Suisun City because we know we have to. We know we can take more responsibility for the delivery of regional services if we do. And we know this is the right decision to explore for our community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:11:22] And Bret has talked about the fact that, like, the city has been in this position before and chose not to grow, and it didn’t help their budget. Back in the 1960s, you know, there was a piece of land that Suisun had the opportunity to annex and it later became home to a Budweiser Brewery and the Jelly Belly Factory. And Fairfield, Suisun’s neighbor, annexed that land instead and it helped their city budget. And now Suisun is in this position again. And I think there’s an element of like FOMO here of like we missed out once, we don’t wanna miss out again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bret Prebula \u003c/strong>[00:12:01] We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take. That’s a Wayne Gretzky quote. That’s where we are, ready to take our shot and on the edge of something bigger than ourselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Princess Washington \u003c/strong>[00:12:19] I’m no fool up here, I’m gonna be the only no vote, I’m well aware of that. But I just wanna express my concerns as to why I’m voting this way in respect to my council who I do know are acting in the best interest of the city along with staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:12:32] Council member Princess Washington also spoke at the meeting and she has consistently voted against annexation because she has major hesitations about the project and the city just taking on a bunch of land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Princess Washington \u003c/strong>[00:12:47] I think that this is a large undertaking and quite frankly, a large headache. And will it really yield the benefit that we want? I haven’t heard with certainty that it will.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:12:58] She feels like it’s gonna just take a lot of time and effort to answer the questions that are involved and it could just be a distraction from what the city needs to solve like its housing crisis and other issues that she feels are kind of more front of front of mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Princess Washington \u003c/strong>[00:13:17] There’s some agility in being small. And I think that this idea that being huge, it will solve all our problems is a fallacy. Because if that were the case, no other city would have deficits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:13:28] What about California Forever? What are they saying about this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:13:32] California Forever hasn’t really offered a lot of public comment, at least not the way that they were last year. They have offered statements time and time again, basically saying that they’re interested in working with cities that want to talk about annexation. They’re interested in trying to figure out what’s right for everyone and working with various stakeholders. Members of the company have come out during city council meetings to speak during public comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Hernandez \u003c/strong>[00:14:01] It has to be a net gain for the the citizens of Suisun to pass muster, to pass muster but you can’t know that until you study it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:14:13] Jennifer Hernandez, for example, she is the lawyer representing California Forever. She spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, basically saying, like, let us study this. Like, nothing is set in stone. We’re just trying to get some answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Hernandez \u003c/strong>[00:14:27] You have a team already in place that is set up to make sure everything’s right for you. Let us study this with you and let’s make sure it’s at no cost to the city or its taxpayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:14:48] I mean, all that said, Adhiti, how ultimately did Suisun City vote on the idea of studying annexing California Forever’s land?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:14:57] The city council voted almost unanimously. Council member Washington voted against it. And so now what we’re looking at is the city will spend the next few months hiring consultants and basically a team of people who will start compiling a series of reports that will answer some of these big questions. One question that they’re going to have to answer is, how will this affect the environment? How is it managing the services, you know, water, sewage, police department, fire department? How is managing all of that within its existing borders? And how will it manage that land that it wants to annex?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:15:49] These are really big questions, and as we know, it takes a lot of time and effort to even build in California. But I do have to ask, I mean, what is in it for California Forever here? I mean is this basically their way of getting around voters to move forward with its vision of a new city?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:16:16] What this process means is that yes, there will not be an opportunity for this kind of like direct democracy angle where people will get to kind of say, yes, I want this in my county, or no, I don’t want it in my county. You know, California Forever’s most vocal and I would argue largest opponent group, which is called Solano Together, they are very adamant that they want a vote in this. They want a say in whether this happens or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:16:47] This is the Suisun City’s way of saying we’re all in on California Forever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:16:54] Alex Schafran, he’s a land use expert and someone who has raised serious questions about California Forever’s project. And he kind of had a different take, which is that annexation could be a less bad way of getting this project built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:17:11] The ballot measure they wrote was such a terrible document for democracy, this 90-page, endless document that people are supposedly voting on. It was an absolute travesty of how they were going to do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:17:23] Even if they pass that up-down vote, let’s just say that they got voter approval, we actually don’t know what happens after that. We don’t what legal bearing California Forever has over that land and what gets developed there if the voters approve something like that, if the voter’s don’t approve it, like, like we, you know, we don’t no.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:17:41] We have a system that is designed to do governance and that now it is in that system and that’s where it should be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:17:49] But annexation is a process that already exists, and we kind of know the steps along the way. Annexation also involves a lot of negotiation. It’s a lot like talking with public agencies and private entities and elected officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:18:05] At least this gives them some voice and some control. They will be able to negotiate some benefit out of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:18:16] I guess what questions do you have about what this could all mean for Suisun City? Because again, I mean, we’re talking about a city expanding by nine times, and that would be huge, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:18:34] As a housing reporter, the question that is front of mind right now is, is this actually sustainable for Suisun? Will this actually be good for the city or is this just a way for California Forever to realize its vision? Now that we’re getting into this very public process, it will also be interesting. To see how the company influences the elected officials who are now in charge of these decisions. So we’ll be watching.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"headline": "Suisun City Could Grow by 9 Times Its Current Size",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Suisun City in Solano County will begin studying annexing land owned by California Forever, the billionaire-backed group that bought up thousands of acres of land with plans to build a brand new city from scratch in Solano County. KQED’s Adhiti Bandlamudi joins us to discuss the implications of this decision and why it has divided the local community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC2281823459\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:01:43] Right now, Suisun City is the smallest city in Solano County, geographically speaking. Because it’s the smallest city in Solano County, what the city manager says is that it’s unable to grow a lot and it’s tax-based then is like very small. So, Suisun City has faced a budget crisis for years. They’re currently using reserves to kind of sustain certain city services. But if it were to annex this area, which is almost nine times its current size, it would become one of the biggest cities in the county. And it could be good for the city’s long-term budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:35] Yeah, I mean, since I was a kid, I feel like Suisun City has pretty much stayed and looked exactly the same as it always has been, but now it’s considering, as you were just saying, to expand outward in size. How exactly do they plan to do this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:02:57] The city has been talking about annexation for a long time, basically since the beginning of this year. We didn’t really know how much land it was going to annex or where exactly it was gonna annex this land, but Suisun is kind of surrounded by Fairfield and land that is predominantly owned by California Forever. California Forever, the billionaire backed company that you might remember last year, they kind of introduced this plan to like build a city from scratch. They own a lot of land near Suisun City and they had this grand plan for all of this land, which was to build a city from scratch. It was gonna be walkable and there were gonna be jobs and manufacturing sites. And basically it was going to solve Solano County’s problems of not having enough jobs where people live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:03:56] So if a developer wants to build something out there, they have to get voter approval first. But a couple months before the election, they pulled their initiative from the ballot because a lot of people were asking for environmental reports and information about these jobs and where they would come from and how the company could basically ensure that the promises that they made along the campaign trail could actually be realized. So the company said, got it. We’re not going to bring this to the voters this November. Instead, we’re gonna wait until 2026 and then we’ll bring it back once we have all these studies done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:04:37] In January, Suisun City says, Hey, we’re facing budgetary issues. We need to talk about annexation. And so if Suisun City wants to annex, it kind of has to talk with California Forever. And what the city is proposing to do is to annex almost 23,000 acres of land located pretty much in the same place that California Forever wanted to build its new city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:05] So how would annexation actually work, Adhiti? Would Suisun City basically be paying California Forever for this land?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:05:15] Really what annexation means is that basically, the landowner, California Forever, will still own that land. So the company will pay for all the consultants and the people who will conduct environmental and fiscal studies and basically a team of people who will start compiling a series of reports that will answer some of these big questions. Then the city can figure out whether this makes sense for them in the long run. Suisun City then becomes the jurisdiction, so it controls what happens on that land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:54] Why would both Suisun City and California Forever want to do this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:05:59] So right now, there’s a lot of questions ahead. Will there be really big environmental impacts? Will it be fiscally good for the city if it kind of expands its borders and tries to develop there? What this opportunity gives Suisun is the ability to hopefully get to the bottom of those questions. What California Forever hopes to get is basically California Forever, it seems, could realize its vision for its new city by working with a city like Suisun or Rio Vista, which is also interested in annexing some of their land. But if their land gets annexed into an existing city, it doesn’t require a countywide vote. It’s up to the officials there to kind of work out the logistics of getting this big development built. So it could be a smoother path to get their vision realized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:07:07] I want to talk about the reaction and the response to this idea because there was a public meeting in Suisun last week where council members voted on this proposal to start exploring the idea of annexation. What was your sense of how the public is feeling about this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:07:40] The opinions are really split. And you know, these mixed emotions and also the level of passion that people feel one side or another was really on display during public comment on Tuesday’s meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public comment \u003c/strong>[00:07:54] This is universal change in a positive way for this county and for this region so that apprentices like these folks who are here in the room can learn their trade over here and work within half an hour of where they went to school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>[00:08:10] Oakland lost the A’s and they lost the Raiders because of a missed opportunity. This is an opportunity for us and I would highly recommend that you take it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:08:21] Some people really like the plan because they feel like it could bring opportunity and jobs and housing. You know, there are people who I’ve spoken to who were kind of, you know, pushed out of Oakland and San Francisco into Solano County because of the cost of living. And now the cost of living is starting to increase in Solano and people are really worried about getting pushed out again. And so the hope that they feel is that California Forever will provide them the housing and the jobs needed to stay in Solano and make a life there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public comment \u003c/strong>[00:08:59] I think the only responsible thing to do is explore. You have other cities in our county that have decided for decades to have no growth. And now they’re staring at financial crisis if one of their biggest employers leaves their city. And heaven forbid, you would ever have to face that as well. So please continue this, go down this road and create more opportunities for our men and women to work. Thank you for your time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:09:25] But there are other people who are really opposed to California Forever. They don’t trust the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public comment \u003c/strong>[00:09:32] These are profiteers, and they know they can make a hundred times more money than they can in the stock market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:09:39] I have grandchildren who are in their preteens. I live in a neighborhood that has so many kids. They and their parents will be the ones to face the consequences of orderly or disorderly growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[00:09:54] There is a lot to lose and I’m not talking about your money. I’m actually talking about this incredible amount of biological diversity that exists in basically in Suisun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:10:08] You know, the company, when it was buying up all of that land, it sued farmers. And they also don’t like the fact that the company didn’t have a lot of questions answered when they pitched this plan. So there’s a lot distrust and mixed emotions about this company and anything related to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:10:29] And what about city officials in Suisun? How are they feeling about this idea?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:10:36] Most of the city council itself is kind of open to seeing what this means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bret Prebula \u003c/strong>[00:10:42] For too long, Suisun City has been treated like an afterthought, boxed in and bypassed, and left out of the prosperity that has lifted other communities around us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:10:53] The city manager, Bret Prebula, is very excited about this opportunity. He spoke at a city council meeting recently, basically saying that like, this is an opportunity for the city to potentially grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bret Prebula \u003c/strong>[00:11:07] We are looking at expansion in Suisun City because we know we have to. We know we can take more responsibility for the delivery of regional services if we do. And we know this is the right decision to explore for our community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:11:22] And Bret has talked about the fact that, like, the city has been in this position before and chose not to grow, and it didn’t help their budget. Back in the 1960s, you know, there was a piece of land that Suisun had the opportunity to annex and it later became home to a Budweiser Brewery and the Jelly Belly Factory. And Fairfield, Suisun’s neighbor, annexed that land instead and it helped their city budget. And now Suisun is in this position again. And I think there’s an element of like FOMO here of like we missed out once, we don’t wanna miss out again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bret Prebula \u003c/strong>[00:12:01] We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take. That’s a Wayne Gretzky quote. That’s where we are, ready to take our shot and on the edge of something bigger than ourselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Princess Washington \u003c/strong>[00:12:19] I’m no fool up here, I’m gonna be the only no vote, I’m well aware of that. But I just wanna express my concerns as to why I’m voting this way in respect to my council who I do know are acting in the best interest of the city along with staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:12:32] Council member Princess Washington also spoke at the meeting and she has consistently voted against annexation because she has major hesitations about the project and the city just taking on a bunch of land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Princess Washington \u003c/strong>[00:12:47] I think that this is a large undertaking and quite frankly, a large headache. And will it really yield the benefit that we want? I haven’t heard with certainty that it will.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:12:58] She feels like it’s gonna just take a lot of time and effort to answer the questions that are involved and it could just be a distraction from what the city needs to solve like its housing crisis and other issues that she feels are kind of more front of front of mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Princess Washington \u003c/strong>[00:13:17] There’s some agility in being small. And I think that this idea that being huge, it will solve all our problems is a fallacy. Because if that were the case, no other city would have deficits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:13:28] What about California Forever? What are they saying about this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:13:32] California Forever hasn’t really offered a lot of public comment, at least not the way that they were last year. They have offered statements time and time again, basically saying that they’re interested in working with cities that want to talk about annexation. They’re interested in trying to figure out what’s right for everyone and working with various stakeholders. Members of the company have come out during city council meetings to speak during public comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Hernandez \u003c/strong>[00:14:01] It has to be a net gain for the the citizens of Suisun to pass muster, to pass muster but you can’t know that until you study it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:14:13] Jennifer Hernandez, for example, she is the lawyer representing California Forever. She spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, basically saying, like, let us study this. Like, nothing is set in stone. We’re just trying to get some answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Hernandez \u003c/strong>[00:14:27] You have a team already in place that is set up to make sure everything’s right for you. Let us study this with you and let’s make sure it’s at no cost to the city or its taxpayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:14:48] I mean, all that said, Adhiti, how ultimately did Suisun City vote on the idea of studying annexing California Forever’s land?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:14:57] The city council voted almost unanimously. Council member Washington voted against it. And so now what we’re looking at is the city will spend the next few months hiring consultants and basically a team of people who will start compiling a series of reports that will answer some of these big questions. One question that they’re going to have to answer is, how will this affect the environment? How is it managing the services, you know, water, sewage, police department, fire department? How is managing all of that within its existing borders? And how will it manage that land that it wants to annex?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:15:49] These are really big questions, and as we know, it takes a lot of time and effort to even build in California. But I do have to ask, I mean, what is in it for California Forever here? I mean is this basically their way of getting around voters to move forward with its vision of a new city?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:16:16] What this process means is that yes, there will not be an opportunity for this kind of like direct democracy angle where people will get to kind of say, yes, I want this in my county, or no, I don’t want it in my county. You know, California Forever’s most vocal and I would argue largest opponent group, which is called Solano Together, they are very adamant that they want a vote in this. They want a say in whether this happens or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:16:47] This is the Suisun City’s way of saying we’re all in on California Forever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:16:54] Alex Schafran, he’s a land use expert and someone who has raised serious questions about California Forever’s project. And he kind of had a different take, which is that annexation could be a less bad way of getting this project built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:17:11] The ballot measure they wrote was such a terrible document for democracy, this 90-page, endless document that people are supposedly voting on. It was an absolute travesty of how they were going to do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:17:23] Even if they pass that up-down vote, let’s just say that they got voter approval, we actually don’t know what happens after that. We don’t what legal bearing California Forever has over that land and what gets developed there if the voters approve something like that, if the voter’s don’t approve it, like, like we, you know, we don’t no.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:17:41] We have a system that is designed to do governance and that now it is in that system and that’s where it should be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:17:49] But annexation is a process that already exists, and we kind of know the steps along the way. Annexation also involves a lot of negotiation. It’s a lot like talking with public agencies and private entities and elected officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Schafran \u003c/strong>[00:18:05] At least this gives them some voice and some control. They will be able to negotiate some benefit out of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:18:16] I guess what questions do you have about what this could all mean for Suisun City? Because again, I mean, we’re talking about a city expanding by nine times, and that would be huge, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adhiti Bandlamudi \u003c/strong>[00:18:34] As a housing reporter, the question that is front of mind right now is, is this actually sustainable for Suisun? Will this actually be good for the city or is this just a way for California Forever to realize its vision? Now that we’re getting into this very public process, it will also be interesting. To see how the company influences the elected officials who are now in charge of these decisions. So we’ll be watching.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "2 Solano Cities Could Annex Some of California Forever’s Land. Here’s How",
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"headTitle": "2 Solano Cities Could Annex Some of California Forever’s Land. Here’s How | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035971/california-forever-2-solano-cities-team-up-annexation-talks-move-forward\">Two of Solano County’s smallest cities\u003c/a> are exploring whether to get bigger — by taking over portions of California Forever’s property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company is behind a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972769/not-just-a-crazy-idea-california-forever-releases-ballot-details-for-new-bay-area-city\">proposed ballot initiative\u003c/a> that, if approved, would allow it to eventually build an \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/the-bold-city-project-of-the-tech-elite/\">Oakland-sized city\u003c/a> from scratch over what is currently farmland. Earlier this year, elected officials in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031818/another-solano-county-city-wants-annex-some-california-forevers-land\">Suisun City\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029950/rio-vista-explores-annexing-some-california-forevers-land\">Rio Vista\u003c/a>, two of California Forever’s closest neighbors, directed staff in their respective cities to explore annexing some of the company’s 60,000 acres of unincorporated land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since news of the potential annexations broke, county residents have raised questions about the process, how it could impact their cities and the county, and whether voters will be able to weigh in on the proposed ballot initiative, expected to go before voters in November 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We break it all down: why the cities are considering annexation, what that process could look like and how it might impact the company’s proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why would Suisun City and Rio Vista want to annex California Forever’s land?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At just 4 and 6.6 square miles, respectively, Suisun City and Rio Vista are the smallest cities in the county, geographically speaking. And staff from both cities have said they want to explore annexation to broaden their cities’ tax bases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040857\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040857\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The town of Collinsville in Solano County on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, in Rio Vista, staff have also said they want to maintain the city’s character as a “\u003ca href=\"https://riovista-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=2363&meta_id=59354\">quaint river town\u003c/a>.” They hope, by controlling some of California Forever’s land, they can influence what eventually gets built there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City managers from both Suisun City and Rio Vista have not said how much land either city might annex. They’re both in the process of drafting reimbursement agreements with California Forever that would allow them to explore annexation on the company’s dime.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s in it for California Forever?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The company said it isn’t sure yet. Representatives have repeatedly told KQED they are interested in working with both cities as they explore annexation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is still early innings and there are important procedural steps to work through, but we’re looking forward to getting a reimbursement agreement signed with the cities and getting into discussions of what could be possible,” California Forever CEO Jan Sramek told KQED in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apart from the company’s specific motivations, there are myriad reasons a landowner might want to incorporate into a city, said Jim Burling, vice president of legal affairs with the Pacific Legal Foundation and a property rights expert. He said annexation talks usually start after a developer or landowner approaches a city with a plan to build something in an unincorporated area. In this case, the situation was reversed, with Suisun City and Rio Vista initiating the discussions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The landowner may not have access to various city services: water, sewer, utilities, police departments — that kind of thing — and the landowner might want to become part of the city in order to get those kinds of services,” he said. “The city might want to get the development, especially if it’s a commercial development, because the city can acquire the tax revenues.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all landowners want to be annexed. When Suisun City reached out to other nearby property holders, some said \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3265707/Attachment_2_-_Response_Letters.pdf\">they weren’t interested\u003c/a> because they already have their own trash, water and septic services and didn’t want their property taxes to increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who gets to decide?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In California, the ultimate decision of whether land can be incorporated into a city lies in the hands of the Local Agency Formation Commissions. LAFCOs are independent government agencies made up of elected and appointed officials from cities, the county and the general public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agencies were created in 2000 under the \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-11/4416-ckh-guide-2023-final.pdf\">Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act\u003c/a> to manage city growth and make sure they could provide services to areas under their jurisdictions. According to urbanist and land use expert Alex Schafran, that’s because during the 1940s and ’50s, California experienced a huge boom in population following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostalafco.org/documents/handbook/ii%20Why%20LAFCO%20final%205-07.pdf\">surge in land speculation and development\u003c/a>. Cities across the state grew aggressively and ate up farmland in the process.[aside postID=news_12035971 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-96-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']That was the case in Solano County, as well, with cities growing rapidly from the 1970s through the early 2000s, County Administrator Bill Emlen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Schafran said some cities, such as Richmond, grew and annexed land that was geographically disconnected from other parts of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “checkerboard” nature of city growth made it difficult to provide municipal services and infrastructure to all the areas the city controlled. As a result, some counties were left with their own checkerboard of less valuable unincorporated land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“LAFCO was created to rein in this crazy annexation wave and, in particular, to put some guardrails around it so that you weren’t leaving the county with islands of less valuable land that it was on the hook to somehow maintain and provide services to,” Schafran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apart from Suisun and Rio Vista in Solano County, Emlen sees a new wave of cities, including Dixon and Vacaville, that are also interested in further expanding their boundaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How does annexation work?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The short answer is that a city will put together an application to present to LAFCO, and then the commission votes to approve or deny the annexation. But the process of just getting to the application phase is incredibly lengthy and involves dozens of hearings, negotiations and reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first report is a \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/solanocountylafcoca/2024/10/MSR-Guidelines.pdf\">municipal services review\u003c/a>, which outlines the infrastructure and public services that would be needed in the incorporated area and how the city has managed those services within its current boundaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040859\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040859\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 113 in Solano County outside of Suisun City on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then comes the “\u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/solanocountylafcoca/uploads/2023/05/Standards-and-Procedures-June-2019.pdf\">Sphere of Influence\u003c/a>” report, which lays out what the annexed land will be used for — whether it will remain farmland, for instance, or be redeveloped into homes, retail or office space. It also establishes a physical boundary for the annexed land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The annexation proposal has to be compliant with the California Environmental Quality Act and reviewed for potential impacts to the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if a developer wants to build something on the annexed land, it might also enter into a development agreement with the city to clarify what the project would include and how it could impact the city. Burling said this agreement can also assure the developer that its project can be built on the annexed land after it becomes part of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once a city completes the necessary reviews to submit an application to LAFCO, the agency reviews it and conducts studies of its own, if necessary, on how the city will service the unincorporated land. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.solanolafco.com/\">commission\u003c/a> then votes on whether the annexation can move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>When can the public weigh in?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Most of the reports included in the annexation process will be presented during public meetings, where residents can voice opinions in support or opposition of incorporating the land into the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there are landowners or registered voters in the unincorporated area who don’t want their land to be annexed, they can file documentation asking for a protest hearing. If enough landowners are opposed, the proposal either dies or goes to an election among residents in the area slated to be annexed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Christina Love, the deputy executive director for Solano LAFCO, who worked in the city of Vacaville for 13 years, said protest hearings are unusual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Speaking from my experience from the city-side of it, the developers have done their homework and either work with the property owners or own the land, so a protest hearing is usually not a big deal,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How soon could this all happen?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On average, it can take two to five years, but in extreme cases, it can take up to a decade to complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How would annexation impact California Forever’s proposal?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We don’t know yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because Rio Vista and Suisun City have not decided how much land they will each annex, or where the annexed land could be located in relation to California Forever’s proposed new city, it’s still unclear how annexation could affect the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040012\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040012\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A barn stands along the road near Birds Landing in Solano County on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The company has also not stated whether it will delay placing its initiative on the 2026 ballot if annexation talks move forward, though both processes could happen simultaneously if the proposed city remains in an unincorporated part of the county. Although California Forever owns some 60,000 acres, its proposed city would sit on only 17,500 acres, with the rest preserved as a buffer zone for the nearby Travis Air Force Base, agricultural land and open space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emlen has previously indicated that if either city were successful in annexing all of the land for the new city, California Forever would not be required to present its plan to Solano voters because the company would no longer be building in an unincorporated area and would not be subject to the county’s Orderly Growth Ordinance. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=6506\">county law\u003c/a> requires voter approval to build on agricultural land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he said it is unlikely that would happen because LAFCO would require the cities to be able to provide services to the new community, and right now, neither city has that capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Do counties have any say?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The county enters the group chat pretty early.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a city updates its “sphere of influence” plan, the county must sign off and make sure it is consistent with its own general plan. Love said that if the county and city can agree on the sphere of influence, it makes her job a lot easier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If not, LAFCO would have to prepare an analysis, including a list of pros and cons for how annexation would impact the county and the city. The commission would have to consider that for its final vote.[aside postID=news_12031818 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']While an area of the county is unincorporated, it’s the county’s responsibility to provide services there. It also receives taxes from landowners on properties within its jurisdiction. During the annexation process, the county and city have to agree on how both parties will split the tax revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The county is going to be losing [its] portion of the property tax,” she said. “So, there is an impact.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last July, Solano County officials \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/SolanoCountyReport.pdf\">released a damning report\u003c/a> on California Forever’s proposed new town and predicted it would cost the county more than it would bring in revenue. Emlen said the county has not established a position on the potential annexations because he and other staff have not seen a specific proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Burling said it will likely take years to get answers to the many questions surrounding annexation and California Forever’s project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Something of the magnitude of California Forever is not going to happen in the blink of an eye,” he said. “I would suspect that you’re going to have an army of lawyers from both sides negotiating this stuff for quite a bit of time. It’s not going to happen overnight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Elected officials in Suisun City and Rio Vista have expressed interest in annexing some of California Forever’s land. We break down how that process would work. ",
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"title": "2 Solano Cities Could Annex Some of California Forever’s Land. Here’s How | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035971/california-forever-2-solano-cities-team-up-annexation-talks-move-forward\">Two of Solano County’s smallest cities\u003c/a> are exploring whether to get bigger — by taking over portions of California Forever’s property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company is behind a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972769/not-just-a-crazy-idea-california-forever-releases-ballot-details-for-new-bay-area-city\">proposed ballot initiative\u003c/a> that, if approved, would allow it to eventually build an \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/the-bold-city-project-of-the-tech-elite/\">Oakland-sized city\u003c/a> from scratch over what is currently farmland. Earlier this year, elected officials in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031818/another-solano-county-city-wants-annex-some-california-forevers-land\">Suisun City\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029950/rio-vista-explores-annexing-some-california-forevers-land\">Rio Vista\u003c/a>, two of California Forever’s closest neighbors, directed staff in their respective cities to explore annexing some of the company’s 60,000 acres of unincorporated land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since news of the potential annexations broke, county residents have raised questions about the process, how it could impact their cities and the county, and whether voters will be able to weigh in on the proposed ballot initiative, expected to go before voters in November 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We break it all down: why the cities are considering annexation, what that process could look like and how it might impact the company’s proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why would Suisun City and Rio Vista want to annex California Forever’s land?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At just 4 and 6.6 square miles, respectively, Suisun City and Rio Vista are the smallest cities in the county, geographically speaking. And staff from both cities have said they want to explore annexation to broaden their cities’ tax bases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040857\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040857\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-42-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The town of Collinsville in Solano County on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, in Rio Vista, staff have also said they want to maintain the city’s character as a “\u003ca href=\"https://riovista-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=2363&meta_id=59354\">quaint river town\u003c/a>.” They hope, by controlling some of California Forever’s land, they can influence what eventually gets built there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City managers from both Suisun City and Rio Vista have not said how much land either city might annex. They’re both in the process of drafting reimbursement agreements with California Forever that would allow them to explore annexation on the company’s dime.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s in it for California Forever?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The company said it isn’t sure yet. Representatives have repeatedly told KQED they are interested in working with both cities as they explore annexation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is still early innings and there are important procedural steps to work through, but we’re looking forward to getting a reimbursement agreement signed with the cities and getting into discussions of what could be possible,” California Forever CEO Jan Sramek told KQED in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apart from the company’s specific motivations, there are myriad reasons a landowner might want to incorporate into a city, said Jim Burling, vice president of legal affairs with the Pacific Legal Foundation and a property rights expert. He said annexation talks usually start after a developer or landowner approaches a city with a plan to build something in an unincorporated area. In this case, the situation was reversed, with Suisun City and Rio Vista initiating the discussions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The landowner may not have access to various city services: water, sewer, utilities, police departments — that kind of thing — and the landowner might want to become part of the city in order to get those kinds of services,” he said. “The city might want to get the development, especially if it’s a commercial development, because the city can acquire the tax revenues.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all landowners want to be annexed. When Suisun City reached out to other nearby property holders, some said \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3265707/Attachment_2_-_Response_Letters.pdf\">they weren’t interested\u003c/a> because they already have their own trash, water and septic services and didn’t want their property taxes to increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who gets to decide?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In California, the ultimate decision of whether land can be incorporated into a city lies in the hands of the Local Agency Formation Commissions. LAFCOs are independent government agencies made up of elected and appointed officials from cities, the county and the general public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agencies were created in 2000 under the \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-11/4416-ckh-guide-2023-final.pdf\">Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act\u003c/a> to manage city growth and make sure they could provide services to areas under their jurisdictions. According to urbanist and land use expert Alex Schafran, that’s because during the 1940s and ’50s, California experienced a huge boom in population following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostalafco.org/documents/handbook/ii%20Why%20LAFCO%20final%205-07.pdf\">surge in land speculation and development\u003c/a>. Cities across the state grew aggressively and ate up farmland in the process.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That was the case in Solano County, as well, with cities growing rapidly from the 1970s through the early 2000s, County Administrator Bill Emlen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Schafran said some cities, such as Richmond, grew and annexed land that was geographically disconnected from other parts of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “checkerboard” nature of city growth made it difficult to provide municipal services and infrastructure to all the areas the city controlled. As a result, some counties were left with their own checkerboard of less valuable unincorporated land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“LAFCO was created to rein in this crazy annexation wave and, in particular, to put some guardrails around it so that you weren’t leaving the county with islands of less valuable land that it was on the hook to somehow maintain and provide services to,” Schafran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apart from Suisun and Rio Vista in Solano County, Emlen sees a new wave of cities, including Dixon and Vacaville, that are also interested in further expanding their boundaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How does annexation work?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The short answer is that a city will put together an application to present to LAFCO, and then the commission votes to approve or deny the annexation. But the process of just getting to the application phase is incredibly lengthy and involves dozens of hearings, negotiations and reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first report is a \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/solanocountylafcoca/2024/10/MSR-Guidelines.pdf\">municipal services review\u003c/a>, which outlines the infrastructure and public services that would be needed in the incorporated area and how the city has managed those services within its current boundaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040859\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040859\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CaliforniaForeverAnnexExplainer-15-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 113 in Solano County outside of Suisun City on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then comes the “\u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/solanocountylafcoca/uploads/2023/05/Standards-and-Procedures-June-2019.pdf\">Sphere of Influence\u003c/a>” report, which lays out what the annexed land will be used for — whether it will remain farmland, for instance, or be redeveloped into homes, retail or office space. It also establishes a physical boundary for the annexed land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The annexation proposal has to be compliant with the California Environmental Quality Act and reviewed for potential impacts to the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if a developer wants to build something on the annexed land, it might also enter into a development agreement with the city to clarify what the project would include and how it could impact the city. Burling said this agreement can also assure the developer that its project can be built on the annexed land after it becomes part of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once a city completes the necessary reviews to submit an application to LAFCO, the agency reviews it and conducts studies of its own, if necessary, on how the city will service the unincorporated land. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.solanolafco.com/\">commission\u003c/a> then votes on whether the annexation can move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>When can the public weigh in?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Most of the reports included in the annexation process will be presented during public meetings, where residents can voice opinions in support or opposition of incorporating the land into the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there are landowners or registered voters in the unincorporated area who don’t want their land to be annexed, they can file documentation asking for a protest hearing. If enough landowners are opposed, the proposal either dies or goes to an election among residents in the area slated to be annexed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Christina Love, the deputy executive director for Solano LAFCO, who worked in the city of Vacaville for 13 years, said protest hearings are unusual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Speaking from my experience from the city-side of it, the developers have done their homework and either work with the property owners or own the land, so a protest hearing is usually not a big deal,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How soon could this all happen?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On average, it can take two to five years, but in extreme cases, it can take up to a decade to complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How would annexation impact California Forever’s proposal?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We don’t know yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because Rio Vista and Suisun City have not decided how much land they will each annex, or where the annexed land could be located in relation to California Forever’s proposed new city, it’s still unclear how annexation could affect the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040012\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040012\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-CALIFORNIAFOREVERANNEXEXPLAINER-39-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A barn stands along the road near Birds Landing in Solano County on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The company has also not stated whether it will delay placing its initiative on the 2026 ballot if annexation talks move forward, though both processes could happen simultaneously if the proposed city remains in an unincorporated part of the county. Although California Forever owns some 60,000 acres, its proposed city would sit on only 17,500 acres, with the rest preserved as a buffer zone for the nearby Travis Air Force Base, agricultural land and open space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emlen has previously indicated that if either city were successful in annexing all of the land for the new city, California Forever would not be required to present its plan to Solano voters because the company would no longer be building in an unincorporated area and would not be subject to the county’s Orderly Growth Ordinance. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=6506\">county law\u003c/a> requires voter approval to build on agricultural land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he said it is unlikely that would happen because LAFCO would require the cities to be able to provide services to the new community, and right now, neither city has that capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Do counties have any say?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The county enters the group chat pretty early.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a city updates its “sphere of influence” plan, the county must sign off and make sure it is consistent with its own general plan. Love said that if the county and city can agree on the sphere of influence, it makes her job a lot easier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If not, LAFCO would have to prepare an analysis, including a list of pros and cons for how annexation would impact the county and the city. The commission would have to consider that for its final vote.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>While an area of the county is unincorporated, it’s the county’s responsibility to provide services there. It also receives taxes from landowners on properties within its jurisdiction. During the annexation process, the county and city have to agree on how both parties will split the tax revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The county is going to be losing [its] portion of the property tax,” she said. “So, there is an impact.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last July, Solano County officials \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/SolanoCountyReport.pdf\">released a damning report\u003c/a> on California Forever’s proposed new town and predicted it would cost the county more than it would bring in revenue. Emlen said the county has not established a position on the potential annexations because he and other staff have not seen a specific proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Burling said it will likely take years to get answers to the many questions surrounding annexation and California Forever’s project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Something of the magnitude of California Forever is not going to happen in the blink of an eye,” he said. “I would suspect that you’re going to have an army of lawyers from both sides negotiating this stuff for quite a bit of time. It’s not going to happen overnight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "California's Mental Health Workforce Hindered by Training and Costs",
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"headTitle": "California’s Mental Health Workforce Hindered by Training and Costs | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In her home in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Eboni Moen, 42, struggled to find help. Some days she would rock back and forth in her shower, crying uncontrollably and thinking back to her son’s murder. She needed a therapist, she said, someone who could help her process what happened and find appropriate medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in rural Amador County, where she lives, mental health providers are few and far between, and it took Moen about two and a half years to find help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was actually turned away,” she said. “I was told that my mental health problem wasn’t severe enough. I had to get to a point to where suicide was a thought for them to help me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All across the state, but especially in rural areas like Amador County, finding a therapist is challenging. California has a “major, ongoing” shortage of mental health providers, and it’s “especially dire” in rural areas, according to a 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://www.workforce.buildingcalhhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Behavioral-Health-Workforce-Full-Report_508.pdf\">survey\u003c/a> commissioned by the state. Nearly one-third of California’s residents were living in an area with an insufficient ratio of providers to patients, the report found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, state leaders began pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into increasing the pipeline for therapists, but many students say the educational requirements are still too onerous or costly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the problem is that it takes a long time to become a therapist. Every licensed therapist needs at least a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Psychiatrists have a medical degree, and psychologists often have a doctorate. For the master’s degree route, which is \u003ca href=\"https://hcai.ca.gov/document/agenda-item-9-the-state-of-the-behavioral-health-workforce-in-california/\">most common\u003c/a>, students can take a variety of different paths, including programs in social work, marriage and family therapy, clinical counseling or school counseling. Most master’s programs take about two years and some cost over $60,000. Often, students have to work hundreds of hours in an unpaid internship in order to graduate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, after graduating with a master’s degree in social work or marriage and family therapy, they have to spend at least 3,000 hours under supervision before they can bill most insurance companies for their services. Some graduates take up to six years to meet their required hours before they can make a regular salary as a therapist.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The long road to becoming a therapist\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 21, 2011, Moen asked a neighbor to babysit her 2-year-old son while she went to work at a local U-Haul store in Cleveland, where she was living at the time. The babysitter attacked the boy, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2012/02/lakewood_baby_sitter_pleads_gu.html\">strangling him\u003c/a>. Moen said she found her son’s body when she came home from work that evening. She said the babysitter was asleep on the couch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a long time that image was burned into my brain,” she said. “That whole situation is what started my mental health problems: My anxiety, my constant thought of death, and PTSD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She moved to the Bay Area, where she became homeless. But in 2017, a friend helped her build a new life in Amador County, where the cost of living is much lower. She found a job at a casino and began reflecting on her own mental health, ultimately deciding that she wanted to become a therapist to help others like her.[aside postID=\"mindshift_65465,news_12038376,news_12033412\" label=\"Related Stories\"] \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She started college in 2021 but it’s unlikely she’ll reach her goal before 2030. With the help of a private scholarship, she started taking online courses at a community college in Orange County but had to stop after being diagnosed with cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She re-enrolled in 2024 and is now taking a full course load while simultaneously homeschooling her daughter. Through the scholarship, she also found a paid internship at a local organization, the Sierra Wind Wellness and Recovery Center, which offers mental health services. She said she’s maxed out her federal and state financial aid, receiving just under $20,000 this academic year, though she said that’s still not enough to cover the cost of housing, food and transportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The money is not the most important part to me,” Moen said. “I’m doing it because I want to be able to add to this lacking workforce. I know that we don’t have enough so I will be one extra person to help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039716\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039716\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman wearing a white shirt and black and white skirt rests her arms on a rock outside.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eboni Moen in the outdoor meditation garden of Sierra Wind Wellness and Recovery Center in Jackson on April 11, 2025. Moen is interning at the center while she prepares to become a therapist. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves/ CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If all goes according to plan, she’s set to graduate with an associate degree in social and human services in January, at which point she hopes to transfer to either Cal State Chico or Humboldt and pursue a bachelor’s degree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, to become a licensed therapist, she’ll need at least a master’s degree. Along with two additional years of school — and more if the student is part-time — the master’s degree programs in social work require at least 900 hours in an internship, which is typically unpaid. Master’s programs for marriage and family therapists require 225 internship hours. While social workers and marriage and family therapists can offer similar mental health services, social workers have a broader training and more potential career paths, said Kimberly Warmsley, the former executive director of California’s association of social workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many master’s students, meeting the internship requirement often means quitting a part-time job. While pursuing a master’s in social work at California Baptist University, Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/corey-jackson-165443\">Corey Jackson\u003c/a>, a Moreno Valley Democrat, continued to serve as the CEO of a nonprofit organization, but he left that position in order to take an unpaid internship that would meet his graduation requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview with CalMatters, he said he still has “a little over $40,000” in student debt for that program, plus another $40,000 because he pursued a doctorate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are interns employees?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the Legislature, Jackson helps oversee the state’s licensing board for mental health providers, and he is pushing for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab427\">a law\u003c/a> that would make it easier for some out-of-state therapists to get licensed in California. But the workforce shortage requires major investments and has no easy solution, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It reminds me of the housing crisis, the homelessness crisis. We have dug such a big hole, especially with so many retirements and people who have left the field.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039717\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man wearing glasses and a dark suit looks up.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Corey Jackson looks into the crowd during a heated Q&A at the “State of Black California” event at the California Museum in Sacramento on Sept. 14, 2024. \u003ccite>(Jungho Kim / CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A group of social work students across the country is advocating for more graduate students to be compensated during their required internship hours, and the movement, called “Payment for Placements,” has chapters at seven California universities, including San Diego State, UCLA and UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While social work master’s students are required to work at least 900 internship hours, San Diego State’s program asks its students to work 1,050 hours. For Jacqueline Guan, a student in the program, these required internships “should be compensated labor.” Like Jackson, she said she quit a full-time job in order to take on an unpaid internship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Organizations and government agencies that offer unpaid internships take on additional liability by hiring graduate student interns and the students get a “unique training opportunity,” said Amanda Lee, the director of field education at San Diego State’s School of Social Work. While these employers aren’t required to pay interns, she said “quite a few students” receive some money, either through their employer or through a fellowship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Jackson said he “absolutely” supports paying more social work students for their internships but hasn’t pushed for it in the Legislature. “It’s hard to advocate for additional funds for just about anything right now,” he said, referring to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/01/gavin-newsom-2025-california-budget/\">the state’s fiscal uncertainties.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, he said he’s interested in expanding loan forgiveness and limited forms of tuition assistance, as well as finding ways to improve social work licensing exams, which have \u003ca href=\"https://www.aswb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-ASWB-Exam-Pass-Rate-Analysis.pdf\">disproportionate pass rates\u003c/a> for certain groups of students: those who identify as Black, Hispanic or Native American score lower than their peers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The ‘toughest’ clients with the fewest mental health workers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2022, San Diego County found that it \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Executive-Summary-San-Diego-Behavioral-Health-Workforce-Report-August-2022-1.pdf\">needed roughly 8,100 more mental health providers \u003c/a>to meet the region’s demand — but that 7,800 were likely to leave the profession in the following five years, either because of retirement, burnout, or other reasons, such as a career change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All across the state, mental health providers are nearing retirement, according to the 2022 state survey, which found that roughly 40% of psychologists and certain kinds of therapists were over 50 years old. Demand for mental health services is going up too, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2022/09/california-shortage-mental-health-workers/\">especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new initiative, pumping $4.4 billion into youth behavioral health, including $700 million to train the next generation of providers, said Andrew DiLuccia, a public information officer with the state’s department of health care access. He said the money has mostly been spent and has created thousands of new scholarships, grants and training programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More therapists may soon join the workforce. A 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bbs_2025_sunset_report.pdf#page=50\">state report\u003c/a> found that the number of licensed social workers, marriage and family therapists, clinical counselors and school counselors has increased by about 3% over the last five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those new therapists may not work in the areas with the highest need. In Solano County, where the Bay Area’s suburban sprawl mixes with rural farming towns, recruitment is a persistent challenge, said Jennifer Mullane, director of the county’s behavioral health department. Private hospitals, such as Kaiser, pay better, she said, while many other therapists want to do telehealth or private practice. “We have to compete with all of the Bay Area counties for the same workforce and you can guess how we fare,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Solano County behavioral health system served more than 5,300 patients last year, said Mullane, including some of “the toughest clients” — those with mild to severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or substance use disorders. And yet, she added, “We have the smallest workforce pool to draw from.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her department is supposed to have just under 290 positions but she said that about 20% are currently vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vacancies also persist in Amador County, where Moen lives and which is \u003ca href=\"https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area/hpsa-find\">designated\u003c/a> by the federal government as an area with a shortage of mental health providers. Roughly half of California’s counties meet that designation, which reflects the ratio of providers to the number of residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like it here because it’s beautiful,” said Moen, who lives just below the snow line of the mountains. “There’s just not enough resources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she was recently inducted into an honor society at her community college, and it’s made her more aware of her own potential, including ways to advance policy that might improve her county’s provider shortage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would like there to be a lot more trained providers,” Moen said. “And I would like there to be more affordable, attainable ways to get to these providers.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In her home in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Eboni Moen, 42, struggled to find help. Some days she would rock back and forth in her shower, crying uncontrollably and thinking back to her son’s murder. She needed a therapist, she said, someone who could help her process what happened and find appropriate medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in rural Amador County, where she lives, mental health providers are few and far between, and it took Moen about two and a half years to find help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was actually turned away,” she said. “I was told that my mental health problem wasn’t severe enough. I had to get to a point to where suicide was a thought for them to help me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All across the state, but especially in rural areas like Amador County, finding a therapist is challenging. California has a “major, ongoing” shortage of mental health providers, and it’s “especially dire” in rural areas, according to a 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://www.workforce.buildingcalhhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Behavioral-Health-Workforce-Full-Report_508.pdf\">survey\u003c/a> commissioned by the state. Nearly one-third of California’s residents were living in an area with an insufficient ratio of providers to patients, the report found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, state leaders began pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into increasing the pipeline for therapists, but many students say the educational requirements are still too onerous or costly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the problem is that it takes a long time to become a therapist. Every licensed therapist needs at least a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Psychiatrists have a medical degree, and psychologists often have a doctorate. For the master’s degree route, which is \u003ca href=\"https://hcai.ca.gov/document/agenda-item-9-the-state-of-the-behavioral-health-workforce-in-california/\">most common\u003c/a>, students can take a variety of different paths, including programs in social work, marriage and family therapy, clinical counseling or school counseling. Most master’s programs take about two years and some cost over $60,000. Often, students have to work hundreds of hours in an unpaid internship in order to graduate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, after graduating with a master’s degree in social work or marriage and family therapy, they have to spend at least 3,000 hours under supervision before they can bill most insurance companies for their services. Some graduates take up to six years to meet their required hours before they can make a regular salary as a therapist.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The long road to becoming a therapist\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 21, 2011, Moen asked a neighbor to babysit her 2-year-old son while she went to work at a local U-Haul store in Cleveland, where she was living at the time. The babysitter attacked the boy, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2012/02/lakewood_baby_sitter_pleads_gu.html\">strangling him\u003c/a>. Moen said she found her son’s body when she came home from work that evening. She said the babysitter was asleep on the couch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a long time that image was burned into my brain,” she said. “That whole situation is what started my mental health problems: My anxiety, my constant thought of death, and PTSD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She moved to the Bay Area, where she became homeless. But in 2017, a friend helped her build a new life in Amador County, where the cost of living is much lower. She found a job at a casino and began reflecting on her own mental health, ultimately deciding that she wanted to become a therapist to help others like her.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She started college in 2021 but it’s unlikely she’ll reach her goal before 2030. With the help of a private scholarship, she started taking online courses at a community college in Orange County but had to stop after being diagnosed with cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She re-enrolled in 2024 and is now taking a full course load while simultaneously homeschooling her daughter. Through the scholarship, she also found a paid internship at a local organization, the Sierra Wind Wellness and Recovery Center, which offers mental health services. She said she’s maxed out her federal and state financial aid, receiving just under $20,000 this academic year, though she said that’s still not enough to cover the cost of housing, food and transportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The money is not the most important part to me,” Moen said. “I’m doing it because I want to be able to add to this lacking workforce. I know that we don’t have enough so I will be one extra person to help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039716\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039716\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman wearing a white shirt and black and white skirt rests her arms on a rock outside.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/041125_Therapy-Training_FG_CM_11-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eboni Moen in the outdoor meditation garden of Sierra Wind Wellness and Recovery Center in Jackson on April 11, 2025. Moen is interning at the center while she prepares to become a therapist. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves/ CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If all goes according to plan, she’s set to graduate with an associate degree in social and human services in January, at which point she hopes to transfer to either Cal State Chico or Humboldt and pursue a bachelor’s degree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, to become a licensed therapist, she’ll need at least a master’s degree. Along with two additional years of school — and more if the student is part-time — the master’s degree programs in social work require at least 900 hours in an internship, which is typically unpaid. Master’s programs for marriage and family therapists require 225 internship hours. While social workers and marriage and family therapists can offer similar mental health services, social workers have a broader training and more potential career paths, said Kimberly Warmsley, the former executive director of California’s association of social workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many master’s students, meeting the internship requirement often means quitting a part-time job. While pursuing a master’s in social work at California Baptist University, Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/corey-jackson-165443\">Corey Jackson\u003c/a>, a Moreno Valley Democrat, continued to serve as the CEO of a nonprofit organization, but he left that position in order to take an unpaid internship that would meet his graduation requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview with CalMatters, he said he still has “a little over $40,000” in student debt for that program, plus another $40,000 because he pursued a doctorate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are interns employees?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the Legislature, Jackson helps oversee the state’s licensing board for mental health providers, and he is pushing for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab427\">a law\u003c/a> that would make it easier for some out-of-state therapists to get licensed in California. But the workforce shortage requires major investments and has no easy solution, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It reminds me of the housing crisis, the homelessness crisis. We have dug such a big hole, especially with so many retirements and people who have left the field.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039717\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man wearing glasses and a dark suit looks up.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/091424_State-of-Black-CA_JK_CM_38-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Corey Jackson looks into the crowd during a heated Q&A at the “State of Black California” event at the California Museum in Sacramento on Sept. 14, 2024. \u003ccite>(Jungho Kim / CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A group of social work students across the country is advocating for more graduate students to be compensated during their required internship hours, and the movement, called “Payment for Placements,” has chapters at seven California universities, including San Diego State, UCLA and UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While social work master’s students are required to work at least 900 internship hours, San Diego State’s program asks its students to work 1,050 hours. For Jacqueline Guan, a student in the program, these required internships “should be compensated labor.” Like Jackson, she said she quit a full-time job in order to take on an unpaid internship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Organizations and government agencies that offer unpaid internships take on additional liability by hiring graduate student interns and the students get a “unique training opportunity,” said Amanda Lee, the director of field education at San Diego State’s School of Social Work. While these employers aren’t required to pay interns, she said “quite a few students” receive some money, either through their employer or through a fellowship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Jackson said he “absolutely” supports paying more social work students for their internships but hasn’t pushed for it in the Legislature. “It’s hard to advocate for additional funds for just about anything right now,” he said, referring to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/01/gavin-newsom-2025-california-budget/\">the state’s fiscal uncertainties.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, he said he’s interested in expanding loan forgiveness and limited forms of tuition assistance, as well as finding ways to improve social work licensing exams, which have \u003ca href=\"https://www.aswb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-ASWB-Exam-Pass-Rate-Analysis.pdf\">disproportionate pass rates\u003c/a> for certain groups of students: those who identify as Black, Hispanic or Native American score lower than their peers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The ‘toughest’ clients with the fewest mental health workers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2022, San Diego County found that it \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Executive-Summary-San-Diego-Behavioral-Health-Workforce-Report-August-2022-1.pdf\">needed roughly 8,100 more mental health providers \u003c/a>to meet the region’s demand — but that 7,800 were likely to leave the profession in the following five years, either because of retirement, burnout, or other reasons, such as a career change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All across the state, mental health providers are nearing retirement, according to the 2022 state survey, which found that roughly 40% of psychologists and certain kinds of therapists were over 50 years old. Demand for mental health services is going up too, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2022/09/california-shortage-mental-health-workers/\">especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new initiative, pumping $4.4 billion into youth behavioral health, including $700 million to train the next generation of providers, said Andrew DiLuccia, a public information officer with the state’s department of health care access. He said the money has mostly been spent and has created thousands of new scholarships, grants and training programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More therapists may soon join the workforce. A 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bbs_2025_sunset_report.pdf#page=50\">state report\u003c/a> found that the number of licensed social workers, marriage and family therapists, clinical counselors and school counselors has increased by about 3% over the last five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those new therapists may not work in the areas with the highest need. In Solano County, where the Bay Area’s suburban sprawl mixes with rural farming towns, recruitment is a persistent challenge, said Jennifer Mullane, director of the county’s behavioral health department. Private hospitals, such as Kaiser, pay better, she said, while many other therapists want to do telehealth or private practice. “We have to compete with all of the Bay Area counties for the same workforce and you can guess how we fare,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Solano County behavioral health system served more than 5,300 patients last year, said Mullane, including some of “the toughest clients” — those with mild to severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or substance use disorders. And yet, she added, “We have the smallest workforce pool to draw from.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her department is supposed to have just under 290 positions but she said that about 20% are currently vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vacancies also persist in Amador County, where Moen lives and which is \u003ca href=\"https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area/hpsa-find\">designated\u003c/a> by the federal government as an area with a shortage of mental health providers. Roughly half of California’s counties meet that designation, which reflects the ratio of providers to the number of residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like it here because it’s beautiful,” said Moen, who lives just below the snow line of the mountains. “There’s just not enough resources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she was recently inducted into an honor society at her community college, and it’s made her more aware of her own potential, including ways to advance policy that might improve her county’s provider shortage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would like there to be a lot more trained providers,” Moen said. “And I would like there to be more affordable, attainable ways to get to these providers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-forevers-shipbuilding-plans-need-more-details-solano-county-officials-say",
"title": "California Forever’s Shipbuilding Plans Need More Details, Solano County Officials Say",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-forever\">California Forever\u003c/a>, which is still working on its plan to build a city in southeast Solano County, has expressed interest in building ships, too. Solano County officials say they want to see a concrete plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the Solano County Board of Supervisors invited the company to present a proposal for constructing and operating a shipbuilding facility, so county staff could understand how it might affect the county’s plans for future development and impacts to surrounding cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The county hasn’t seen anything,” Supervisor Wanda Williams said. “It’s time to sit down and have conversations with the county and work with staff so we can see what is this proposal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The meeting comes a week after Fairfield, Suisun City and Rio Vista passed resolutions supporting shipbuilding in the county. The latter two cities also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035971/california-forever-2-solano-cities-team-up-annexation-talks-move-forward\">agreed to work together\u003c/a> as both explore annexing a portion of California Forever’s more than 60,000 acres of land. The billionaire-backed company is one of the largest landowners in the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late March, the company \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/california-forevers-statement-on-bringing-shipbuilding-back-to-solano-county/\">announced interest\u003c/a> in establishing a shipbuilding facility in Collinsville, a small town located in an unincorporated area across the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from Pittsburg, a city with its \u003ca href=\"https://pittsburgmuseum.org/history/f/historical-timline\">own history of industrial shipbuilding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11976086\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2520px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11976086\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration of a downtown center with people sitting and walking around with various buildings, a food truck and structures on display.\" width=\"2520\" height=\"1418\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG.jpg 2520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2520px) 100vw, 2520px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rendering of the downtown center in the new city California Forever is proposing to build in Solano County. \u003ccite>(Courtesy California Forever)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California Forever made \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/business/california-solano-county-city.html\">national headlines in 2023\u003c/a> after it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968825/can-silicon-valley-investors-win-over-solano-county\">announced its plans\u003c/a> to build a walkable city, roughly the size of Oakland, on 17,500 acres of land in the Montezuma Hills. Along with the new city, company executives promised to bring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11986569/california-forever-says-12-start-ups-will-open-workplaces-in-its-new-city\">good-paying jobs\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/your-life-here/\">new homes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solano residents had prepared to vote on the plan in November, but the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996747/california-forever-pulls-bid-to-build-new-city-from-this-years-ballot\">pulled its initiative from the ballot\u003c/a> and promised to bring it back to voters next year after completing an environmental impact report and development agreement reviewed by the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to county officials, the company has not submitted any new documents on its plan yet, but has expressed interest in ship manufacturing in light of federal and state actions supporting reviving the maritime industry.[aside postID=news_12035971 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-96-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']Late last year, lawmakers, including Rep. John Garamendi, introduced the \u003ca href=\"https://garamendi.house.gov/media/press-releases/garamendi-kelly-senators-young-and-kelly-introduce-ships-america-act\">SHIPS for America Act\u003c/a>, which would provide tax credits, financial incentives and revolving funds to boost domestic shipbuilding and repair. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/restoring-americas-maritime-dominance/\">executive order\u003c/a> directing the leaders of several federal departments to invest in and expand the maritime industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Solano Shipyard is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore America’s maritime leadership, revitalize our county’s shipbuilding heritage, and bring tens of thousands of good jobs to the area,” a California Forever spokesperson said in a statement to KQED. “We look forward to working with Solano County and all other stakeholders to seize this moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, Assemblymember Lori Wilson announced the creation of a working group focused on expanding the shipbuilding industry in Solano County. It includes a number of local mayors, council members, supervisors and California Forever CEO Jan Sramek.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Proponents of the effort pointed to the county’s history in shipbuilding at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. It was the \u003ca href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/75002103_text\">first naval base\u003c/a> established on the Pacific Ocean in 1854, but was \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/organization-and-administration/historic-bases/mare-island.html\">decommissioned in 1996\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dwight Calloway, a former worker at the Naval Shipyard and member of Wilson’s working group, said he would support a proposal to bring shipbuilding back to Solano County so the United States is less dependent on other countries for trade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031922\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maps show California Forever’s potential location at the California Forever office in Rio Vista on May 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“As we sit around discussing what we need to do, but not doing anything — we have to do something,” he said. “Regardless of how we feel about it, we’re behind, but we’re Americans. We can do whatever it is that we need to do because that’s how we’re built.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County Administrator Bill Emlen told KQED more than 1,200 acres in Collinsville could be used for maritime industrial operations, according to the county’s current General Plan. The land is currently zoned for agricultural use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If California Forever submitted a plan to build a shipbuilding facility within those 1,200 acres, it wouldn’t need voter approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Board Chair Mitch Mashburn said he supported the idea of “some type of shipbuilding industry or manufacturing” but that the county — not individual cities — would be responsible for reviewing any project put forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to make sure we separate excitement from the process,” he said. “That land sits squarely within the county’s jurisdiction and responsibility. … It is within our regulatory purview within the county, not within any of the cities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mashburn also noted that this type of project would be expensive and the county would likely need to invest millions of dollars to update its infrastructure and conduct environmental impact studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of talk for this, but there’s not a lot of walk,” he said. “Until we see some monies that come out of the federal government and some supporting legislation that has the funding behind it, this is all a wonderful idea.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The billionaire-backed company has said it wants to work with the county and nearby cities to use some of their land to build commercial and naval ships.",
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"title": "California Forever’s Shipbuilding Plans Need More Details, Solano County Officials Say | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-forever\">California Forever\u003c/a>, which is still working on its plan to build a city in southeast Solano County, has expressed interest in building ships, too. Solano County officials say they want to see a concrete plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the Solano County Board of Supervisors invited the company to present a proposal for constructing and operating a shipbuilding facility, so county staff could understand how it might affect the county’s plans for future development and impacts to surrounding cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The county hasn’t seen anything,” Supervisor Wanda Williams said. “It’s time to sit down and have conversations with the county and work with staff so we can see what is this proposal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The meeting comes a week after Fairfield, Suisun City and Rio Vista passed resolutions supporting shipbuilding in the county. The latter two cities also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035971/california-forever-2-solano-cities-team-up-annexation-talks-move-forward\">agreed to work together\u003c/a> as both explore annexing a portion of California Forever’s more than 60,000 acres of land. The billionaire-backed company is one of the largest landowners in the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late March, the company \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/california-forevers-statement-on-bringing-shipbuilding-back-to-solano-county/\">announced interest\u003c/a> in establishing a shipbuilding facility in Collinsville, a small town located in an unincorporated area across the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from Pittsburg, a city with its \u003ca href=\"https://pittsburgmuseum.org/history/f/historical-timline\">own history of industrial shipbuilding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11976086\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2520px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11976086\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration of a downtown center with people sitting and walking around with various buildings, a food truck and structures on display.\" width=\"2520\" height=\"1418\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG.jpg 2520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/03_Downtown-plaza-with-transit_IMAGE-CREDIT_Designed-by-SITELAB-urban-studio_CMG-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2520px) 100vw, 2520px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rendering of the downtown center in the new city California Forever is proposing to build in Solano County. \u003ccite>(Courtesy California Forever)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California Forever made \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/business/california-solano-county-city.html\">national headlines in 2023\u003c/a> after it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968825/can-silicon-valley-investors-win-over-solano-county\">announced its plans\u003c/a> to build a walkable city, roughly the size of Oakland, on 17,500 acres of land in the Montezuma Hills. Along with the new city, company executives promised to bring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11986569/california-forever-says-12-start-ups-will-open-workplaces-in-its-new-city\">good-paying jobs\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/your-life-here/\">new homes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solano residents had prepared to vote on the plan in November, but the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996747/california-forever-pulls-bid-to-build-new-city-from-this-years-ballot\">pulled its initiative from the ballot\u003c/a> and promised to bring it back to voters next year after completing an environmental impact report and development agreement reviewed by the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to county officials, the company has not submitted any new documents on its plan yet, but has expressed interest in ship manufacturing in light of federal and state actions supporting reviving the maritime industry.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Late last year, lawmakers, including Rep. John Garamendi, introduced the \u003ca href=\"https://garamendi.house.gov/media/press-releases/garamendi-kelly-senators-young-and-kelly-introduce-ships-america-act\">SHIPS for America Act\u003c/a>, which would provide tax credits, financial incentives and revolving funds to boost domestic shipbuilding and repair. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/restoring-americas-maritime-dominance/\">executive order\u003c/a> directing the leaders of several federal departments to invest in and expand the maritime industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Solano Shipyard is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore America’s maritime leadership, revitalize our county’s shipbuilding heritage, and bring tens of thousands of good jobs to the area,” a California Forever spokesperson said in a statement to KQED. “We look forward to working with Solano County and all other stakeholders to seize this moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, Assemblymember Lori Wilson announced the creation of a working group focused on expanding the shipbuilding industry in Solano County. It includes a number of local mayors, council members, supervisors and California Forever CEO Jan Sramek.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Proponents of the effort pointed to the county’s history in shipbuilding at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. It was the \u003ca href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/75002103_text\">first naval base\u003c/a> established on the Pacific Ocean in 1854, but was \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/organization-and-administration/historic-bases/mare-island.html\">decommissioned in 1996\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dwight Calloway, a former worker at the Naval Shipyard and member of Wilson’s working group, said he would support a proposal to bring shipbuilding back to Solano County so the United States is less dependent on other countries for trade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031922\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maps show California Forever’s potential location at the California Forever office in Rio Vista on May 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“As we sit around discussing what we need to do, but not doing anything — we have to do something,” he said. “Regardless of how we feel about it, we’re behind, but we’re Americans. We can do whatever it is that we need to do because that’s how we’re built.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County Administrator Bill Emlen told KQED more than 1,200 acres in Collinsville could be used for maritime industrial operations, according to the county’s current General Plan. The land is currently zoned for agricultural use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If California Forever submitted a plan to build a shipbuilding facility within those 1,200 acres, it wouldn’t need voter approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Board Chair Mitch Mashburn said he supported the idea of “some type of shipbuilding industry or manufacturing” but that the county — not individual cities — would be responsible for reviewing any project put forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to make sure we separate excitement from the process,” he said. “That land sits squarely within the county’s jurisdiction and responsibility. … It is within our regulatory purview within the county, not within any of the cities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mashburn also noted that this type of project would be expensive and the county would likely need to invest millions of dollars to update its infrastructure and conduct environmental impact studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of talk for this, but there’s not a lot of walk,” he said. “Until we see some monies that come out of the federal government and some supporting legislation that has the funding behind it, this is all a wonderful idea.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-forever-2-solano-cities-team-up-annexation-talks-move-forward",
"title": "California Forever: 2 Solano Cities Team Up as Annexation Talks Move Forward",
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"headTitle": "California Forever: 2 Solano Cities Team Up as Annexation Talks Move Forward | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>For at least the past few months, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031818/another-solano-county-city-wants-annex-some-california-forevers-land\">two of the smallest\u003c/a> Solano County cities have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029950/rio-vista-explores-annexing-some-california-forevers-land\">eyeing land\u003c/a> owned by California Forever and exploring whether to annex some of it. Now, they want to team up and negotiate together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the city councils of Rio Vista and Suisun City each approved an agreement to work together as both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029950/rio-vista-explores-annexing-some-california-forevers-land\">continue t\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031818/another-solano-county-city-wants-annex-some-california-forevers-land\">o explore\u003c/a> expanding their respective boundaries and controlling land owned by the company that’s behind a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011148/sold-out-california-forevers-uphill-battle-to-build-a-walkable-city\">controversial plan\u003c/a> to build a city from scratch on pastureland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am looking forward to working with the city of Rio Vista to ensure we can collaborate thoughtfully on exploring annexation efforts that best support both of our communities,” Suisun City Mayor Alma Hernandez said in an email to KQED. “Collaboration will be key, and I’m optimistic about what we can achieve together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://riovista-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=2366&meta_id=59904\">Memorandum of Understanding\u003c/a> between Suisun City and Rio Vista vows to protect Travis Air Force Base, ensure sustainability of each city’s economy and water supply, mitigate impacts on traffic and education and address infrastructure needs as each city negotiates how much and where it will annex land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Suisun City and Rio Vista have made clear that regional benefit is central to their participation,” Michael Fortney, California Forever’s director of partnerships, said during Suisun City’s council meeting. “We’re grateful to be part of this conversation, and we remain committed to open, honest and respectful engagement every step of the way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036285\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036285\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, speaks during a town hall meeting in Rio Vista on Dec. 5, 2023, for the proposed California city backed by Silicon Valley investors on farmland in eastern Solano County. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Suisun City’s council also voted to begin drafting a series of agreements that would formalize a working relationship between it and California Forever. The agreement would require the company to cover costs to explore annexation, so the city doesn’t have to dip into its general fund. City staff said those draft agreements could be presented to the council as early as May 20.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But during the meeting, many residents, some of whom live outside of Suisun City, raised questions about how annexation of the land, technically owned by California Forever subsidiary Flannery Associates, could impact wildlife and traffic and might circumvent county voters’ ability to decide on the project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972769/not-just-a-crazy-idea-california-forever-releases-ballot-details-for-new-bay-area-city\">ballot measure\u003c/a> for California Forever’s proposed walkable city, which promised to bring thousands of new jobs and homes to the county, was set to go before Solano voters in November.[aside postID=news_12029950 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-52-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']But a few months before the election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991234/california-forever-releases-water-plan-but-there-are-still-some-questions\">as calls for\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996536/farmers-are-divided-over-california-forevers-plan-in-solano-county\">more detailed\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991788/solano-county-supervisors-want-to-know-more-about-california-forever-before-its-on-the-ballot\">information \u003c/a>about the plan grew, the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996747/california-forever-pulls-bid-to-build-new-city-from-this-years-ballot\">pulled its initiative\u003c/a> and vowed to return in 2026 with another measure that would include an environmental impact report and development agreement, which the county would review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Suisun is proposing to help push the project forward by going around the people’s vote and incorporate the Flannery land into the Suisun City,” said Don Lipary, who owns county land near Suisun City and California Forever’s properties. “The majority of people are not on board with this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some, who spoke out against the company’s proposal, urged the council to stop annexation discussions for fear that the process could happen too quickly and without public input.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no discussion, there’s no public input, there’s no transparency,” said Jim DeKloe, a professor at Solano College and resident of Cordelia. “This is when you decide whether or not you’re going to partner with the least respected entity in Solano County.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flannery Associates owns \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/02/california-forever-promises/#:~:text=The%20group%20has%20formed%20a,about%20the%20size%20of%20Vacaville).\">more than 60,000 acres\u003c/a> and is currently one of the largest private landowners in Solano. Rio Vista and Suisun City — \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/riovistacitycalifornia,suisuncitycitycalifornia,US/PST045224\">both under 7 square miles in size\u003c/a> — sit closest to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials in both cities have discussed the idea of expanding their respective boundaries since the beginning of this year, and while they share some reasons for expanding, they differ in motivations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036287\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036287\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Downtown Rio Vista on May 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For years, Suisun City has faced a structural deficit, and according to City Manager Bret Prebula, it had to use \u003ca href=\"https://city-suisun-city-ca-budget-book.cleargov.com/17152/introduction/transmittal-letter\">40% of its reserves\u003c/a> last year to avoid cuts to essential services. But if it expanded and broadened its tax base, Prebula said the city might have a more secure financial future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Expanding allows us to see if we can create an economy of scale, where we can provide the level of service for the entire community,” he said. “We believe this is the best opportunity to help our residents in Suisun City.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suisun City Councilmember Princess Washington was less sure. She cast the sole dissenting vote at Tuesday’s meeting and said she was elected “to represent the people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I represent — or I hear — people who don’t [want the project], and it would not be fair if I didn’t voice that,” she said. “My concern is that we’re putting all of our eggs in one basket.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rio Vista also wants to broaden its tax base, but it doesn’t face the existential financial crisis its neighboring city does.[aside postID=news_12031818 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240502-CaliforniaForever-43-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']In March, members of \u003ca href=\"https://riovista-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=2363&meta_id=59354\">Rio Vista’s city council\u003c/a> said they were motivated to look into annexation after Suisun City \u003ca href=\"https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/b98f7eea-cb47-42be-a06b-f85281aa6d5a?start=9514\">expressed interest in January\u003c/a>. Council members said they wanted to protect the feel of their “quaint river town” in the face of California Forever’s bold proposal. Company executives have said the proposed city could eventually support some \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/the-bold-city-project-of-the-tech-elite/\">400,000 residents at full build-out,\u003c/a> making it roughly the size of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, both cities sent \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3208151/GB_-_Letter_for_Annexation_2025.pdf\">letters\u003c/a> to the surrounding 24 landowners, including Flannery Associates, to gauge interest in which might be interested in discussing annexation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two property owners have so far said they are definitely not interested. But California Forever, along with Mount Calvary Church and Hatch Investments, responded in early April to say they are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark Hatch, Hatch Investments’ general partner, told KQED that much of the company’s land, which includes nearly 3,000 acres of pastureland, is not very productive as farmland but could be a good spot for new housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no flood issue, there’s no fire issue, there’s no earthquakes, and it’s relatively flat and smooth,” he said. “It’d be nice if some more housing gets built because people want to raise their kids in Solano County, and [there are] not that many houses. It’d be nice to have a new city there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amit Pal, another Suisun council member, said that while there were still many questions left unanswered, exploring annexation is just the beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think once we look at all the facts, we can make the decisions,” he said. “I don’t have the information to do that, and that’s why I wanted to do the exploration — to find out the facts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ-ZKtuSHdeWqxooQwfEcr-oiOpdpJcf2RLZInU7aqjjQlRQ/viewform?embedded=true\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The talks include a memorandum of understanding with Rio Vista and Suisun City. The latter city also directed staff to draft a reimbursement agreement that requires California Forever to finance its research into annexation.",
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"title": "California Forever: 2 Solano Cities Team Up as Annexation Talks Move Forward | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For at least the past few months, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031818/another-solano-county-city-wants-annex-some-california-forevers-land\">two of the smallest\u003c/a> Solano County cities have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029950/rio-vista-explores-annexing-some-california-forevers-land\">eyeing land\u003c/a> owned by California Forever and exploring whether to annex some of it. Now, they want to team up and negotiate together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the city councils of Rio Vista and Suisun City each approved an agreement to work together as both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029950/rio-vista-explores-annexing-some-california-forevers-land\">continue t\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031818/another-solano-county-city-wants-annex-some-california-forevers-land\">o explore\u003c/a> expanding their respective boundaries and controlling land owned by the company that’s behind a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011148/sold-out-california-forevers-uphill-battle-to-build-a-walkable-city\">controversial plan\u003c/a> to build a city from scratch on pastureland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am looking forward to working with the city of Rio Vista to ensure we can collaborate thoughtfully on exploring annexation efforts that best support both of our communities,” Suisun City Mayor Alma Hernandez said in an email to KQED. “Collaboration will be key, and I’m optimistic about what we can achieve together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://riovista-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=2366&meta_id=59904\">Memorandum of Understanding\u003c/a> between Suisun City and Rio Vista vows to protect Travis Air Force Base, ensure sustainability of each city’s economy and water supply, mitigate impacts on traffic and education and address infrastructure needs as each city negotiates how much and where it will annex land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Suisun City and Rio Vista have made clear that regional benefit is central to their participation,” Michael Fortney, California Forever’s director of partnerships, said during Suisun City’s council meeting. “We’re grateful to be part of this conversation, and we remain committed to open, honest and respectful engagement every step of the way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036285\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036285\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/231205-SolanoCountyFarmers-39-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, speaks during a town hall meeting in Rio Vista on Dec. 5, 2023, for the proposed California city backed by Silicon Valley investors on farmland in eastern Solano County. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Suisun City’s council also voted to begin drafting a series of agreements that would formalize a working relationship between it and California Forever. The agreement would require the company to cover costs to explore annexation, so the city doesn’t have to dip into its general fund. City staff said those draft agreements could be presented to the council as early as May 20.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But during the meeting, many residents, some of whom live outside of Suisun City, raised questions about how annexation of the land, technically owned by California Forever subsidiary Flannery Associates, could impact wildlife and traffic and might circumvent county voters’ ability to decide on the project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972769/not-just-a-crazy-idea-california-forever-releases-ballot-details-for-new-bay-area-city\">ballot measure\u003c/a> for California Forever’s proposed walkable city, which promised to bring thousands of new jobs and homes to the county, was set to go before Solano voters in November.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But a few months before the election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991234/california-forever-releases-water-plan-but-there-are-still-some-questions\">as calls for\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996536/farmers-are-divided-over-california-forevers-plan-in-solano-county\">more detailed\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991788/solano-county-supervisors-want-to-know-more-about-california-forever-before-its-on-the-ballot\">information \u003c/a>about the plan grew, the company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996747/california-forever-pulls-bid-to-build-new-city-from-this-years-ballot\">pulled its initiative\u003c/a> and vowed to return in 2026 with another measure that would include an environmental impact report and development agreement, which the county would review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Suisun is proposing to help push the project forward by going around the people’s vote and incorporate the Flannery land into the Suisun City,” said Don Lipary, who owns county land near Suisun City and California Forever’s properties. “The majority of people are not on board with this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some, who spoke out against the company’s proposal, urged the council to stop annexation discussions for fear that the process could happen too quickly and without public input.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no discussion, there’s no public input, there’s no transparency,” said Jim DeKloe, a professor at Solano College and resident of Cordelia. “This is when you decide whether or not you’re going to partner with the least respected entity in Solano County.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flannery Associates owns \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/02/california-forever-promises/#:~:text=The%20group%20has%20formed%20a,about%20the%20size%20of%20Vacaville).\">more than 60,000 acres\u003c/a> and is currently one of the largest private landowners in Solano. Rio Vista and Suisun City — \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/riovistacitycalifornia,suisuncitycitycalifornia,US/PST045224\">both under 7 square miles in size\u003c/a> — sit closest to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials in both cities have discussed the idea of expanding their respective boundaries since the beginning of this year, and while they share some reasons for expanding, they differ in motivations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036287\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036287\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240502-CaliforniaForever-58-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Downtown Rio Vista on May 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For years, Suisun City has faced a structural deficit, and according to City Manager Bret Prebula, it had to use \u003ca href=\"https://city-suisun-city-ca-budget-book.cleargov.com/17152/introduction/transmittal-letter\">40% of its reserves\u003c/a> last year to avoid cuts to essential services. But if it expanded and broadened its tax base, Prebula said the city might have a more secure financial future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Expanding allows us to see if we can create an economy of scale, where we can provide the level of service for the entire community,” he said. “We believe this is the best opportunity to help our residents in Suisun City.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suisun City Councilmember Princess Washington was less sure. She cast the sole dissenting vote at Tuesday’s meeting and said she was elected “to represent the people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I represent — or I hear — people who don’t [want the project], and it would not be fair if I didn’t voice that,” she said. “My concern is that we’re putting all of our eggs in one basket.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rio Vista also wants to broaden its tax base, but it doesn’t face the existential financial crisis its neighboring city does.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In March, members of \u003ca href=\"https://riovista-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=2363&meta_id=59354\">Rio Vista’s city council\u003c/a> said they were motivated to look into annexation after Suisun City \u003ca href=\"https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/b98f7eea-cb47-42be-a06b-f85281aa6d5a?start=9514\">expressed interest in January\u003c/a>. Council members said they wanted to protect the feel of their “quaint river town” in the face of California Forever’s bold proposal. Company executives have said the proposed city could eventually support some \u003ca href=\"https://californiaforever.com/the-bold-city-project-of-the-tech-elite/\">400,000 residents at full build-out,\u003c/a> making it roughly the size of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, both cities sent \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3208151/GB_-_Letter_for_Annexation_2025.pdf\">letters\u003c/a> to the surrounding 24 landowners, including Flannery Associates, to gauge interest in which might be interested in discussing annexation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two property owners have so far said they are definitely not interested. But California Forever, along with Mount Calvary Church and Hatch Investments, responded in early April to say they are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark Hatch, Hatch Investments’ general partner, told KQED that much of the company’s land, which includes nearly 3,000 acres of pastureland, is not very productive as farmland but could be a good spot for new housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no flood issue, there’s no fire issue, there’s no earthquakes, and it’s relatively flat and smooth,” he said. “It’d be nice if some more housing gets built because people want to raise their kids in Solano County, and [there are] not that many houses. It’d be nice to have a new city there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amit Pal, another Suisun council member, said that while there were still many questions left unanswered, exploring annexation is just the beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think once we look at all the facts, we can make the decisions,” he said. “I don’t have the information to do that, and that’s why I wanted to do the exploration — to find out the facts.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ-ZKtuSHdeWqxooQwfEcr-oiOpdpJcf2RLZInU7aqjjQlRQ/viewform?embedded=true?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ-ZKtuSHdeWqxooQwfEcr-oiOpdpJcf2RLZInU7aqjjQlRQ/viewform?embedded=true'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Oil Giant Valero Looks to Shutter Troubled Bay Area Refinery. It’s ‘a Big Surprise’",
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"headTitle": "Oil Giant Valero Looks to Shutter Troubled Bay Area Refinery. It’s ‘a Big Surprise’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 5:35 p.m. Wednesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Energy giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/valero\">Valero\u003c/a> on Wednesday announced plans to cease operations at its Benicia oil refinery, which has been consistently hindered by malfunctions and unintended toxic releases in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Texas-based company said it had submitted notice of its intent to the California Energy Commission to “idle, restructure, or cease operations” at the refinery by the end of April 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move to shutter the sprawling North Bay refinery comes six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than a decade before regulators found out. And last month, the city imposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We woke up to a big surprise this morning. It is some shocking news,” said Benicia Councilmember Kari Birdseye, who spearheaded the new safety regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The timing is unfortunate because we just passed the local ordinance a couple of weeks ago. But I don’t think that the decision is related,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has long been one of the city’s biggest employers: More than 400 people work at the Benicia refinery, which is \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">the sixth largest in the state\u003c/a> and can process as much as 170,000 barrels of oil a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia refinery on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We understand the impact that this may have on our employees, business partners, and community, and will continue to work with them through this period,” Valero CEO Lane Riggs said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city, which stands to take a major financial hit from the possible refinery closure, said it intended to work with the company to “seek clarity around the timeline and scope” of the proposed changes and pledged to keep residents informed about any “potential economic impacts and challenges this may present.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My reaction remains surprise, concern for what it means to the community and a dedication to try to get through this in terms of trying to deal with the impacts it’s going to have on our city,” Benicia Mayor Steve Young told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said the city will work with Valero, regional partners and state agencies “to better understand the path ahead,” with the hope that a deal can be reached with the company to keep the refinery in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would certainly be preferable to them leaving altogether. That that serves nobody’s interest,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12011785 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Refinery-1920x1440.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the significant economic hit to the city’s tax base, he said the closure would have a major impact on the community, including the hundreds of residents who work there and the many local businesses that depend on those workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say that we’re just going to power through and it won’t have any effect,” he said. “It’s going to have an effect for sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Bay Area Air District, told KQED in an email that the agency would work with the refinery on any closure plans “to ensure that emissions are minimized and that air quality and public health are protected during this process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility’s imminent closure would mark a dramatic transition that the city will be “working on for years to come,” Birdseye said. City leaders, she added, planned to seek advice from other former refinery towns that have experienced similar situations, and would also be working with the state to figure out “how we can be part of the clean energy future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye noted that the closure announcement comes with a bright silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solano County has some of the highest respiratory disease rates in California. Nearly 15% of residents suffer from asthma, a rate roughly 70% higher than the statewide average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/EHIB/CPE/Pages/CaliforniaBreathingCountyAsthmaProfiles.aspx\">state health data from 2020\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Valero refinery worker at the site in Benicia on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So we will be resilient and we will figure out who we want to bring to our town,” she said, “and make sure that whoever comes isn’t going to increase our asthma rates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist, said Valero’s announcement suggests the company has been reading the tea leaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” Borenstein said, noting that the Benicia refinery’s many production and emissions problems would likely require significant, costly upgrades to address.[aside postID=news_12031389 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-7-1020x680.jpg']“So I think they looked at that and said, ‘Is it worth making that investment?’ and decided it probably isn’t,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Borenstein suggested that the company, which owns another refinery in Southern California, may also have calculated that shuttering production at its Benicia facility would raise gasoline prices statewide, helping its other refinery make more money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California, a state with some of the strictest environmental regulations in the nation. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces,” Borenstein said. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Assembly Republican Caucus on Wednesday was quick to blame Gov. Gavin Newsom for the planned closure of the Benicia refinery, saying in a statement that the “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers are becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Danny Bernardini, business manager for the Napa-Solano Building & Construction Trades Council, said he was in Benicia just last night talking to city officials about a labor agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"400\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We had good news coming out of Benicia at 8 o’clock at night, and then bad news at 8 in the morning,” said Bernardini, whose council represents hundreds of boilermakers, laborers, plumbers and steamfitters who work on call at the refinery. “We always knew this was a possibility, but to have it kind of just dropped in your lap in the morning, it was definitely a shock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bernardini said he’s still holding out a glimmer of hope that a deal might be reached to keep the refinery operating, but acknowledged that was unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have state and local governments that are not fond of refineries,” he said, noting that in its effort to limit oil production, the state still hasn’t created enough alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have been passed that make it hard to do business,” he added. “So this is the other side of that coin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jsmall\">\u003cem>Julie Small\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">Natalia Navarro\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 5:35 p.m. Wednesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Energy giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/valero\">Valero\u003c/a> on Wednesday announced plans to cease operations at its Benicia oil refinery, which has been consistently hindered by malfunctions and unintended toxic releases in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Texas-based company said it had submitted notice of its intent to the California Energy Commission to “idle, restructure, or cease operations” at the refinery by the end of April 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move to shutter the sprawling North Bay refinery comes six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for exceeding toxic emissions standards for more than a decade before regulators found out. And last month, the city imposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We woke up to a big surprise this morning. It is some shocking news,” said Benicia Councilmember Kari Birdseye, who spearheaded the new safety regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The timing is unfortunate because we just passed the local ordinance a couple of weeks ago. But I don’t think that the decision is related,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has long been one of the city’s biggest employers: More than 400 people work at the Benicia refinery, which is \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">the sixth largest in the state\u003c/a> and can process as much as 170,000 barrels of oil a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1985_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia refinery on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We understand the impact that this may have on our employees, business partners, and community, and will continue to work with them through this period,” Valero CEO Lane Riggs said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city, which stands to take a major financial hit from the possible refinery closure, said it intended to work with the company to “seek clarity around the timeline and scope” of the proposed changes and pledged to keep residents informed about any “potential economic impacts and challenges this may present.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My reaction remains surprise, concern for what it means to the community and a dedication to try to get through this in terms of trying to deal with the impacts it’s going to have on our city,” Benicia Mayor Steve Young told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said the city will work with Valero, regional partners and state agencies “to better understand the path ahead,” with the hope that a deal can be reached with the company to keep the refinery in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would certainly be preferable to them leaving altogether. That that serves nobody’s interest,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the significant economic hit to the city’s tax base, he said the closure would have a major impact on the community, including the hundreds of residents who work there and the many local businesses that depend on those workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say that we’re just going to power through and it won’t have any effect,” he said. “It’s going to have an effect for sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Bay Area Air District, told KQED in an email that the agency would work with the refinery on any closure plans “to ensure that emissions are minimized and that air quality and public health are protected during this process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility’s imminent closure would mark a dramatic transition that the city will be “working on for years to come,” Birdseye said. City leaders, she added, planned to seek advice from other former refinery towns that have experienced similar situations, and would also be working with the state to figure out “how we can be part of the clean energy future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye noted that the closure announcement comes with a bright silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solano County has some of the highest respiratory disease rates in California. Nearly 15% of residents suffer from asthma, a rate roughly 70% higher than the statewide average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/EHIB/CPE/Pages/CaliforniaBreathingCountyAsthmaProfiles.aspx\">state health data from 2020\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/IMG_1979_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Valero refinery worker at the site in Benicia on July 25, 2013. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So we will be resilient and we will figure out who we want to bring to our town,” she said, “and make sure that whoever comes isn’t going to increase our asthma rates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist, said Valero’s announcement suggests the company has been reading the tea leaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” Borenstein said, noting that the Benicia refinery’s many production and emissions problems would likely require significant, costly upgrades to address.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“So I think they looked at that and said, ‘Is it worth making that investment?’ and decided it probably isn’t,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Borenstein suggested that the company, which owns another refinery in Southern California, may also have calculated that shuttering production at its Benicia facility would raise gasoline prices statewide, helping its other refinery make more money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California, a state with some of the strictest environmental regulations in the nation. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it is a harbinger of the larger issues that California faces,” Borenstein said. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Assembly Republican Caucus on Wednesday was quick to blame Gov. Gavin Newsom for the planned closure of the Benicia refinery, saying in a statement that the “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers are becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Danny Bernardini, business manager for the Napa-Solano Building & Construction Trades Council, said he was in Benicia just last night talking to city officials about a labor agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"400\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We had good news coming out of Benicia at 8 o’clock at night, and then bad news at 8 in the morning,” said Bernardini, whose council represents hundreds of boilermakers, laborers, plumbers and steamfitters who work on call at the refinery. “We always knew this was a possibility, but to have it kind of just dropped in your lap in the morning, it was definitely a shock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bernardini said he’s still holding out a glimmer of hope that a deal might be reached to keep the refinery operating, but acknowledged that was unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have state and local governments that are not fond of refineries,” he said, noting that in its effort to limit oil production, the state still hasn’t created enough alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of laws and ordinances that have been passed that make it hard to do business,” he added. “So this is the other side of that coin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jsmall\">\u003cem>Julie Small\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">Natalia Navarro\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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},
"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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