1 week Ago By Nick McConnell
Suisun City leaders are hoping to see Solano County — as a region — position itself at the forefront of economic growth and maritime revitalization. To that end, the Suisun City Council will consider multiple agenda items regarding California Forever and the possibility of revitalizing shipbuilding in Solano County at its Tuesday, April 15 meeting. The council will receive an update on the city’s annexation efforts, discuss a resolution declaring official support for shipbuilding efforts and vote on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rio Vista about collaboration in the annexation process with California Forever.
The shipbuilding resolution references Solano County’s ideal location on the San Pablo Bay, providing water access to San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, the Port of Stockton and other resources. It also notes the region’s history of maritime industry, including Mare Island, as well as saturation of educational institutions, including UC Davis, Stanford, UC Berkley, UC San Francisco and five California State University Campuses within a two-hour drive. “Solano County is a central point within the Northern California megaregion, which is home to more than 12.
6 million residents with a combined GDP surpassing $1.21 trillion, representing 3.9% of the U.
S. population, and 5.9% of the U.
S. economy,” it notes/ The Southeastern end of the county has access to two miles of coastline along the mouth of the Sacramento River and contains a deepwater shipping channel included in the county’s general plan. “Given the area’s rich history in shipbuilding, central location within the Northern California megaregion, access to world-class educational institutions, sheltered deep water access, and land use designations that allow for waterfront manufacturing, Solano County is uniquely positioned to restore U.
S. shipbuilding dominance on the West Coast, leveraging its unparalleled location, infrastructure, and workforce,” the resolution reads. The resolution allows City Manager Bret Prebula to work alongside the county and the Solano Economic Development Corporation to bring high-quality jobs to the region.
It also calls on all elected officials representing Suisun, including Governor Gavin Newsom, to support the restoration of maritime dominance in the county. “The city of Suisun City is in full support of a coordinated regional effort to attract the investment necessary to construct a new shipbuilding facility in southeastern Solano County and additional investment in Mare Island that benefits all cities and Solano County economically while addressing environmental impacts,” the resolution reads. The MOU would set a schedule for monthly meetings between the two cities’ staffs and bi-annual joint public meetings between the two councils.
According to the staff report, this MOU will bind the cities to protect Travis Air Force Base, safeguarding sustainable regional surface water rights, investing in education, mitigating traffic impacts and encouraging economic development. “The city of Suisun City and the city of Rio Vista recognize that while their legal processes for annexation will proceed independently, the consequences — social, economic, environmental, and infrastructural — will transcend city boundaries,” the staff report states. “The proposed MOU establishes a framework for proactive collaboration between the two cities, acknowledging the shared interest in unified planning, protection of regional resources, and maximizing positive outcomes for both jurisdictions.
” The MOU will help the cities seek a transparent and collaborative process, the staff report explains, and provides a framework for those goals. “Moreover, this action reinforces Suisun City’s proactive leadership in regional collaboration and responsible governance — critical attributes when addressing expansive planning initiatives like the proposed East Solano development and future growth strategies,” the staff report reads. Staff will also provide a report on the progress of discussions with California Forever, according to the agenda packet.
Staff will need to discuss an Exclusive Agreement or Reimbursement Agreement with the firm, and will have to find a legal way for the annexation to be contiguously connected to the existing city. “While the specifics of this connection are still being assessed, the Ownership Map and updated maps indicate a logical connection point situated east of the City and west of the California Forever project,” the staff report reads. “This proposed connection path involves properties owned and under contract with Flannery Associates, LLC, the corporate entity behind California Forever.
Further discussions about annexation will take place if the City Council directs staff to proceed with California Forever.” If the council votes to continue, the city will compile a team of 10 to 15 staffers to work on the annexation issue. “It’s important to note that California Forever will be solely responsible for covering all costs related to the annexation process,” the report reads.
“No General Fund money will be used to pay for the services.” The next steps of pre-development will create a binding relationship between staff and California Forever, the report explains, with defined roles and responsibilities for the process. “It is important that staff be granted the flexibility to act swiftly and decisively,” the report reads.
“This flexibility is in the City’s best interest, as it ensures that the appropriate expertise can be brought in at each phase of the project — efficiently and without delay.” California Forever CEO Jan Sramek has been active on X (FKA Twitter) in recent days, arguing that the United States needs to increase its shipbuilding capacity, particularly on the West Coast “California can build quickly when we decide to do it. The Sacramento Kings Stadium was permitted and built in two years,” Sramek replied to an X user asking about slow permitting processes in California.
Since 2023, Newsom has pledged to streamline permitting processes in the state, particularly by streamlining the CEQA process, which the state has done for big-ticket projects including The Golden 1 Center, where the Sacramento Kings play, and SoFi Stadium in Southern California. “I love sports. I take a backseat to nobody on sports, but I also love roads; I love transit; I love bridges; I love clean energy projects,” the governor said at a 2023 press conference in Stanislaus County.
“It’s not just about stadiums, and we’ve proven we can get it done for stadiums, so why the hell can’t we translate that to all of these other projects?”.
