UNCLE HAS A PROBLEM - Uncle Sam, faced with inflationary problems, seems to have been backed into a rather controversial corner. While everyone is screaming about government spending, the race goes on throughout the country for state and federal handouts.
It has all boiled down to: “Uncle, keep on spending, but be a bit more efficient.”
Most of us continually see a TV commercial, where jubilant investors say “Thank you, Paine Webber.” Before too long Vacaville residents, when they flush their toilets could say: “Thank you, Jimmy Carter.”
While that latter statement may be a bit off color, it nevertheless is true. The City of Vacaville has been successful in gaining a state and federal grant to help finance a multi-million dollar expansion of its Easterly Sewer Plant at Elmira.
A discussion of sewer plants and finances are both dull subjects, but they are a vital part of our everyday living, so here are some of the boring figures:
In acquiring a grant of approximately $8.5 million for the local plant, Uncle Sam will pick up the tab for 75 percent of acceptable eligible items; the State of California (Jerry Brown) will add another 12 1/2, leaving the remaining 12% to be paid for out of the City of Vacaville treasury. How’s that for a bargain?
The good news for Vacaville residents is, that although $8.5 million will be spent, there will be no general obligation bonds needed to finance the city’s share. It is hoped accumulated funds, by assessment of sewer connection fees on new homes, will provide the local small percentage of the bill.
At the present time Vacaville owes a balance of $580,000 in general obligation bonds voted by residents back in 1959, at which time approval was placed on a sewer bond issue amounting to $990,000. When the issue is fully amortized in 1890, total interest of $858,755 will have also been paid, running the original amount up to $1,848,755.
In 1966, local voters approved $950,000 in sewer revenue bonds which are being paid off on your bimonthly water and sewer bills. This revenue assessment runs until the year 1998. In 1958, local voters also approved issuance of $2,450,000 in water revenue bonds, the money being used to purchase the water system in Vacaville from PG&E.
Continuing population growth here makes expansion of the sewer and water facilities a migraine headache for city fathers. But, they can be comforted by the fact that this situation has been going on here for 79 years.
Back in 1901, the 1200 Vacaville residents, prodded by petitions furnished by the Vacaville Reporter, inaugurated a movement to rid the community of outhouses. In an election that year seeking $30,000 in bonds for an initial sewer system, voters had a myriad of excuses and said “no” to the proposal. Again in 1904, there was a second attempt made, but voters were not interested in this new-type flush. But in 1906 there was success and money was provided for some of the sewer mains, plus $1500 for purchase of a 32- acre sewer plant site on Browns Valley Road.
It was not long before complaints lambasted town hall about the raw sewage in ponds out Brown Street, so it was suggested a “digester” tank be installed. All that was needed was money.
In 1911, in a package deal, voters were asked to provide $2500 for the tank; two new concrete bridges, one at Main, and the other at McClellan; plus a quantity of street improvements, aU to cost a total of about $36,000. The tank, and the two bridges, at a cost of $17,800 were approved, but $18,800 for street improvements went down the drain. R. D. Robbins of Suisun was the successful bidder for the bonds.
When bids were submitted for the bridges, there was a savings of $600 below estimates, but the sewer tank bid hit $4000, and that forced town trustees to seek additional bidders on the overpriced sewer project.
Town engineer Frank Steiger had first suggested the tanks be located on the banks of Ulatis Creek, with the effluent draining into the creek, but this met opposition. For a time, before the tanks were installed at the Brown Street site, the effluent was used for irrigation purposes on the low-lands off Peabody Road.
In the initial proposals to install the sewer system here, some of the controversy centered around the possibility of a water rate increase by the Vacaville Water & Power Company, above a proposed 50-cent per month charge for flush tanks. The town council, by ordinance, established a firm rate, which satisfied dissenters, removing some objections to the new system.
In recent years the Brown Street plant has been abandoned with the Easterly plant handling the entire job. The 32 acres of land have had many suggested uses by the city, but as of now it just poses in a dormant atmosphere.
In the defeat of the initial proposal back in 1901, some of the people surveyed expressed the opinion that Reporter editor Raleigh Barcar, a key proponent of the plan, was a bit too, progressive and may have been ahead of the times.
Link: http://articles.solanohistory.net/7147/ | Solano History Database Record
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Vacaville Heritage Council