Petaluma Awards $34.5M Sewer Line as Speedway Fight Spills Over

Petaluma's City Council voted 7-0 Monday to spend $34,530,625 on a backup for the single 1970s-era pipe that carries all of the city's wastewater. The rest of the Oct. 19, 2026, meeting was heated. Speedway supporters and mobile home residents filled public comment, and the city attorney stepped in to stop an unscheduled Speedway debate before it ran afoul of state open-meeting law.

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• Council awards $34.5M force main contract 7-0 to Garney Pacific for a new 42-inch sewer line
• Speedway backers push for 5- to 10-year contracts; council members split on lease length
• City attorney halts Speedway exchange, citing Brown Act limits on unscheduled debate
• Mobile home residents protest English-only relocation report and rent notices above 2.7%

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A $34.5M Backup for the City's Sewage Lifeline

Why it matters: All of Petaluma's wastewater runs through one force main, a pressurized sewer pipe, built in the 1970s. Staff said a failure could cause sewage overflows within 30 minutes to four hours.

"The existing force main was constructed in the 1970s, and it's reached the end of its design life," said a city principal engineer.

Where things stand: The contract pays Garney Pacific to build a 42-inch parallel force main. It will run from the Primary Influent Pump Station on Hopper Street to the Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility.

• The line covers about 2.5 miles (13,000 feet) of HDPE, a durable plastic pipe.
• Crews will use open trenches and microtunneling, which bores the pipe underground without digging up the surface.
• The route shifts to Casa Grande Road and Technology Lane, with nighttime work in some places.

Groundbreaking is expected in spring, followed by one to two years of construction.

The project is one of three linked efforts. The others are replacing the pump station and later assessing the condition of the old main.

Council members asked about pipe durability, storm impacts and microtunneling equipment. They also asked about casings under Caltrans and SMART rights-of-way, directional drilling, adding a second crew and outreach to Rocky Dog Park users and Azure Apartments tenants. Mayor Kevin McDonnell urged staff to use the capital improvement program to speed up projects.

Deal math: Staff said the budget grew from a 2021 concept as design work advanced, including more microtunneling. The city sold wastewater bonds in August, and that money is already available. Any savings on the force main will stay in the wastewater fund for the pump station project.

"We've decided that this one bid line item for $625,000 for the multi-use path doesn't make sense to fund through wastewater enterprise dollars, and it will be funded separately," said Steve Worrell, Deputy Director of Water Resources.

The other side: One public commenter supported the project but pointed to ratepayer costs. The commenter cited a 33% cumulative rate increase from 2023 to 2028, a $42M fund balance and a $46M engineer's estimate. The bid came in roughly $12M below that estimate, and the commenter urged the city to bank the difference in a rate stabilization fund. The council did not adopt the idea.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Councilmember Janice Cader Thompson moved the resolution, and Councilmember Karen Nau seconded. The vote was For: 7 (McDonnell, Vice Mayor Alex DeCarli, Barnacle, Cader Thompson, Nau, Quint, Shribbs), Against: 0, Absent: 0.

Ratepayers get added protection against overflows. Nearby residents and park users should expect construction disruption, including some nighttime work.

"There's probably 2 decades of past council members who are going to sleep easier when this is done," said Councilmember Brian Barnacle.

What's next: Groundbreaking in spring. The use of any savings and of the bond money could come up again in the next rate study.

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Speedway Lease Fight Tests Council Limits

Why it matters: The Speedway's future will shape how the fairgrounds are used. The dispute also showed friction between the mayor and his critics during election season.

Where things stand: Speedway supporters dominated general public comment, which drew about 15 speakers. They asked for contracts of at least five years and as long as 10. Several criticized the mayor's remarks at the track the previous Saturday. One commenter said the mayor had called out Mark Kimberly.

Public commenter Dante Diego backed a five-year minimum. He asked the council to account for a smaller Speedway footprint once the new public safety building is in place. A Novato resident who attends races asked for a five-year extension.

Council members were divided.

"I'm for a little longer lease myself, but it needs to come with some attachments," said Councilmember John Shribbs. He named electric racing and music venues as examples.

"2 years is maybe, maybe not enough for a business to really invest in themselves and grow," said Vice Mayor Alex DeCarli. He urged the city to offer a longer contract.

The other side: Barnacle and McDonnell said the current leases run three years plus a two-year extension. That structure is tied to a master plan adopted in 2023, and they said the process will lead to firmer leases.

"Literally our staff are implementing the plan that was adopted in 2023," said Barnacle.

Councilmember Frank Quint proposed a broader approach. "How great would it be if we invited a broad spectrum of Petaluma citizens to join an advisory committee to help us create the vision for the fairgrounds," he said. Quint also said council meetings are "for conducting the people's business, not for campaigning."

Brown Act brake: After council comments, an unidentified councilmember raised a point of personal privilege over the term "misinformation." The mayor questioned whether the request involved integrity, character or motives, which is what the procedure covers. The mayor offered to share emails to identify the misinformation. The councilmember asked that it actually be identified.

City Attorney Eric Danly then ended the exchange. He said Barnacle's remarks were not directed at anyone and that the discussion had gone beyond the limited exceptions the law allows. California's Brown Act requires public notice before a council deliberates on an issue.

"There's nothing on tonight's agenda about the Speedway," said Danly. "I'm cautioning the council to adhere to the published agenda tonight."

What's next: The council took no action. Any lease decision would require a formally scheduled agenda item.

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Mobile Home Residents Press for Protection

Why it matters: Residents said roughly 90% of Littlewoods residents speak Spanish. Upcoming arbitration and a December meeting could determine whether the park closes.

Where things stand: Residents of the Littlewoods and Youngstown mobile home parks spoke in an organized group. They said a 172-page relocation report was left in mailboxes in English only and was hard to read.

Their other complaints:

• Rent increase notices exceeded the 2.7% allowable increase.
• Residents received eviction threats.
• Park records raised privacy concerns.

Speakers cited AB 2782 and the California Mobile Home Residency Law, the state rules that govern mobile home park tenancies. One Youngstown speaker said a mobile home there sold for $84,000 while ground rent runs $1,900 a month. Another cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in criticizing park buyers who charge high ground rent.

Several speakers thanked the council for its past unanimous votes protecting mobile home residents.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Nau asked the city attorney to look into how the Littlewoods relocation paperwork was delivered and translated.

"The full relocation impact report is going to be there, in both Spanish and English," said Danly. He added that residents can send questions to the Housing Department.

Shribbs said he shared the residents' concern about a transfer of wealth from tenants to park owners. He suggested asking city attorneys what the city can do.

The issue pits residents, many of them Spanish-speaking and on limited incomes, against park buyers seeking higher rents or redevelopment.

What's next: Arbitration proceedings and a December meeting on Littlewoods are ahead.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar approved 7-0 without public comment; Cader Thompson moved and Barnacle seconded.
• Helen Putnam Award: The League of California Cities honored the city's Safe Routes to School Task Force, citing a 230% rise in Bike to School participation.
• Flock cameras: Shribbs and DeCarli asked for a police briefing on Flock license plate cameras and which agencies can access the data.
• Clover Sonoma: Quint and Barnacle welcomed the company's planned $30M local investment over two years.
• Proclamations: The mayor declared Oct. 1–Nov. 2, 2026, El Día de los Muertos Petaluma 2026 and Oct. 24 World Polio Day.

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Looking Ahead

Phase 1 zoning updates are expected before the council Nov. 9 after a third Planning Commission hearing. A resident raised questions about Shotwells, building height near Rex and architectural review. The city also expects to contact creekside property owners about creek maintenance within a few weeks. Separately, staff will check a resident's report that flood flyer QR codes were broken and that the Spanish codes led to English pages.