Council Awards $1.76M Water Meter Contract After Grilling Low Bidder
City Council • Rohnert ParkOctober 27, 2026
Locunity is an independent informational service and is not an official government page for this commission. All information is sourced from public footage and an analysis of official agendas with the aid of responsible, fact-checked AI. to report an error or omission.
Rohnert Park's aging water meters are failing faster than crews can read them, and on Oct. 27, 2026, the City Council bet on a bid that came in about $1.14M below the next competitor. After nearly 90 minutes of questions about software ties, bonds and labor, council approved the contract 5-0. Members also introduced a state-mandated ban on watering decorative turf with drinking water and endorsed a framework that could reshape what residents pay for recreation.
- Water meter contract awarded 5-0 to low bidder DB Utility at $1.76M, after scrutiny of its software affiliate
- Taxpayers cover about 80% of Community Services costs; council backs a subsidy framework, with no fee changes yet
- Ordinance 998 introduced 5-0 to end potable-water irrigation of city medians by Jan. 1, 2027
- Residents press for a five-year financial plan before the Nov. 3 Measure K vote and oppose the winter pool closure
Low Bid, High Scrutiny on Water Meters
The basics: Advanced metering infrastructure, or AMI, replaces manually read meters with units that transmit usage data remotely.
Why it matters: About 10,400 aging meters under-register water use. The city lost 101 million gallons in 2024, or 24.3 gallons per connection per day, against a state standard of 11.4. A 2028 compliance deadline looms.
Where things stand: The item returned after being continued from Oct. 13. DB Utility bid $1.76M, roughly $1.14M below the next bidder. That gap prompted the delay. City Engineer Julian De Anda read a statement saying references and bonding supported the company's responsibility, and that rebidding carries cost and schedule risk.
"While the bid difference is significant, it does not by itself establish that DB Utility is not a responsible bidder," said De Anda.
Councilmember Gerard Giudice and Councilmember Samantha Rodriguez probed change orders, payroll compliance and local labor. Giudice zeroed in on DB Utility's link to Orbit, a software company involved in the project.
"Someone is eating on both sides of this deal, right?" asked Giudice.
Trevor Beck, owner of DB Utility, confirmed that Orbit is owned by the same group. "Did we develop Orbit, the answer is yes," said Beck. Council members also confirmed that performance and payment bonds are set at 100% of the contract.
The other side: Patrick McCune of Local 38 Plumbing and Pipefitting Union told council earlier that the union and the city have no agreement on the project. Brendan Betts, the city's water distribution supervisor, backed the technology. As a member of the bargaining team, he noted that workers have gone two years without a cost-of-living adjustment while council weighs project costs.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Councilmember Susan Hollingsworth Adams moved approval and pointed to the staff report and bonding. "This company, DB Utilities, is competent according to your report, qualified," said Adams. Rodriguez seconded.
Resolution 2026-090 awards the construction contract, authorizes a Badger Meter purchase order and a MeterSys construction management agreement, and finds the project exempt from CEQA, the state's environmental review law. It sets change-order authority, a 30% contingency, at up to $528,105.45. Because figures read aloud differed from the staff report, the final dollar amounts follow the staff report. The vote was For: 5 (Sanborn, Elward, Giudice, Adams, Rodriguez), Against: 0, Absent: 0.
City crews stand to gain the most. David Owen, the city's water system supervisor, said nearly 200 transmitters failed last month and staff are hand-reading 530 to 550 meters. Another public commenter said past disappointing low bids are not evidence that this vendor cannot deliver.
What's next: Beck committed to contact Local 38 first after the award. "That'll be our first call after award," said Beck.
Who Pays for Parks, Pools and Programs
Why it matters: Community Services costs about $11.5M a year on a fully burdened basis, which counts overhead and indirect costs. Fees bring in $2.1M. Meeting the proposed targets for current programs would require roughly $2.1M more in revenue.
Where things stand: Community Services Director Cindy Bagley opened by setting expectations. "Tonight we are not asking for any fee changes," said Bagley.
Bagley outlined a $99M capital need, including $19.9M in deferred maintenance. She proposed sorting programs into six service categories, each with a subsidy range. Her examples included Camp Burton, dance classes, athletic fields, fused glass, lap swim and facility rentals. She also pointed to tools other than fees, such as partnerships and a Macmillan matrix, a framework nonprofits use to weigh which programs to keep. "Taxpayers are supporting 80%," said Bagley. She sought direction on seven policy questions.
The other side: No council member opposed the framework, but members split on pace and process. "I think there needs to be a mandatory community engagement," said Giudice, who also raised lengthening the timeline. Adams proposed a longer rollout. "If you're not going to make any changes in the first year, then don't make this a 5-year plan. Make this a 6-year rollout," said Adams.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No vote was taken. "I think that this is the best thing we can do for our city right now," said Rodriguez. "I think this should have been done a long time ago. It's about time," said Vice Mayor Jackie Elward. Mayor Emily Sanborn suggested crediting community partners for the maintenance costs they absorb.
Program users, especially those in heavily subsidized categories, face future fee increases or subsidy limits. Community partners could gain leverage. Public commenter Kathy Slack said the RV event at the community center draws 1,000 to 1,500 people nightly, and she offered to help with sponsorships.
"I think you have support. You got the feedback you needed," said Sanborn.
What's next: Staff will draft the policy and hold community engagement in January 2027, aiming for adoption in February, ahead of budget building.
State Turf Mandate Hits City Medians
Why it matters: AB 1572 bars using drinking water to irrigate non-functional turf, meaning decorative grass that people don't use. Retrofitting medians on Country Club, Broadway and Commerce is estimated at $200,000 to more than $500,000. Failing to adopt the ordinance risks state violations and civil liability.
Where things stand: "Assembly Bill 1572 is an unfunded state mandate," said Public Works Director Mark Hendersen. The law phases in for public agencies on Jan. 1, 2027, for commercial and industrial properties on Jan. 1, 2028, and for homeowners associations on Jan. 1, 2029. Watering trees is exempt.
Hendersen said the law overrides the median's earlier park designation. Recycled water runs nearby but is costly. For the Country Club median alone, he estimated retrofit costs at "$200,000 to $500,000 high level."
The other side: Giudice asked about exemptions, fire hazard designation, adding picnic tables and using trucks to deliver reclaimed water. The city attorney knew of no statutory exemptions but agreed to look. Rodriguez suggested lobbying state legislators. Public commenter Anthony Krupa urged creative ways to make medians functional, such as fitness trails or bike stops. Staff clarified that the law does not yet cover residential lawns.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Staff said action was needed that night because the second November meeting was canceled. Adams said the city will obey the law despite the cost. She moved to introduce Ordinance 998 by title only, and Rodriguez seconded. The roll call was For: 5 (Adams, Giudice, Elward, Rodriguez, Sanborn), Against: 0, Absent: 0. Retrofit costs will fall on the city budget, with no state funding identified.
What's next: Adoption requires a second reading at a future meeting.
Residents Press on Measure K, Pool Closure
Where things stand: Public commenter Dennis Main said voters deserve to know which expenses have been cut before they decide on Measure K, the proposed half-cent sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot. He called a city-paid mailer one-sided and asked for a five-year financial plan.
Another public commenter opposed the winter closure of a city pool. The commenter cited petitions with roughly 300 signatures, a lack of consultation with swimmers and a $45,500 overtime line in the Community Services budget. A third speaker thanked council and asked what came of alternatives to the closure.
What's next: Sanborn said staff would direct commenters to more information. Community Services staff later cited lap-swim partnerships with SSU, Energy Health Club and the DoubleTree.
- Consent calendar passed 5-0, including $345,279 to start a Redwood Drive and Rohnert Park Expressway roundabout. Giudice tied the work to the city's roughly $40M in infrastructure obligations under its agreement with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
- Resolution 2026-097 passed by voice vote with no opposition stated. It corrects Director of Public Safety Ignacio Richard Navarro's CalPERS formula to 2.7% at 57; his base salary remains $255,661.05.
- Marin-Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District Manager Peter Bonkrud reported 19 West Nile deaths statewide and one positive dead bird in Sonoma County. The district is monitoring for Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that can carry dengue and Zika.
- Sonoma State's Lucy Dean reported 629 Lobos Pantry swipes in September, along with campus voter registration and ballot drop sites.
- Founders Day co-chairs Sherry Lorenz and Jen Wiltermood were honored. They plan next year's event for late September, marking the city's 65th anniversary.
Looking ahead: Voters decide Measure K on Nov. 3. Ordinance 998 returns for a second reading at a later meeting. Community Services outreach on cost recovery begins in January 2027.