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Welcome to Infrastructure Week, Petaluma!
The backbone of any thriving community lies in its infrastructure. From the roads we drive on to the water systems that serve our homes to the parks where our families gather and play — each of these critical elements shapes the quality of life for our residents. This year, from Oct. 23-30, we are celebrating capital improvement projects across the City in advance of an infrastructure-heavy City Council Meeting on Mon., Nov. 4
With the passage of Measure U in 2020, Petaluma has been able to make significant investments across our community: capital improvement projects account for $57 million in our FY25 budget. But its not just voter-approved sales taxes that fund our infrastructure. When voters agreed to invest in Petaluma, it inspired our County, State, and Federal governments to invest in us too. Petaluma has received over $100 million in grant funding in the last two years!
We are using these investments to improve physical spaces across Petaluma, with the goal of improving our residents’ lives.
We’re excited to celebrate Infrastructure Week with you, Petaluma! Read on to learn more.
New and Completed Projects
We invite you to join us for the Monday, Nov. 4, City Council meeting where the Council will be checking off completed projects, voting to authorize funding for new ones, and holding public hearings on two major plans that will impact our infrastructure long into the future.
At the meeting, Council will be voting on:
- Accepting completion of the Maria Drive Pavement project and repairs to the Petaluma Community Center and the water and sewer main at 1st and F Streets
- Improvements at Shollenberger Park and an expansion of the agricultural recycled water system
- A $20,000,000 funding application for the One Petaluma Community Resilience Center to help us better prepare for emergencies
- A 5-Year Paving Plan AND The Blueprint for Climate Action
To attend the Nov. 4 meeting, join us at 6:30PM, in person, at City Hall (11 English Street). The meeting can also be viewed via Zoom. Check out our city meetings page HERE to access the agenda and Zoom link once they are posted. Remember, in order to provide a public comment, you must either appear in person at City Hall to speak, or email your comment to [email protected]. We hope to see you there!
Read below to learn more about infrastructure improvements we’ve been making across Petaluma this year!
Updated Park Improvements
Petalumans love to spend time outdoors, and with a climate as nice as ours, parks and open spaces play a huge role in our community! With funding from voter-approved sales taxes including Measure M (passed in 2018) and Measure U (passed in 2020), plus an assortment of parkland impact fees, grants, developer contributions, and private donations, we are improving the parks we have and are building new play spaces for future generations to enjoy.
In the last year alone, your City has:
- Added a new playground and shaded seating area at Anna’s Meadow Park
- Opened the new Petaluma Community Baseball Field
- Built new docks at the Petaluma River Turning Basin
- Made improvements to the Lynch Creek Trail crosstown connector
- Reconstructed three new park pathways at McDowell, La Tercera, and McNear Parks
Within the next year, we plan to start the year off with replastering our 50-meter outdoor Swim Center, begin construction on the new Lucchesi Skate Park, and the educational kiosks and an outdoor amphitheater at Shollenberger Park.
Petaluma’s Fairgrounds
Speaking of our outdoor spaces, improvements to our Petaluma Fairgrounds, including water & sewer systems, roadways, buildings, and signage on the 55-acre property, have been happening all year.
Just a few major milestones include:
- Worked with Live Oak and Happy Hearts Preschool to remove two modular units that were red-tagged due to mold
- Performed emergency repairs on the entire water system, addressing leaky and faulty infrastructure
- Executed emergency repairs on the onsite sewer pump station
- Identified and mitigated problematic cross connections between potable and non-potable water fixtures located in the stage area
Individual buildings on the property also received upgrades. Read the full 12-page 2024 Petaluma Fairgrounds Activity Report, published this month, at our website HERE.
Water Services & Utilities
Water is an essential public utility, supporting the well-being of our entire community. As your local government, we ensure a safe, clean, and reliable water supply to meet the needs of residents, businesses, and public spaces in Petaluma.
The City of Petaluma maintains over 241 miles of domestic water mains with over 21,000 water service connections which deliver this vital resource to the community. In addition to the water system, we also maintain over 220 miles of sewer main collection piping and sewer lift stations which transport wastewater to the Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility.
Some recent and upcoming projects include:
- Replacement and/or upgrades of water and sewer pipes at First and F Street, Payran/Madison, and other locations around town.
- Installation of recycled water pipeline on Maria Drive and other locations.
- Upgrade of water meter technology to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to help identify leaks, follow use trends, and save water.
- New floating solar panels at our Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility that will save nearly $12 million in energy costs over 20 years (plus other important upgrades).
Water is a shared responsibility. By working together in conservation and smart water usage, we can protect this precious resource for today and future generations. We’re dedicated to managing it responsibly for Petaluma’s future.
Safe Streets
Petaluma is home to 396 lane miles of streets, 350+ miles of sidewalk, and 51 signaled intersections. These roads and walkways channel the life of our community and keeping them in working order is a job we take very seriously. Improvements can range from small scale (add a crosswalk or painting red curbs) to complete road reconstruction.
Since Measure U began generating local funding in April 2021, $25 million of Measure U has and will fund repairing, reconstructing, and repaving roads citywide. We have been able to leverage this new funding and are going full-steam on substantial investments in our roads – $45m over five years, as evidenced by the major renovations of North McDowell Boulevard and Maria Drive.
Our city streets have a long road to recovery but thanks to Measure U, and residents like you, we are on our way! Next up for Fiscal Year 24-25 is Howard Street, Rainier Avenue and for fiscal year 25-26 we have D Street, Caulfield Lane, and St Francis Drive.
Planning Ahead: 5-Year Paving Plan
City staff works with a wide range of data to analyze and prioritize which streets to address with maintenance and upgrades in the coming years. We have formulas we work with to allocate budget, as well as a framework to help us rate road conditions and determine priorities. At the upcoming November 4 City Council meeting, we will share details of the 5-Year Paving Plan, as well as review our budgeting and prioritization processes.
Down the Road: Active Transportation Plan
We are in the process of updating our Active Transportation Plan, last adopted in 2008 as the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Most of our paving projects have an “active transportation” component. Active transportation means walking, biking, or using non-motorized travel options. When we upgrade or reconstruct roads, we look for ways to improve safety and accessibility for those walking, biking, or rolling, along with those driving vehicles. When people are comfortable using car-free mobility options, everyone benefits, including those traveling by car!
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Plan, including its purpose, contents, key terms, and our process.
An Emerald Lens: Blueprint for Climate Action
Each one of these individual improvements makes a difference in our City. But in Petaluma, we take a strategic view when we plan for the future: and our goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 is a part of everything we do.
That’s why we use the Blueprint for Climate Action (also being discussed at our Nov. 4 City Council meeting!) as we update and improve our infrastructure. The Blueprint studies our community’s contributions to climate change and suggests actions we all can take to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Some of those actions are within the City’s control, like installing EV charging stations around town and switching City buildings to electric power instead of gas. Other green initiatives that improve our infrastructure include:
- Using pavement recycling when possible during road construction, like on N. McDowell
- Updating our HVAC and electrical systems at City facilities
- Fare-free public transit (including the new LumaGo rideshare service and a partnership with Redwood Bikeshare that launched this month)
- A $1 million USDA grant to increase Petaluma’s tree canopy, in partnership with our amazing nonprofit partners: Cool Petaluma, Daily Acts, Rebuilding Together, ReLeaf, & Point Blue Conservation Science
Other actions are up to you, our community. We invite you to read the draft Blueprint for Climate Action HERE and find out how you can be a part of our climate action plan. Because at the end of the day, infrastructure is about people: how you are able to live, work, play and thrive right here in Petaluma.
Thanks for reading, neighbors! The Petaluma team is proud to serve you in the best little City in the world.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The City of Petaluma is hard at work for our community. Please check out our upcoming meetings and click on the links below for more information:
Oct 24, 6:00pm – Public Art Committee Meeting
Nov 4, 6:30pm – City Council/PCDSA Regular Meeting
Nov 5, 4:00pm – Historic & Cultural Preservation Committee Meeting
Check for upcoming meetings, agendas, and how to participate on the City’s meeting webpage: https://cityofpetaluma.org/meetings/.