LAFCO
SOI & MSR South County Region 2018
Read the report at Local Agency Formation Commissions ↗
Final Report
South County Region
Municipal Service Review and
Sphere of Influence Updates
City of American Canyon
American Canyon Fire Protection District
County Service Area No. 3
Local Agency Formation Commission of Napa County
December 3, 2018
Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1: Introduction ..............................................................................................................................1-3
1.1 – Role and Responsibility of LAFCO ................................................................................. 1-3
1.2 – Purpose of the Municipal Service Review ..................................................................... 1-3
1.3 – Uses of the Municipal Service Review .......................................................................... 1-6
1.4 – Sphere of Influence ....................................................................................................... 1-6
1.5 – California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) ............................................................... 1-7
2: Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................2-8
2.1 – Introduction and Background ....................................................................................... 2-8
2.2 – City of American Canyon ............................................................................................. 2-10
2.3 – American Canyon Fire Protection District ................................................................... 2-13
2.4 – County Service Area 3 ................................................................................................. 2-15
2.5 – Sphere of Influence Considerations ............................................................................ 2-16
3: City of American Canyon ...........................................................................................................3-1
3.1 – Growth and Population Projections .............................................................................. 3-1
3.2 – Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities .............................................................. 3-5
3.3 – Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities ......................................................... 3-5
3.4 – Financial Ability to Provide Service ............................................................................. 3-28
3.5 – Status and Opportunities for Shared Facilities ........................................................... 3-33
3.6 – Government Structure and Accountability ................................................................. 3-34
3.7 – LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery ................................................................... 3-37
3.8 – Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies. ................................................. 3-37
3.9 – Summary of Determinations ....................................................................................... 3-37
4: American Canyon Fire Protection District ................................................................................4-1
4.1 – Growth and Population Projections .............................................................................. 4-1
4.2 – Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities .............................................................. 4-2
4.3 – Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities ......................................................... 4-4
4.4 – Financial Ability to Provide Services ............................................................................. 4-6
4.5 – Status and Opportunities for Shared Facilities ............................................................. 4-8
4.6 – Government Structure and Accountability ................................................................. 4-10
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4.7 – LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery ................................................................... 4-14
4.8 – Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies ................................................... 4-14
4.9 – Summary of Determinations ....................................................................................... 4-14
5: County Service Area 3 ............................................................................................................... 5-1
5.1 – Growth and Population Projections .............................................................................. 5-1
5.2 – Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities .............................................................. 5-1
5.3 – Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities ......................................................... 5-3
5.4 – Financial Ability to Provide Services .............................................................................. 5-7
5.5 – Status and Opportunities for Shared Facilities .............................................................. 5-9
5.6 – Government Structure and Accountability ................................................................... 5-9
5.7 – LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery ..................................................................... 5-9
5.8 – Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies ................................................... 5-10
5.9 – Summary of Determinations ....................................................................................... 5-10
6: Sphere of Influence Considerations.......................................................................................... 6-1
6.1 – City of American Canyon ............................................................................................... 6-1
6.2 – American Canyon Fire Protection District ..................................................................... 6-6
6.3 – County Service Area 3 .................................................................................................... 6-8
7: References ................................................................................................................................ 7-1
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A: “Improving Traffic Flow On The Highway” Staff Report March 28, 2017
Appendix B: Comments Received During Public Review Periods
Appendix C: ISO Rating Overview
Appendix D: City of American Canyon and American Canyon Fire Protection District Joint Sphere of
Influence Amendment Request
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 3-1: Recent Annexations to the City of American Canyon ..................................................3-1
Table 3-2: Current Population Estimates ......................................................................................3-2
Table 3-3: Recent Development Projects .....................................................................................3-4
Table 3-4: Population Forecasts Napa County Jurisdictions .........................................................3-4
Table 3-5: Existing and Planned Contracted Sources of Water (afy) ............................................3-7
Table 3-6: Projected Water Supplies for 2021-2040 ....................................................................3-7
Table 3-7: Summary of Imported (Potable and Raw) Water Supply Reliability............................3-8
Table 3-8: Projected Demand 2020–2040 (Acre-feet per Year) ...................................................3-9
Table 3-9: Imported Water Supply and Demand Comparison (Acre-feet per Year) ................. 3-11
Table 3-10: Projected Recycled Water Demand (acre-feet) ...................................................... 3-12
Table 3-11: Sewer Collection System Near-term Capital Improvements (0–10 Years) ............. 3-15
Table 3-12: Calls for Service 2012–2016 .................................................................................... 3-16
Table 3-13: American Canyon Police Department Reported Crime 2012-2016 ........................ 3-16
Table 3-14: City Park Facilities ................................................................................................... 3-18
Table 3-15: Recreation Facilities ................................................................................................ 3-19
Table 3-16: LOS Definitions ....................................................................................................... 3-21
Table 3-17: Key intersections and LOS AM Peak and PM Peak ................................................ 3-21
Table 3-18: Street Condition Categories .................................................................................... 3-23
Table 3-19: Vine System Ridership 2014–2016 ......................................................................... 3-24
Table 3-20: Enterprise Fund Revenues and Expenses (in millions of dollars) ........................... 3-30
Table 3-21: 2017 Residential Water Rates ................................................................................. 3-31
Table 3-22: Residential Sewer Rates .......................................................................................... 3-31
Table 3-23: Outstanding General Fund Bond Debt .................................................................... 3-33
Table 4-1: ACFPD Population Estimates 2010 ..............................................................................4-1
Table 4-2: Population Projections for American Canyon ..............................................................4-2
Table 4-3: ACFPD Station Staffing and Equipment ......................................................................4-4
Table 4-4: ACFPD Fleet Replacement Needs ................................................................................4-4
Table 4-5: American Canyon FD Revenues and Expenses FY13-FY16 ($) .....................................4-7
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Table 4-6: Out of Agency Responses 2013-2016 .......................................................................... 4-9
Table 4-7: ACFPD Total Staffing .................................................................................................. 4-11
Table 5-1: Napa County Fire Apparatus Replacement Schedule .................................................. 5-3
Table 5-2: CSA 3 Revenues and Expenses FY 13–FY 17 ................................................................ 5-8
LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1-1: South County Region ................................................................................................. 1-5
Exhibit 3-1: City of American Canyon Boundary Map .................................................................. 3-3
Exhibit 3-2: Water Service Area Boundary ................................................................................. 3-10
Exhibit 3-3: Wastewater Service Area ........................................................................................ 3-14
Exhibit 3-4: American Canyon Transit Routes ............................................................................ 3-26
Exhibit 3-5: Revenue Sources FY 12-FY 16 .................................................................................. 3-29
Exhibit 3-6: Average Annual Allocation of Expenses .................................................................. 3-29
Exhibit 3-7: Organizational Chart ................................................................................................ 3-36
Exhibit 4-1: American Canyon Fire Protection District Boundary Map ....................................... 4-3
Exhibit 4-2: ACFPD Calls for Service 2010-2016............................................................................ 4-5
Exhibit 4-3: American Canyon Fire Sources of Revenue FY 13 to FY 16 ....................................... 4-8
Exhibit 4-4: ACFPD Organizational Chart .................................................................................... 4-13
Exhibit 5-1: CSA 3 Boundary Map ................................................................................................. 5-2
Exhibit 5-2: CSA 3 Zone 1 .............................................................................................................. 5-4
Exhibit 5-3: CSA 3 Zone 2 .............................................................................................................. 5-5
Exhibit 5-4: CSA 3 Zone 3 ..............................................................................................................5-6
Exhibit 6-1: City of American Canyon Potential Sphere of Influence ........................................... 6-2
Exhibit 6-2: Map of 1661 Green Island Road…………………………………………………………………............6-5
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Acronyms
ACRONYMS
AAGR Average Annual Growth Rate
ACCWD American Canyon County Water District
ACFPD American Canyon Fire Protection District
afy Acre-Feet Per Year
ALUCP Napa County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan
ALS Advanced Life Support
ALUCP Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan
AMR Napa American Medical Response
BLS Basic Life Support
CDP Census Designated Place
CIP Capital Improvement Plan
CKH Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000
CSA County Service Area
DOF California Department of Finance
DUC Disadvantaged Unincorporated Community
DWR Department of Water Resources
ISO Insurance Services Office
LAFCO Local Agency Formation Commission
LOS Level of Service
mgd Million Gallons Per Day
MHI Median Household Income
MSR Municipal Service Review
MUTCD California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
NBA North Bay Aqueduct
NSD Napa Sanitation District
NVTA Napa Valley Transportation Authority
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Acronyms
NVTID Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District
NVWMA Napa-Vallejo Waste Management Authority
OES State of California Office of Emergency Services
PBA Plan Bay Area 2040
PCI Pavement Condition Index
PDA Priority Development Area
PMP Pavement Management Program
SCWA Solano County Water Agency
SOI sphere of influence
SWP State Water Project
ULL Urban Limit Line
ULL/MOU Urban Limit Line Memorandum of Understanding
US&R Urban Search & Rescue
UWMP Urban Water Management Plan
WRAC Water Ratepayer Advisory Committee
WTP Water Treatment Plant
WWTP Wastewater Recycling and Treatment Facility
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Introduction
1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 – Role and Responsibility of LAFCO
The fundamental role of a Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) is to implement the
Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg (CKH) Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (Government Code
Section 56000, et seq.), providing for the logical, efficient, and most appropriate formation of local
agencies. CKH defines a local agency as a city, county, or special district (GC 56054). CKH defines a
special district as an agency of the state formed following general law or a special act for the
performance of government or proprietary functions within limited boundaries. The definition
includes county service areas (GC 56036). A special district can be either independent or dependent.
A dependent district is defined as one whose governing body consists of ex officio members who are
officers of a county (i.e. county supervisors) or another local agency (i.e. city council members) who
are not appointed to fixed terms(GC 56032.5). This Municipal Service Review (MSR) covers the City
of American Canyon and two dependent special districts, American Canyon Fire Protection District
(ACFPD), and County Service Area (CSA) 3.
CKH requires all LAFCOs, including Napa LAFCO, to conduct an MSR prior to updating the sphere of
influence (SOI) of the cities and special districts in Napa County (Government Code Section 56430).
CKH specifies an SOI update shall occur every five years, as necessary (Government Code Section
56425). The last MSR for the City of American Canyon, ACFPD, and CSA 3 was completed in 2009 and
is now due for an update. The focus of this MSR is to provide Napa LAFCO with all necessary and
relevant information related to services provided by these three local agencies.
1.2 – Purpose of the Municipal Service Review
The purpose of this MSR is to collect data in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of service
provision for South Napa County (Exhibit 1-1). The analysis will also assess the ability of the three
agencies to provide services within their current SOI and to a potentially expanded SOI.
This MSR will provide Napa LAFCO with an informational document that will allow the Commission
to make determinations in each of the seven areas prescribed by CKH and an additional area
identified in Napa LAFCO policies. This MSR evaluates the structure and operation of each agency
and discusses possible areas for improvement, coordination, or changes to their SOIs. Key sources
for this study were agency-specific information gathered through strategic plans, general plans,
websites, financial reports, agency audits, research, personal communication, and the MSR
Guidelines published by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Introduction
The report contains one section for each of the three agencies of the following eight areas as given
in CKH and Napa LAFCO policy:
Growth and Future Growth. This section relates to LAFCO’s mandate of discouraging urban
sprawl by providing information on the population projections for the affected area.
The Location and Characteristics of any Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities within or
Contiguous to the Sphere of Influence. A disadvantaged unincorporated community is defined
by CKH as inhabited territory with a median household income of 80 percent or less of the
statewide median income. Although SB 244 references Government Code 65302.10 which
further defines a disadvantaged unincorporated community, Napa LAFCO does not have a
specific DUC policy and therefore this MSR will adhere to the definition in CKH.
Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Services Including
Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies. This section will discuss the services provided, including
their quality, and the ability of the agency to provide those services.
Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services. The section reviews the agency’s fiscal data
and rate structure to determine viability and ability to meet service demands. This section
contains a discussion of capital improvement projects currently underway and projects planned
for the future.
Status of and Opportunities for Shared Facilities. This section of the MSR report will discuss
whether the agency shares facilities with the County, other cities, other special districts, or state
and federal agencies, including opportunities for sharing facilities to derive cost savings by
avoiding duplication.
Accountability for Community Service Needs, Including Government Structure and Operational
Efficiencies. This section examines the agency’s current government structure, and considers
the overall managerial practices. This section also examines how well the agency makes its
processes transparent to the public and invites and encourages participation.
Matters Related to Effective or Efficient Service Delivery Required by Commission Policy. This
section includes a discussion of any local policies that may affect the ability of the agency to
provide efficient services.
Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies. This is a Napa LAFCO specific
determination as described in Napa LAFCO’s adopted policy on MSRs. The policy states that the
Commission will make a determination with respect to the agency’s relationship with regional
growth goals and policies.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Introduction
Exhibit 1-1: South County Region
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Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Introduction
1.3 – Uses of the Municipal Service Review
Typically, the MSR is used to shed light on the operations of a local agency, identify agencies unable
to perform their mandated services, or identify ways to provide more effective and efficient
services. Government Code Section 56375 allows LAFCO to take action on recommendations found
in the MSR, which can range from initiating studies for changes of organization, updating SOIs, or
initiating a change in organization.
The MSR also provides the necessary information to help LAFCO make decisions on comprehensive
SOI updates. In evaluating an expanded SOI, the MSR provides the information necessary to
determine if the agency has the ability to serve a larger area. The MSR discusses the financial
condition of local agencies, their sources of revenues, and projected expenses. It also includes a
discussion of the projected infrastructure needs that would allow for expansion of those services.
Alternatively, the MSR can recommend changes in organization: consolidation, dissolution, merger,
establishment of a subsidiary district, or the creation of a new agency that typically involves a
consolidation of agencies. Those changes of organization will also require an environmental review
and a tax sharing agreement, and under certain circumstances require an election.
1.4 – Sphere of Influence
This report includes SOI recommendations and analysis for each agency in chapter six. CKH requires
LAFCO to adopt an SOI for each city and special district in the County. An SOI is defined by CKH in
Government Code Section (GC) 56076 as “a plan for the probable physical boundary and service
area of a local agency or municipality as determined by the Commission.”
LAFCO must make determinations with respect to the following factors when establishing or
reviewing an SOI:
Present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space
lands. This consists of a review of current and planned land uses based on planning
documents to include agricultural and open-space lands.
Present and probable need for public facilities and services. This includes a review of
the services available in the area and the need for additional services.
Present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services provided by the
agency. This section includes an analysis of the capacity of public facilities and the
adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide.
Social or economic communities of interest. This section discusses the existence of
any social or economic community of interest in the area if the Commission
determines that they are relevant to the agency. These are areas that may be
affected by services provided by the city or may be receiving services in the future.
Present and probable need for services to disadvantaged unincorporated
communities. Beginning July 1, 2012 the Commission must also consider services to
disadvantaged communities which are defined as inhabited areas within the SOI
whose median household income is less than or equal to 80 percent of the statewide
median income.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Introduction
An SOI may be amended or updated. An amendment is a relatively limited change to the sphere or
map to accommodate a specific project. Amendments can add or remove territory, address a
change in provision of services by an agency, or revise a plan for services when it becomes
impractical. An update is a comprehensive review of the SOI that includes the map and relevant
portions of one or more MSRs. The review allows for the identification of areas that are likely to
receive services and to exclude those territories that are not or will not be served from the SOI. CKH
requires updates to each local agency’s SOI at least every five years, as necessary (GC 56425).
1.5 – California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
The Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq., also known as the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA), requires public agencies to evaluate the potential environmental effects of their
actions. Napa LAFCO has determined that this MSR is exempt from further environmental review
under CEQA pursuant to California Code of Regulations Section 15306. This finding would be based
on the Commission determining with certainty the MSR is limited to basic data collection, research,
and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an
environmental resource. Additionally, affirming each subject agencies’ SOI with no changes, as
recommended in this report, would be exempt from further review under CEQA pursuant to
California Code of Regulations Section 15061(b)(3). This finding would be based on the Commission
determining with certainty that affirming each SOI would have no possibility of significantly effecting
the environment given no new land use or municipal service authority is granted.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Introduction
2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1 – Introduction and Background
The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of Napa County implements the Cortese-Knox-
Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (CKH) providing for the logical, efficient,
and most appropriate formation of local municipalities, service areas, and special districts. CKH
requires all LAFCOs, including Napa LAFCO, to conduct a municipal service review (MSR) prior to
updating the spheres of influence (SOI) of the cities and special districts in the County (GC Section
56430). CKH requires an MSR and SOI update every five years, as necessary.
The following definitions apply to this report:
“Local agency” (GC 56054) is defined as a city, county, or special district.
“Special district” (GC 56036) is defined as an agency of the state formed pursuant to general law or
special act, for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited
boundaries and in areas outside district boundaries when authorized by the commission pursuant to
GC 56133 or GC 56133.5. A special district includes a county service area.
“Dependent special district” (GC 56032.5) is defined as a special district whose governing body
consists of ex officio members who are officers of a county (i.e. county supervisors) or another local
agency (i.e. city council members) who are not appointed to fixed terms.
Based on the definitions above, this South County Region MSR and SOI Updates covers three local
agencies: the City of American Canyon, American Canyon Fire Protection District (ACFPD), and
County Service Area (CSA) 3. This report provides Napa LAFCO with all necessary and relevant
information and MSR determinations pursuant to GC 56430 for all three subject agencies. This
report will also make SOI recommendations and provide analysis to update the SOIs of these three
agencies. The sphere analysis appears in chapter six.
2.1.1 - Municipal Service Review
This MSR will make determinations in each of the seven areas prescribed by CKH and one additional
area identified in Napa LAFCO’s locally adopted policy on MSRs. This MSR evaluates the structure
and operation of the each of the agencies and discusses possible areas for improvement and
coordination. The report contains one section for each of the following eight elements:
Growth and population projections for the affected area.
The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or
contiguous to the sphere of influence.
Present and planned capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services including
infrastructure needs or deficiencies.
Financial ability of agencies to provide services.
Status of and opportunities for shared facilities.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Introduction
Accountability for community service needs, including government structure and operational
efficiencies.
Matters Related to Effective or Efficient Service Delivery Required by Commission Policy.
Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies.
The MSR is used to shed light on the operations of each local agency, identify agencies unable to
perform their functions, or identify ways to provide more effective, efficient services. GC 56375
allows LAFCO to take action on recommendations contained in the MSR, such as initiating changes
of organization and updating SOIs. A change of organization can include consolidation, dissolution,
merger, establishment of a subsidiary district, or the creation of a new agency. Those changes of
organization require environmental review and a tax sharing agreement. Additionally, certain
changes of organization require an election.
2.1.2 - Sphere of Influence
This report includes SOI recommendations and analysis for each agency. CKH requires LAFCO to
adopt an SOI for each city and each special district in the County. An SOI is defined by CKH in
Government Code Section 56076 as “a plan for the probable physical boundary and service area of a
local agency or municipality as determined by the Commission.”
An SOI may be amended or updated. An amendment is a relatively limited change to the sphere or
map to accommodate a specific project. Amendments can add or remove territory, address a
change in provision of services by an agency, or revise a plan for services when it becomes
impractical.
An update is a comprehensive review of the sphere that includes the map and relevant portions of
one or more MSRs. The review allows for the identification of areas that are likely to receive services
and to exclude those territories that are not or will not be served from the SOI. CKH requires
updates at least every five years or as needed.
LAFCO must make determinations with respect to the following factors when amending,
establishing, reviewing, or updating an SOI:
Present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space
lands. This consists of a review of current and planned land uses based on planning
documents to include agricultural and open-space lands.
Present and probable need for public facilities and services. This includes a review
of the services available in the area and the need for additional services.
Present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services provided by the
agency. This section includes an analysis of the capacity of public facilities and the
adequacy of public services that the city provides or is authorized to provide.
Social or economic communities of interest. This section discusses the existence of
any social or economic community of interest in the area if the Commission
determines that they are relevant to the city/district. These are areas that may be
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affected by services provided by the city/district or may be receiving services in the
future.
Present and probable need for services to disadvantaged unincorporated
communities. The commission must consider services to disadvantaged
unincorporated communities, which are defined as inhabited areas within the SOI
whose median household income is less than or equal to 80% of the statewide
median income.
2.1.3 - California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
The Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq., also known as the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA), requires public agencies to evaluate the potential environmental effects of their
actions. Napa LAFCO has determined the MSR component of the final report is exempt from further
environmental review under CEQA pursuant to California Code of Regulations Section 15306. This
finding would be based on the Commission determining with certainty the MSR is limited to basic
data collection, research, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major
disturbance to an environmental resource. Additionally, affirming the three subject agencies’ SOIs
with no changes, as recommended in this report, would be exempt from further review under CEQA
pursuant to California Code of Regulations Section 15061(b)(3). This finding would be based on the
Commission determining with certainty that affirming each SOI would have no possibility of
significantly effecting the environment given no new land use or municipal service authority is
granted.
2.2 – City of American Canyon
The City of American Canyon encompasses approximately six square miles at the southern end of
Napa County. The City boundaries are contiguous with the Solano County and City of Vallejo
boundaries, and extend north towards the Napa County Airport and east towards the Sulphur
Springs Mountains. The City is also on the northern edge of outward growth from the San Francisco
Bay Area. The City is bordered by predominantly rural and agricultural land uses.
In July 2008, the City and the County of Napa agreed to an Urban Limit Line (ULL) to demark the
allowable growth for the City. All annexations to the City that were approved by LAFCO after the ULL
was established were consistent with the ULL boundaries.
2.2.1 - Growth and Population Projections
The City’s current population is approximately 20,570. Future development is limited by the ULL.
Most of the undeveloped area in the ULL has been built out. One of the largest remaining areas with
the potential to be developed is Watson Ranch, which will add approximately 1,200 homes and up
to 4,000 residents. The City certified a Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Watson
Ranch project in November 2018. While growth will be slower than the past decade, the population
of the City is expected to grow at a rate of 1% a year, resulting in a projected resident population of
23,700 in 2030.
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2.2.2 - Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities
There are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities in and around the City. The MHI (median
household income) of $81,955 for the area is well above the 80% of the statewide MHI threshold.
2.2.3 - Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Services
Water
The City relies on surface water from three main sources, the State Water Project, permit (raw)
water from the City of Vallejo, and treated water from Vallejo. American Canyon also has
agreements for emergency supplies from Napa and Vallejo. Water is treated at the City’s water
treatment facility with a capacity of 5.5 million gallons and storage capacity of 4.7 million gallons.
Recycled water supplements the demands for non-potable water. The City’s recently updated Urban
Water Management Plan demonstrates that the City has sufficient water to meet projected needs in
the next 20 years.
Wastewater
The City operates the Wastewater Recycling Facility (WWTP) at 151 Mezzetta Ct. at the western
edge of the City. The WWTP was designed to treat an average flow of 2.5 million gallons per day
(mgd), with a wet weather capacity of 5.0, mgd and a peak flow of 3.75 mgd. The daily average
treatment over the last five years ranged from 1.54 to 1.62 mgd, well below the capacity of 2.5 mgd.
Capacity of the WWTP is sufficient to accommodate future growth within the timeframe of this
review.
Analysis of the sewer system for the Sewer Master Plan determined that without capital
improvements the system does not have the capacity to accommodate buildout of already approved
projects. With near-term capital improvements estimated at $35 million, the system along with
reduced flow velocity is capable of accommodating growth in the next five years.
Law Enforcement
The City of American Canyon contracts with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement.
There are 24 sworn personnel or 1.2 per thousand population. The Sheriff’s Office also provides
mutual aid to the City. In the past five years, calls for service ranged from 17,057 to 19,703 or an
average of 18,320 with no discernable trend. During the same period crimes ranged from 551 to
773.
Parks and Recreation
The park system currently consists of 79 acres in 22 parks and three community centers. In 1994 the
City had 6.14 acres per 1,000 residents. However, recent development in American Canyon has
outpaced the development of new parkland and reduced this ratio to 3.4 acres per 1,000 residents.
The City has set a standard of 5 acres per thousand following the Quimby Act. Parks and Recreation
has conducted a needs assessment that found residents have an unmet need for community parks,
softball fields, dog parks, recreation centers, and a senior center.
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Street Maintenance and Traffic
The City Department of Public Works, Streets and Storm Drain Division is responsible for street
maintenance that includes 38 miles of streets, 1,233 streetlights, four traffic signals, sidewalks, curbs
gutters, crosswalks, signs, and lane striping. The PCI averages to 67 for the City, which is considered
good. In 2015 the City resurfaced 1.75 miles of streets and in 2016 only 0.15 miles.
A recent traffic study analyzed approximately 25 intersections in the City, nine of which do not
currently operate at acceptable levels of service (LOS) according to their designated LOS. Seven of
those nine are under the jurisdiction of CALTRANS.
American Canyon Transit provides bus service through the Napa Valley Transportation Authority
(NVTA), which includes both fixed route and door-to-door service to residents. Mass transit along
with implementation of the countywide bicycle plan will help to reduce traffic congestion.
Stormwater
The Department of Public Works, Streets and Stormwater Division maintains the City’s storm
drainage system. Stormwater drains westward toward the Napa River.
Solid Waste
The City contracts with Recology for solid waste pick up and disposal. Waste collected from
American Canyon is first delivered to the Devlin Road Recycling and Transfer Facility for sorting
before being sent to nearby landfills. The final destination is the Potrero Hills Landfill, which has
sufficient capacity until 2048.
2.2.4 - Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
The City’s annual budget for FY 18 is $21.7 million for general fund activities. On average, property
tax comprises 42% of revenues and sales taxes 10%. The Police Department accounts for
approximately 28% of expenses followed by Community Development and Public Works at 26%.
Debt service accounts for 4%.
Water and wastewater are considered enterprise funds, which are funded by charges. Over the
period from FY 12 to FY 16, charges average $10.84 million against expenses of $10.14 million.
2.2.5 - Status of and Opportunities for Shared Facilities
The City works cooperatively with a number of agencies to provide enhanced law enforcement,
transportation, water, and tourism to the City. The City exhibits management efficiencies through its
multiple long-range plans that include fiscal, water, wastewater, and parks.
2.2.6 - Government Structure and Accountability
The City is a general law city governed by a five-member city council who also acts as the Board of
Directors of the subsidiary district, the American Canyon Fire Protection District. The City Council
meets on the first and third Tuesday. Meetings are televised and taped. The public is also invited to
participate in one of the five standing commissions and committees appointed by the Council. The
City is staffed with 83.5 full-time-equivalent positions.
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2.2.7 - Effect of LAFCO Policies on Service Delivery
No Napa LAFCO policies would affect service delivery.
2.2.8 - Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies
The City has designated an area as a Priority Development Area (PDA), which represents infill
development that is consistent with CKH and Plan Bay Area infill policies.
2.3 – American Canyon Fire Protection District
The American Canyon Fire Protection District (ACFPD) provides fire protection services to
approximately 4,395 acres including all of the City of American Canyon as well as some area to the
north and east of the City. ACFPD’s jurisdictional boundary extends to the Napa River to the west,
the City of Vallejo to the south, and Interstate 80 to the east. Land uses in ACFPD vary and include
residential, commercial, industrial, and rural uses. ACFPD is a dependent special district given it is a
subsidiary district with the American Canyon City Council acting as ACFPD’s ex officio Board of
Directors (GC 56078).
ACPFD provides structural, wildland fire suppression, Type I Urban Search and Rescue (single
resource), building inspection, and Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical services.
Emergency response staff, including reserve and volunteer on-call personnel, are trained to provide
emergency medical service at the ALS level. Engine companies include at least one licensed and
accredited paramedic among the first responders to these types of calls. A private ambulance
company, American Medical Response (AMR Napa), provides ALS and transport to the hospital.
ACFPD reviews all applications for construction and new commercial, occupancy changes, or tenant
changes that are within its service area and require a building permit.
2.3.1 - Growth and Population Projections
The estimated population of ACFPD is approximately 20,570 and is expected to increase at a rate
nearly identical to that of the City of American Canyon. The City is expected to grow by 1% annually,
so the population of ACFPD is expected to reach 23,700 by 2030.
2.3.2 - Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities
A review of census data and the American Canyon General Plan reveals that the median household
income (MHI) for the City of American Canyon, which includes most of the District, was $81,955
which exceeds the threshold of 80% of the statewide MHI. Since the MHI exceeds the threshold,
there are no DUCs within ACFPD or its SOI.
2.3.3 - Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Services
ACFPD provides structural, wildland fire suppression services, and emergency medical and rescue
services. ACFPD owns two stations but currently operates from one fire station staffed by full-time
personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year. ACFPD supplements this coverage with
additional volunteer personnel who respond by phone when needed. The apparatus located at the
Fire Station at 911 Donaldson Drive east of State Route 29 includes three Type 1 engines, one Type 3
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brush engine, two Type 6 brush units, one truck with an aerial ladder, one 2,000-gallon water
tender/pumper, two utility pick-up vehicles, and two command vehicles.
Since 2010, annual calls for service have steadily increased from 1,335 to 1,710. Annual calls for
service are expected to marginally increase as the City builds out through 2030. In 2016, ACFPD
responded to 76% of all calls within five minutes. The ACFPD service area currently has an Insurance
Services Office (ISO) rating of Class 2/2Y (on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the best).
2.3.4 - Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
ACFPD’s expenditures over the period FY 13 to FY 16 averaged $3,991,112 while revenues averaged
$4,461,219. ACFPD derives most of its revenues from property taxes (73%) and two voter-approved
special assessment fees. The special assessment for fire accounts for 12% while the special
assessment for Capital Facility Mitigation accounts for 2%. Of the total expenditures, approximately
85% goes to personnel costs. ACFPD has no long-term debt. Facilities, equipment, and capital
improvements are funded through the Fleet Facilities and Equipment Fund.
2.3.5 - Status of and Opportunities for Shared Facilities
ACFPD works cooperatively with County, state, and local agencies. Through the County Fire
Department, ACFPD has automatic aid agreements with CSA 3 and CALFIRE to provide coverage for
the 61 square mile South County service area and other areas as needed. ACFPD also has mutual aid
agreements with the City of Vallejo, and provides regional heavy rescue US&R certified response as
needed. These agreements provide coverage for the 61 square mile South County service area.
ACFPD exhibits management efficiencies through its many long-range planning activities. ACFPD
recently completed a five-year strategic plan and has proceeded to accomplish those goals as
documented in its annual reports.
2.3.6 - Government Structure and Accountability
The City Council of American Canyon serves as the Board of Directors for ACFPD, which consists of
five members including a directly elected Mayor and four members elected to four-year staggered
terms. They meet regularly on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. ACFPD does not maintain a
website but has a link on the City website at www.cityofamericancanyon.org/city-departments/fire-
district. ACFPD staff includes 20 career personnel, which is sufficient to provide fire protection and
advanced life support emergency medical services.
2.3.7 - Effect of LAFCO Policies on Service Delivery
LAFCO policies for the efficient provision of services apply as guides to orderly growth and services.
2.3.8 - Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies
ACFPD participates in mutual aid and automatic aid agreements with CALFIRE and other local
departments. ACFPD sends strike teams to support efforts to suppress wildland fires in the region.
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2.4 – County Service Area 3
County Service Area (CSA) law allows for two types of CSAs. Some counties treat CSAs as just
another special district. Others, like Napa County, treat CSAs as merely financing devices of the
county government. CSA 3 is organized under the County Service Area Law in California Government
Code Sections 25210.1–25217.4. Originally formed by the County Board of Supervisors in 1979, CSA
3 funds fire suppression and prevention, rescue, hazardous materials (first response), and
basic/advanced emergency medical care as well as median landscaping, street lighting, and various
street maintenance services. CSA 3 contracts out for street maintenance. CSA 3 partially funds the
Napa County Fire Department, which has an agreement with CALFIRE. CSA 3’s jurisdictional
boundary and service area is approximately 2.7 square miles or 1,742 acres, and includes
unincorporated properties that predominantly comprise commercial and industrial land uses as well
as the Napa County Airport area.
2.4.1 - Growth and Population Projections
The estimated current population of seven is expected to remain unchanged, as any development
would be expected to be an industrial use consistent with the zoning for the area.
2.4.2 - Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities
Since there are fewer than 12 registered voters within CSA 3 it is considered uninhabited. Therefore,
by definition there are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities.
2.4.3 - Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Services
CSA 3 is a dependent special district that funds fire suppression and street services such as street
sweeping and street lights. CSA 3 contains no facilities but relies on other agencies such as Napa
County Fire to provide needed facilities and services.
2.4.4 - Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
CSA 3’s operating budget varies from $400,000 to $500,000 per year. CSA 3 derives most of its
revenues from two voter-approved special assessments one for fire and one for streets.
Expenditures go to Napa County Fire for fire services and to a number of small contractors who
provide street sweeping and streetlight maintenance. CSA 3 has no long-term debt. Financing and
capital improvements are funded through County Public Works and Fire Department budgets.
2.4.5 - Status of and Opportunities for Shared Facilities
CSA 3 owns no facilities to share.
2.4.6 - Government Structure and Accountability
The County Board of Supervisors serves as the Board of Directors for CSA 3, which consists of five
members elected at large to four-year staggered terms. The Board generally meets each Tuesday of
each month but no more than four times a month. CSA 3 does not maintain a website but has a link
on the County Department of Public Works website at www.countyofnapa.org /publicworks/csa.
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2.4.7 - Effect of LAFCO Policies on Service Delivery
LAFCO policies for the efficient provision of services apply.
2.4.8 - Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies
CSA 3 provides funding for fire and street maintenance services which are important in operating
and maintaining the Napa County Airport. The Napa County Airport is part of the network of
facilities that are essential for goods movement in Napa County.
2.5 – Sphere of Influence Considerations
This section summarizes SOI recommendations for the City, ACFPD, and CSA 3.
2.5.1 - City of American Canyon
The City of American Canyon includes approximately six square miles at the southern end of Napa
County. American Canyon’s SOI was originally adopted by LAFCO at the time of the City’s
incorporation in 1992. It has been LAFCO’s practice to defer any SOI expansions until such time that
specific land uses within the affected territory are known. Therefore, it is recommended the
Commission affirm the City’s existing SOI as part of this review. If expansion of the City’s SOI is to
occur in the future, it is recommended the City first identify specific land uses through the General
Plan and pre-zoning processes, which would involve addressing the requirements of CEQA with the
City as lead agency.
2.5.2 - American Canyon Fire Protection District
ACFPD provides fire protection services to approximately 4,395 acres, including all of the City of
American Canyon’s jurisdictional boundary as well as certain areas to the north and east of the City.
One of the main governance considerations is service to rural and open space areas adjacent to
ACFPD. While the ACFPD station covers the City, ACFPD has its station and additional capabilities
closer to much of the rural areas east of the City. ACFPD and County of Napa have worked under an
automatic aid agreement for many years whereby ACFPD responds to areas east and south of their
station for the County. However, due to uncertainties regarding potential impacts to the County and
CSA 3, it is recommended the Commission affirm ACFPD’s SOI with no changes as part of this review.
If changes to ACFPD’s SOI are to occur in the future, it is recommended ACFPD first reach an
agreement with the County with respect to potential impacts on CSA 3.
2.5.3 - County Service Area 3
CSA 3’s jurisdictional boundary consists of the Airport Industrial Area. Any development is limited to
building out the industrial area within CSA 3’s current boundary. Since there is no anticipated
expansion of services provided by CSA 3 beyond the current SOI, the recommendation is to affirm
the current SOI with no changes.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
3: CITY OF AMERICAN CANYON
The City of American Canyon encompasses approximately six square miles at the southern end of
Napa County. The City is bounded geographically by the Napa River to the west, the eastern foothills
of the Sulphur Springs Mountain Range to the east, the City of Vallejo to the south, and the Napa
Airport to the north. Rural and agricultural land uses border the city. The City is on the northern
edge of outward growth from the San Francisco Bay Area.
American Canyon also has a sphere of influence (SOI) that was approved by LAFCO at the time of
incorporation in 1992 and updated in 2010. Exhibit 3-1 shows the City and its current SOI.
In July 2008, the City and County reached consensus on an Urban Limit Line (ULL) for the City of
American Canyon. The Urban Limit Line Memorandum of Understanding (ULL MOU) enabled the
City to submit an application to LAFCO to annex property on its northern and eastern boundaries. In
exchange, Napa County obtained assurances that the City of American Canyon would provide new
potable water connections to the Napa Airport Business Park through the normal city process. Table
3-1 shows recent annexations to the City of American Canyon. All the annexations took place after
the ULL was established.
Table 3-1: Recent Annexations to the City of American Canyon
PROPOSAL NAME ACRES COMPLETION DATE
Eucalyptus Grove/American Canyon High School 157.1 January 18, 2011
Devlin Road/South Kelly Road 267.2 January 18, 2011
Town Center 434.0 September 20, 2011
American Canyon Middle School/Clarke Ranch West 51.0 December 9, 2011
Devlin Road/South Kelly Road No. 2 1.1 December 14, 2012
Canyon Estates 38.2 July 30, 2015
Source: Napa LAFCO 2017
3.1 – Growth and Population Projections
Since its incorporation, the City has increased residential development and added a large amount of
business and commercial expansion along the State Route 29 corridor. In 1990, the Census Bureau
reported the population of the American Canyon Census Designated Place as 7,706. The City
experienced rapid growth between 2000 and 2008, a 66.7 percent increase, with an average annual
growth rate of 8.3 percent. However, population growth has been slow in recent years as the
recession impacted housing development. Since 2010, the average annual growth rate has been less
than 2 percent.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
The California Department of Finance (DOF) estimated the population of American Canyon at 20,570
on January 1, 2017, which represents an increase of 1.1% from January 1, 2016. According to the
DOF, American Canyon is the fastest-growing city in Napa County. Table 3-2 shows the change in
population for the cities and the county from 2016 to 2017.
Table 3-2: Current Population Estimates
POPULATION POPULATION
JURISDICTION 1/1/16 1/1/17 % CHANGE
Napa County 141,888 142,408 0.4
American Canyon 20,338 20,570 1.1
Calistoga 5,226 5,238 0.2
Napa 80,442 80,628 0.2
St Helena 6,018 6,033 0.2
Yountville 2,996 2,935 -2.0
Balance of County 26,868 27,004 0.5
Source: CA Department of Finance 2017
The City has a number of constraints to growth. Growth is restricted by the airport’s flyover zones to
the north. The Napa County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) was developed to help
local jurisdictions identify land uses compatible with an airport. The ALUCP established compatibility
zones around the airport. The City of Vallejo limits growth to the south. The natural constraints to
the east are the eastern foothills of the Sulphur Springs Mountain Range, and to west, the Napa
River. In addition, the City Council approved a “Zero Water Footprint” in 2008. The Zero Water
Footprint Policy requires new development to offset its potable water demand by funding conservation
of an equivalent amount of potable water elsewhere in the system or provide a new water source to
offset demand.
In addition, there is a ULL agreement with the County. In 2008, the City and the County agreed to a
Memorandum of Understanding about the ultimate growth boundary of the City through 2030. The
Memorandum of Understanding created a ULL to preserve agriculture and open space areas around
the City with the added purpose to prevent urban sprawl and direct growth into urbanized areas.
The ULL provides the City with opportunities for growth that is mutually acceptable to the County.
There are several projects currently under development or proposed for development in the near
future. Table 3-3 shows recent projects that are in progress or recently completed. The largest
project is Watson Ranch, which will add approximately 1,200 homes and up to 4,000 residents.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
Exhibit 3-1: City of American Canyon Boundary Map
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
Table 3-3: Recent Development Projects
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND STATUS STATUS
Canyon Estates Consists of 35 single family custom homes. Approved tentative map
General Plan amendment is complete and the
application for a tentative map was approved on
February 16, 2016.
Village at Vintage Ranch Consists of 164 multi-family condominiums. Approved
Entitlements have been approved and the
applicant is seeking a building permit.
Canyon Ridge Apartments Proposes to develop 148 rental apartment units, Completed in 2017
(also referred to as Napa including 74 one-bedroom and 74 two-bedroom
Junction III in the units. Entitlements for the project have been
Transportation Impact approved, and the applicant is seeking a building
Study) permit.
Valley View Senior Housing Would develop 70 affordable senior housing Under construction
rental units, including 66 one-bedroom and 4
two-bedroom units.
Watson Ranch 1,253 single family and multifamily homes, Environmental review
Includes redevelopment of Napa Valley Ruins and
Gardens
Broadway District Specific 1200 multi-family dwelling units 840,000 square Environmental review
Plan feet of non-residential development
Source: City of American Canyon 2016b.
Population projections developed for the Urban Water Management Plan estimate that the City will
continue to grow at a rate of 1% per year. Table 3-4 shows that by 2030 the population is
anticipated to reach 23,700.
Table 3-4: Population Forecasts Napa County Jurisdictions
PERCENT CHANGE
2010- 2020- 2030- 2010-
JURISDICTION NAME 2010 2020 2030 2040 2020 2030 2040 2040
Napa County Total 136,484 144,200 153,100 163,700 5.7% 6.2% 6.9% 19.9%
American Canyon 19,454 21,500 23,700 26,200 10.5% 10.2% 10.5% 34.7%
Calistoga 5,155 5,300 5,500 5,600 2.8% 3.8% 1.8% 8.6%
Napa 76,915 80,700 85,100 90,300 4.9% 5.5% 6.1% 17.4%
St. Helena 5,814 6,000 6,100 6,300 3.2% 1.7% 3.3% 8.4%
Yountville 2,933 3,100 3,400 3,800 5.7% 9.7% 11.8% 29.6%
Source: City of American Canyon 2016a
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
DETERMINATIONS
3.1.1 Current population is 20,570. The population is expected to grow at a rate of 1% a year so
that in 2030 there would be up to 23,700 residents.
3.2 – Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities
In 2012, Senate Bill 244 (Wolk), pertaining to disadvantaged unincorporated communities, went into
effect. The legislation was designed to promote infrastructure improvement investments in
disadvantaged areas. It established new requirements for LAFCOs and land use agencies (cities and
counties), requiring them to identify disadvantaged unincorporated communities and to consider
the provision of water, wastewater, and structural fire protection services to these areas.
The term “disadvantaged unincorporated community” is defined by CKH as inhabited territory (12 or
more registered voters) with an MHI less than 80% of the California MHI.
This year the California MHI is $64,500 so the threshold is $52,600. In 2015, the median household
income of the City was $81,955. The City is in census tract 2011 where the median household
income is $83,083, well above the $52,600 threshold. Therefore, there are no disadvantaged
unincorporated communities.
DETERMINATIONS
3.2.1 There are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the City’s
SOI.
3.3 – Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities
Most recently formed cities, such as American Canyon, provide at a minimum police, planning, and
public works services. American Canyon contracts with the Napa County Sheriff for law enforcement
but does have in-house Planning and Public Works departments. In addition, upon incorporation,
the City became the successor agency to the American Canyon County Water District (ACCWD). The
ACCWD provided potable water and wastewater services. Also passed to American Canyon were a
number of contracts that entitle the City to State Water Project Allocation via the North Bay
Aqueduct.
In addition, upon incorporation, the formerly independent American Canyon Fire Protection District
(ACFPD) became a subsidiary district of the City. Under the agreement, all administrative duties
relating to fire protection are handled by ACFPD, which operates under its own budget and revenue
sources. As a subsidiary district, the Board of Directors is the City Council. ACFPD is reviewed in
chapter four of this MSR.
3.3.1 - Water
The City of American Canyon owns and operates the City’s water system, which serves residential,
commercial, industrial, and agricultural users within a service area of approximately 6 square miles.
Exhibit 3-2 shows the boundary that includes territory within the city limits, the Napa Airport
Industrial Park, additional industrial and commercial land north of State Route 29, and a small
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
number of residential customers located outside the city limits but within the service area. In total,
the system consists of 5,621 connections.
Supply
The City’s potable water supply consists entirely of imported water purchased from sources outside
of the City. The City currently receives the majority of its potable water supplies from three surface
water sources: the State Water Project (SWP), permit raw water from the City of Vallejo, and
treated water from Vallejo. The City’s primary water sources are:
State Water Project water, purchased from the Napa County Flood Control and Water
Conservation District. SWP is a state-wide water management project under the
supervision of the Department of Water Resources (DWR), and SWP water used by
the City comes from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta)
Water purchased from City of Vallejo, including Vallejo Permit Water (raw water), and
Vallejo Treated Water and Vallejo Emergency Water (raw water)
The City operates a 5.5-million-gallon-per-day (mgd) Water Treatment Plant (WTP), located at 250
Kirkland Ranch Road, and maintains a distribution system to serve customers in multiple pressure
zones. In addition, the City has storage capacity of 4.70 million gallons.
All of the City’s raw water supplies are transported to the WTP via the North Bay Aqueduct system,
which is managed by the DWR and provides water to the Napa County Flood Control and Water
Conservation District, Napa Sanitation District, and the Solano County Water Agency. The North Bay
Aqueduct (NBA) system, part of the SWP, is diverted from the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta at the
Barker Slough Pumping Plant and conveyed through the NBA system approximately 21 miles to the
Cordelia Forebay. The SWP water is then travels an additional six miles to the Napa Turnout
Reservoir at Jamieson Canyon Road and then via the City’s transmission pipeline to the City’s WTP.
The City’s SWP entitlement is treated at the WTP or delivered as raw water to the City’s agricultural
(irrigation) customers. The City also maintains connections with the cities of Napa and Vallejo, which
provide treated water supplies if necessary.
In 2015, these sources provided 8,615 acre-feet per year (afy). Table 3-5 shows sources and
projected supply through 2035. The City anticipates the 8,615 afy will increase to 10,632 afy because
of increases in Vallejo Treated Water and recycled water.
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Table 3-5: Existing and Planned Contracted Sources of Water (afy)
WHOLESALE SOURCES 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035
SWP Deliveries 5,200 5,200 5,200 5,200 5,200
Vallejo Permit Water 500 500 500 500 500
Vallejo Emergency Water 500 500 500 500 500
Vallejo Treated Water 2,075 2,641 3,207 3,207 3,207
City’s Water Recycling Plant 200 600 1,000 1,000 1,000
Napa Sanitation District Recycled
170 200 225 225 225
Water
Total 8,645 9,641 10,632 10,632 10,632
Source: City of American Canyon. 2016b.
Reliability
Table 3-6 shows projected supply for normal, single dry year and multiple dry years compared to
contracted volumes. Table 3-6 presents the projected sources and their estimated reliability for
2021–2040. The table shows that if demand remained at 2015 levels there would be sufficient water
supply.
Table 3-6: Projected Water Supplies for 2021-2040
SWP SWP VALLEJO VALLEJO VALLEJO
TABLE A ARTICLE 21 PERMIT TREATED EMERGENCY
TYPE WATER WATER WATER WATER(2) WATER TOTAL(3)
Maximum Contracted
5,200 N/A(1) 500 3,206 500 8,906
Volume
3-7
DETCEJORP
Average (Normal)
3,224 189 500 3,206 0 7,119
Year
Single-Dry Year 260 0 500 2,565 500 3,825
Multiple-Dry Years
1,144 124 500 2,565 500 4,833
Year 1
Multiple-Dry Years
1,144 124 500 2,565 500 4,833
Year 2
Multiple-Dry Years
1,144 124 500 2,565 400 4,733
Year 3
Notes:
All volumes are in acre-feet per year.
1 The amount of Article 21 water available varies by year.
2 The volumes shown are for years 2021–2040.
3 Vallejo Emergency Water is not included in the total for maximum contracted volume since it is only available in years
when SWP Table A water is curtailed.
Source: Kennedy Jenks Consultants 2016.
Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
Various factors and circumstances can impact the reliability of the City’s water supply. For example,
legal, environmental, water quality or climatic factors may constrain the availability of a water
source in any given year. As part of the Urban Water Management Plans (UWMP), the City
evaluated and estimated the reliability of each water source and its vulnerability to varying
hydrologic conditions (such as a drought) based on historically reliable information. Table 3-7 shows
a summary of the City’s actual (2015) and projected water supply sources and their estimated
reliability in average (normal) year, single dry year and multiple dry years for 2016-2020. Compared
with the actual amount of water used in 2015, there is sufficient supply for a single dry year or
multiple dry years.
Table 3-7: Summary of Imported (Potable and Raw) Water Supply Reliability
VALLEJO TREATED
SWP SWP VALLEJO
WATER
TABLE A ARTICLE 21 PERMIT VALLEJO
(TABLE 7-5)
WATER WATER WATER EMERGENCY TOTAL TOTAL
YEAR TYPE (TABLE 7-2) (TABLE 7-3) (TABLE 7-4) 2016-2020 2021-2040 WATER (2016-2020) (2021-2040)
Maximum
5,200 N/A* 500 2,640 3,206 500 8,340** 8,906**
Contracted Volume
Average 3,224 189 500 2,640 3,206 0 6,553 7,119
(Normal) Year (100%) — (100%) (100%) (100%) — (100%) (100%)
Single-Dry 260 0 500 2,112 2,565 500 3,372 3,825
Year (5%) — (100%) (80%) (80%) — (51%) (54%)
Multiple-Dry 1,144 124 500 2,112 2,565 500 4,380 4,833
Years 1st Year (22%) — (100%) (80%) (80%) — (67%) (68%)
Multiple-Dry 1,144 124 500 2,112 2,565 500 4,380 4,833
Years 2nd Year (22%) — (100%) (80%) (80%) — (67%) (68%)
Multiple-Dry 1,144 124 500 2,112 2,565 400 4,280 4,733
Years 3rd Year (22%) — (100%) (80%) (80%) — (65%) (66%)
Notes: All volumes are in acre-feet per year. % values in parentheses are percent of average year volume.
* The amount of Article 21 water available varies by year.
** Vallejo Emergency Water is not included in the total for contracted volume since it is only available in years when SWP Table A water is curtailed.
Source: Kennedy Jenks Consultants 2016.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates City of American Canyon
Demand
Table 3-8 shows projected demand by land use type. The demand is reflective of land uses and
projected residential and commercial/industrial development.
Table 3-8: Projected Demand 2020–2040 (Acre-feet per Year)
PROJECTED DEMAND
2015
USE TYPE ACTUAL 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Single Family Residential 1,102 1,562 1,712 1,861 2,011 2,171
Multi-Family Residential 142 174 190 207 223 241
Other—Commercial/Industrial/
854 1,087 1,177 1,267 1,357 1,448
Institutional
Landscape 175 247 247 247 247 247
Agricultural irrigation 56 56 0 0 0 0
Other—Miscellaneous 16 24 24 24 24 24
Losses 631 255 272 292 313 335
Total Demand (acre-feet per year) 2,976 3,405 3,622 3,898 4,175 4,466
Service Area Population 20,315 22,462 24,609 26,756 28,903 31,210
Note: All volumes are shown in acre-feet per year. One acre-foot is approximately 325,851 gallons.
Source: Kennedy Jenks Consultants 2016.
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Exhibit 3-2: Water Service Area Boundary
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Table 3-9 shows projected demand and supply for 2020 to 2040 for normal, single dry year and
multiple dry year scenarios. The table shows that a single dry year can lead to water shortages.
However, the City has agreements with Vallejo to supply water if there is a shortfall. The City
entered into a Water Service Agreement with the City of Vallejo in 1996 to purchase various
categories of water. The agreement allows 500 AFY of Vallejo permit water, through Vallejo’s
appropriative rights to Delta water that predate construction of the SWP, and varying quantities of
treated water from the Vallejo water supply. Under the agreement, the City may also purchase up to
500 AFY for emergency purposes.
Table 3-9: Imported Water Supply and Demand Comparison (Acre-feet per Year)
DEMAND 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
PROJECTED DEMAND 3,405 3,622 3,898 4,175 4,466
Projected Supply 6,553 7,119 7,119 7,119 7,119
Average (Normal)
Year
Surplus 3,148 3,497 3,221 2,944 2,653
Projected Supply 3,372 3,825 3,825 3,825 3,825
Single-Dry Year
Supply-Demand Difference* (-33) 203 (-73) (-350) (-641)
Projected Supply 4,380 4,833 4,833 4,833 4,833
Multiple-Dry Year,
Year 1
Surplus 975 1,211 935 658 367
Projected Supply 4,380 4,833 4,833 4,833 4,833
Multiple-Dry Year,
Year 2
Surplus 975 1,211 935 658 367
Projected Supply 4,280 4,733 4,733 4,733 4,733
Multiple-Dry Year,
Year 3
Surplus 875 1,111 835 558 267
Note:
* The negative numbers (in parentheses) indicate deficits.
Source: Kennedy Jenks Consultants 2016.
Recycled Water
The City supplements its potable water supply with recycled water for certain allowable non-potable
uses. The City adopted a Recycled Water Implementation Plan in 2005, and has been working to
expand its recycled water system in order to reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supply.
The City’s Water Reclamation Facility (WWTP) has the ability to produce recycled water that meets
the Title 22 standards for disinfected tertiary water. Title 22 (California Code of Regulations, Division
4, Chapter 3, Section 60301, et seq.) is the regulation that establishes the level of treatment, water
quality standards and the types of allowable uses for recycled water for the protection of public
health. According to Title 22, recycled water is suitable for landscape irrigation in residential and
commercial areas, school yards, parks, and playgrounds. The City’s recycled water is also used for
agricultural irrigation, dust control at construction sites and internal use at the WWTP.
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In 2015, the City’s recycled water distribution system delivered approximately 175 acre-feet of
water to both public and private users. In the coming years, the City will be increasing its recycled
water distribution by connecting users to the existing recycled water network and also by expanding
its distribution pipeline network to connect additional existing and future users. It is estimated that
there is over 1,200 acre-feet of recycled water demand within the City’s recycled water service area
at buildout, which is expected to occur in 2035.
In addition, Napa Sanitation District (NSD) provides wastewater collection/treatment and recycled
water services for northern portions of the City’s potable water service area, and recycled water to
some users in the northern part of the City’s water service area. NSD also provides wastewater
collection/treatment and recycled water services for the City of Napa and portions of
unincorporated Napa County. In 2015, NSD provided approximately 210 acre-feet of recycled water
for landscape and agricultural irrigation to customers located within the City of American Canyon’s
potable water service area. NSD is also planning to expand its recycled water distribution within that
service area. The total projected demand within the City’s water service area for both the City’s
recycled water and NSD’s recycled water is presented in Table 3-10.
Table 3-10: Projected Recycled Water Demand (acre-feet)
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
City of American Canyon Recycled Water 616 655 760 1,271 1,271
Napa Sanitation District Recycled Water 391 491 591 591 591
Total 1,007 1,146 1,351 1,862 1,862
Source: Kennedy Jenks Consultants 2016.
In recent years, the City has invested heavily in maximizing both the water quality and quantity of
recycled water produced at the Water Reclamation Facility, and have been successful in reducing
demand for potable water by as much as 450 acre-feet per year through conversion of potable
water uses for irrigation to recycled water and permanent changes to landscape and irrigation
techniques.
DETERMINATIONS
3.3.1 The City relies on surface water from three main sources, the State Water Project (SWP),
permit (raw) water from the City of Vallejo, and treated water from Vallejo. The City also has
agreements for emergency supplies from Napa and Vallejo.
3.3.2 The City’s water treatment facility has a capacity of 5.5 million gallons and storage capacity
of 4.70 million gallons.
3.3.3 The City also uses recycled water to meet some of its demands for non-potable water.
3.3.4 The City’s recently updated Urban Water Management Plan demonstrates that the City has
sufficient water to meet projected needs in the next 20 years.
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3.3.2 - Wastewater
Exhibit 3-3 shows the extent of wastewater services provided by the City which is the successor
agency to the ACCWD. The City of American Canyon Public Works Department operates the WWTP
and commissioned in 2002, at 151 Mezzetta Court, to provide wastewater collection, treatment, and
water recycling services to customers.
The WWTP collects and treats domestic and industrial wastewater through a system of 53 miles of
gravity pipelines, five pump stations, and 5 miles of sewer force mains. Pump stations convey flows
to the WWTP, which is located at the western edge of the City adjacent to the Napa River. The
WWTP is a secondary/tertiary treatment plant and was one of the first WWTPs in the country with
Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) and ultraviolet light (UV) disinfection. The WWTP treats the
wastewater to Title 22 standards and discharges either to the Napa River, via the wetlands, or to the
City’s recycled water distribution system.
The plant was designed to treat an average flow of 2.5 million gallons per day (mgd), wet weather
capacity of 5.0 mgd, and a peak flow of 3.75 mgd. The daily average treatment over the last five
years ranged from 1.54 to 1.62 mgd, well below the capacity of 2.5 mgd. That leaves additional
capacity to accommodate future growth within the time frame of this review.
As part of the sewer system master plan, a consultant evaluated the sewer pipe system under
current and buildout conditions. The analysis found several areas that needed attention as the flow
with approved development projects exceeded the pipe capacity. The master plan identifies near-
term (0 to 10 years) and long-term (11-20 years) capital improvement projects to alleviate
deficiencies. The near-term Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plan requires some $35 million in
projects. The near-term projects in conjunction with a reduction in flow velocity were sufficient to
accommodate buildout of proposed projects. Table 3-11 lists the near-term capital improvement
projects that accommodate growth. The term I/I refers to infiltration and inflow. As shown in the
table, most of the projects could be funded by wastewater operations.
DETERMINATIONS
3.3.5 The City operates the WWTP on Mezzetta at the western edge of the City. The WWTP was
designed to treat an average flow of 2.5 mgd, wet weather capacity of 5.0 mgd, and a peak
flow of 3.75 mgd. The daily average treatment over the last five years ranged from 1.54 to
1.62 mgd, well below the capacity of 2.5 mgd. That leaves additional capacity to
accommodate future growth within the time frame of this review.
3.3.6 Analysis of the sewer system for the Sewer Master Plan determined that without capital
improvements, the system does not have the capacity to accommodate buildout of already
approved projects. With near-term capital improvements estimated at $35 million, the
system—along with reduced flow velocity—is capable of accommodating growth.
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Exhibit 3-3: Wastewater Service Area
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Table 3-11: Sewer Collection System Near-term Capital Improvements (0–10 Years)
CIP PROJECT DRIVER FUNDING SOURCE ESTIMATED COST
SS1 Rio Del Mar Reduce I/I and reduce peak flow in
Wastewater Operations $7,170,000
Basin local sewers and Main Basin PS
SS2 Napa Logistics Increase capacity of Green Island
Wastewater Operations and
and Green Island PS, abandon Tower Road PS, and $18,800,000
Wastewater Capacity
Pump Station serve airport area development
Bypass peak flows away from
Sunset Meadows PS to the Main
SS3 Huntington Way Wastewater Operations $4,580,000
Basin PS, and upgrade capacity of
bypass sewer
SS4 Broadway, north
Reduce I/I and peak flows to Main Wastewater Operations and
of American Canyon $2,540,000
Basin PS, and serve Watson Ranch Wastewater Capacity
Rd
SS5 Summerfield Improve collection system
Wastewater Operations $370,000
Project hydraulics and access
Reduce I/I and peak flows to Main
SS6 Theresa Ave and
Basin PS, and replace/rehabilitate Wastewater Operations $2,050,000
Los Altos Dr
sewers in poor condition
Total Near-term CIP $35,510,000
Source: City of American Canyon 2016a
3.3.3 - Law Enforcement
The City contracts with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement. The American Canyon
Police Department is staffed by 24 sworn officers, two police technicians, and one administrative
clerk whose duties are shared with the Fire Department. Sworn staffing includes one Chief, four
Sergeants, two Traffic Officers, two K-9 Handlers, two School Resource Officers, one Community
Resource Officer, and 12 patrol officers, which average 1.2 officers per 1,000 population.
To make it easier for both the City of American Canyon and the Napa Sheriff’s Office to manage their
budgets and anticipate future expenses, the City enters into 3-year agreements, with changes in
service costs projected out over the 3-years. The previous agreement expired June 2016. The City
and County chose to enter into another 3-year agreement that will expire June 30, 2019.
There are a minimum of three officers on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the event a
situation arises requiring more than the officers in American Canyon, Napa Sheriff’s Office deputies
respond to calls for mutual aid.
Table 3-12 shows calls for services and other statistics for the most recent five years.
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Table 3-12: Calls for Service 2012–2016
ACTIVITY 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 AVERAGE
Calls for service 19,703 18,537 17,604 17,057 18,698 18,320
Reports 2,135 2,005 1,971 2,035 1,965 2,022
Arrests 859 765 665 475 523 657
Citations: misdemeanor 599 499 474 612 427 522
Source: American Canyon Police Department 2017
Table 3-13 shows the types of crimes that were reported within in American Canyon from 2012 to
2016. As shown, the number and type of reported crimes remains fairly constant each year, with the
most common crime being larceny (or theft of personal property) and homicide being the least
common with only one reported case.
Table 3-13: American Canyon Police Department Reported Crime 2012-2016
STATISTIC 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
CRIMES REPORTED REPORTED REPORTED REPORTED REPORTED
Homicide 0 0 0 1 0
Rape 8 5 2 7 7
Robbery 26 31 16 21 14
Assault 123 79 117 91 118
Burglary 119 92 100 98 58
Larceny 448 388 441 501 298
Theft: auto 49 32 31 44 56
Total 773 627 707 763 551
% Solved 54.86% 60.45% 55.45% 54.66% 43.40%
Source: American Canyon Police Department 2017
DETERMINATIONS
3.3.7 The City of American Canyon contracts with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office for law
enforcement. There are 24 sworn personnel or 1.2 per 1,000 population. The Sheriff’s Office
also provides mutual aid to the City.
3.3.8 In the past five years the City’s law enforcement calls for service ranged from 17,057 to
19,703 or an average of 18,320 with no discernable trend. During the same period crimes
ranged from 551 to 773.
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3.3.4 - Parks and Recreation
According to the 1994 General Plan, American Canyon exceeds its parkland standards of 5 acres per
1,000 residents, providing 6.14 acres per 1,000 residents. However, recent development in
American Canyon has outpaced the development of new parkland and reduced this ratio to 3.4
acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. The park system currently consists of 79 acres in 22 parks and
three community centers. The City also has 1,168 acres of publicly accessible open space or 56.68
acres per 1,000 residents. The City has four types of parks and three types of trails, which are
defined in the General Plan:
Mini Park: A park that is less than 1 acre in area that is not designed for active
recreational uses. These provide passive open space and buffering from adjacent
urban development and typically include elements such as walking paths and
benches.
Neighborhood Park: A park is between 2.5 and 5 acres in are primarily planned for
children 5 to 14 years of age. Ideally located within the center of a neighborhood and
sited adjacent to a school whenever possible, these parks provide such recreation
facilities as children’s play areas, picnic tables, and basketball courts. The service area
radius for a neighborhood park is 0.25 to 0.5 mile.
Community Park: A park designed to serve several neighborhoods that is planned for
youth and adults. These parks provide a wider range of activities and range in area
from 10 to 40 acres with facilities for indoor and outdoor recreational activities, such
as softball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, and community centers. The
service area radius for a community park is typically 1 to 1.5 miles.
Regional Park: At 50 acres or larger, regional parks are designed to serve both the
local community and people from surrounding communities. A regional park typically
includes significant natural features and provides outdoor recreational facilities, such
as picnicking, camping, and hiking, and special programs.
Urban Trail: A multi-purpose pedestrian/bicycle trail that connects residential areas
to regional and community parks, schools, and commercial and industrial
employment areas.
Rural Trail: A multi-purpose equestrian/pedestrian/bicycle trail that is typically
unpaved and used primarily for recreational purposes. These trails often link various
parts of a community and sometimes provide linkages between different
communities.
Bicycle Right-of-Way: Typically found adjacent to or on the outer edge of roads and
often integrated with urban and rural trails. It also provides additional access to
recreational, educational, and commercial/industrial employment areas.
City Park and Recreation Facilities
Table 3-14 shows City-owned park facilities in American Canyon. The table identifies 4 mini parks,
13 community parks, and 2 urban trails along with their unique features.
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Table 3-14: City Park Facilities
PARK OR TRAIL
FACILITY NAME ADDRESS CATEGORY SPECIFIC FEATURES
Banbury Park 100 Banbury Way Mini Park Benches, Open Turf Area
Bedford and Kensington 323 Bedford Lane Mini Park Playground
Cul De Sac
Clark Ranch NW corner Wetlands Community Park 4-H Club and Spirit Horse Nonprofit / Planned
Edge and Eucalyptus Dr. facilities include trails, community garden,
outdoor gathering area, dog park,
demonstration gardens
Community Park I 1400 Rio Grande Drive Community Park Playground, Picnic/BBQ Areas, Baseball/
Softball Fields, Volleyball Court, Pathways,
Horseshoe Pits, Open Turf Area, Restrooms
Community Park II 20 Benton Way Urban Trail Pathways, Memorial Grove
Danrose Basketball Courts 785 Danrose Drive Community Park Half Basketball Court
Elliott Power Line Park 2234 Elliott Drive Community Park Playground, Basketball Court, Community
Garden, Tennis Courts, Pathways
Gadwell Park 161 Gadwell Street Community Park Playground, Half Basketball Court, Picnic
Areas, Benches, Pathways
Kimberly Park 600 Kimberly Drive Community Park Soccer Fields, Backstop
Linwood Park 285 Linwood Lane Community Park Playground, Picnic/BBQ Areas, Pathways
Main Street Park 5050 Main Street Community Park Playground, Tennis Courts, Picnic/BBQ Areas,
Plaza, Pathways, Benches
Melvin Park 19 Melvin Road Community Park Playground, Tennis Courts, Picnic Area
Montecarlo Park 54 Montecarlo Way Urban Trail Pathways, Benches
Northampton Park 242 Northampton Drive Community Park Playground, Basketball Courts, Softball Field
Nottingham and Bentley 270 Nottingham Lane Mini Park Playground
Cul De Sac
Pelleria Park 54 Pelleria Drive Community Park Playground, Half Basketball Court, Picnic
Areas, Pathways, Benches
Shenandoah Park 100 Sonoma Creek Way Community Park Playground, Baseball Field, Basketball Court,
Soccer Field, Picnic/BBQ Areas, Restrooms
Silver Oak Park 485 Silver Oak Drive Community Park Playground, Baseball Field, Soccer Field,
Picnic/BBQ Areas
Veterans Memorial Park 2801 Broadway Street Mini Park Playground, Benches
Via Bellagio Park 100 Via Bellagio Community Park Playground, Picnic Areas, Benches, Open Turf,
Pathways
Wetlands Edge Park 205 Wetlands Edge Rd. Urban Trail Trail
Source: City of American Canyon, 2016b.
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Table 3-15 shows the recreation facilities located within American Canyon Community Park II is
located near Donaldson Way Elementary School and Archways Community Day School, at the
intersection of Donaldson Way and Benton Way. The Community Park II is a hub of recreation
activities, as it is adjacent to the Philip West Aquatics Center, the City skate park, and a publicly
accessible gymnasium that belongs to Napa Valley Unified School District.
Table 3-15: Recreation Facilities
FACILITY NAME ADDRESS TYPE/USES
American Canyon Recreation Center 2185 Elliot Drive Assembly Room, Small Kitchen, Restrooms
Gymnasium, Stage, Meeting Room, Philip
Community Park II 100 Benton Way West Aquatics Center, skate park,
Restroom
Skate Park 100 Benton Way 13,000 Square Foot Skate Park
Little League Complex 280 Napa Junction Road Baseball Fields, Snack Bar, Playground
Swimming Pool, Wading Pool, Office, Snack
Philip West Aquatics Center 20 Benton Way
Bar, Restrooms, Dressing Rooms
Assembly Room, Full Commercial Kitchen,
Senior Multi-Use Center 2234 Elliot Drive Multi-Use Room, Restrooms, Foyer,
Banquets and Meetings Rental
Source: City of American Canyon, 2016b.
In addition, the Parks Department works with the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation
with the shared goal of promoting citizen participation in programs and advocating for the
importance of parks in the community. The foundation is composed of dedicated community
volunteers who are committed to supporting the Parks and Recreation Department through
fundraising efforts, as well as by offering unique outdoor experiences.
Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment
In early 2016, the City published a Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment that provided insight
into programming needs that are not being met by City’s parks and recreation facilities. The study
also identified the best way to direct funding and improvements to meet the specific desires of the
community. The assessment compared the City’s park system with other similar cities nearby and
determined that the City possesses more total park acreage, just below the upper quartile of
respondent municipalities on these measures in national benchmarking data. However, the City falls
to just above the lower quartile in terms of total park and facility sites because of its lack of indoor
facilities.
With respect to parks and recreation facilities, the assessment determined that residents of
American Canyon have an unmet need for outdoor exercise and fitness areas, covered picnic areas,
adventure areas such as a ropes course or zip line, Napa River access, mountain biking trails, sports
complexes, off-leash dog parks, community gardens, and community center space. Specifically, the
assessment concluded that the City should develop the following facilities to meet the needs of its
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residents by 2030: 77 acres of community parkland, four adult softball diamonds, three basketball
multi-use outdoor courts, two off leash dog parks, 23,305 square feet of community or recreation
centers, and 3,927 square feet of senior centers.
The needs assessment notes that while the City’s pool meets the level of service standard of one site
for 50,000 people, the pool is not able to support all of the programming needs of the City’s
residents. Specifically, the assessment states that “Facility Utilization: aquatic programs and services
are in high demand in American Canyon. Unfortunately, the traditional configuration of the pool (6
lane, 25 yards, no true shallow water depths) inhibit the ability to offer multiple programs
simultaneously that require similar water depths.” As a result, some key aquatics programs are
impacted, including the youth learn to swim classes and the open swim.
DETERMINATIONS
3.3.9 The park system currently consists of 79 acres in 22 parks and three community centers. In
1994, the City had 6.14 acres per 1,000 residents. However, recent development in
American Canyon has outpaced the development of new parkland and reduced this ratio to
3.4 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. The City has set a standard of 5 acres of parkland
per 1,000 residents following the Quimby Act.
3.3.10 Parks and Recreation conducted a needs assessment, which found that residents have an
unmet need for community parks, softball fields, dog parks, recreation centers, and a senior
center.
3.3.5 - Street Maintenance and Traffic
The Department of Public Works, Street and Storm Drain Division is responsible for the storm
drainage system as well as street maintenance, including 38 miles of streets, 1,233 streetlights, four
traffic signals, sidewalks, curbs gutters, crosswalks, signs, and lane striping. Traffic is a regional
problem that is best addressed by the Napa Valley Transportation Authority (NVTA). However, the
City is working to contribute its fair share to reduce traffic congestion by collecting a traffic impact fee
on new development and seeking grant funds to construct roadway improvements, maintaining
streets, adding traffic signals where appropriate, providing alternative modes of transportation such
as providing a network of bicycle lanes, and coordinating with the NVTA on bus transit services.
Traffic
Traffic is a major concern, due to congestion on the major roads and highways in the City. In March
of 2017 the City held a community workshop to inform residents about efforts to improve traffic
flow on Highway 29 and meet the goals and objectives of the 2016 Strategic Plan. The workshop
provided an update on road construction improvements at three key intersections, and efforts to
obtain funding for the Newell Rd construction and Highway 29 widening. The staff report on the
workshop is attached as Appendix A.
Each roadway has a level of service (LOS) designation that indicates the amount of congestion.
Table 3-16 shows the LOS designations for an unsignalized intersection and a signalized intersection.
LOS D, E, and F are considered congested intersections.
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Table 3-16: LOS Definitions
UNSIGNALIZED SIGNALIZED
INTERSECTION INTERSECTION
Average Control Delay Per Average Control Delay
LEVEL OF SERVICE DESCRIPTION Vehicle (Seconds) Per Vehicle (Seconds)
A Little or no delay. ≤ 10.0 < 10
B Short traffic delays. 10.1 to 15.0 > 10 to 20
C Average traffic delays. 15.1 to 25.0 > 20 to 35
D Long traffic delays. 25.1 to 35.0 > 35 to 55
E Very long traffic delays. 35.1 to 50.0 > 55 to 80
Extreme traffic delays with
F > 50.0 > 80
intersection capacity exceeded.
Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 2000.
Table 3-17 shows LOS calculations for the major intersections. The calculations are derived from the
traffic study conducted by Fehr & Peers for the Watson Ranch EIR.
Table 3-17: Key intersections and LOS AM Peak and PM Peak
PEAK
# INTERSECTION JURISDICTION CONTROL HOUR DELAY LOS
1 SR 29 / SR 12 / SR 121 Caltrans Signal AM 39.4 D
2 SR 29 / SR 12 / SR 221 Caltrans Signal AM 58.9 E
/ Soscol Ferry Road
3 SR 29 / SR 12 / Airport Caltrans Signal AM >80 F
Boulevard
4 SR 29 / South Kelly Caltrans Signal AM 31 C
Road
5 SR 29 / Green Island Caltrans Uncontrolled AM - -
Road / Paoli Loop
Road
6 SR 29 / Napa Junction Caltrans Signal AM 28.4 C
Road
7 SR 29 / Eucalyptus Caltrans Signal AM 6.9 A
Drive
8 SR 29 / Rio Del Mar Caltrans Signal AM 18.6 B
9 SR 29 / South Napa Caltrans SSSC AM 8.6 A
Junction Road / Poco
Way
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PEAK
# INTERSECTION JURISDICTION CONTROL HOUR DELAY LOS
10 SR 29 / Donaldson Caltrans Signal AM 31.1 C
Way
11 SR 29 / American Caltrans Signal AM 33.4 C
Canyon Road
12 SR 29 / Mini Drive Caltrans Signal AM 24.3 C
13 SR 29 / Meadows Caltrans Signal AM 23.8 C
Drive
14 SR 29 / SR 37 Caltrans Signal AM 12 B
Westbound On-Ramp
15 SR 29 / SR 37 Caltrans Signal AM 16.7 B
Eastbound Ramps /
Lewis Brown Drive
16 Paoli Loop Road / American Canyon SSSC AM 5.1 A
Green Island Road
17 Shenandoah Drive / American Canyon AWSC AM 10.8 B
Donaldson Way
18 Newell Drive / American Canyon SSSC AM 8.3 A
Donaldson Way
19 Newell Drive / Silver American Canyon Signal AM 20.2 C
Oak Trail
20 Broadway Street / American Canyon Signal AM 38.4 D
Silver Oak Trail /
American Canyon
Road
21 Newell Drive / American Canyon Signal AM 41.6 D
American Canyon
Road
22 Via Firenze / American American Canyon Signal AM 15 B
Canyon Road
23 Fairgrounds Drive / Vallejo Signal AM 24 C
Flosden Road /
Corcoran Avenue
24 Fairgrounds Drive / SR Caltrans Signal AM 36.5 D
37 Westbound Ramps
25 Fairgrounds Drive / SR Caltrans Signal AM 13.4 B
37 Eastbound Ramps
Notes: Bold indicates intersections operating at a deficient level of service
AWSC – all way stop control
SSSC – side street stop control
Source: Fehr & Peers 2016
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The results of the LOS calculations indicate that the following intersections do not currently
operate at acceptable levels of service according to their designated LOS standard:
(#1) SR-29 / SR-12 / SR-121 (AM and PM peak hours)
(#2) SR-29 / SR-12 / SR-221 / Soscol Ferry Road (AM and PM peak hours)
(#3) SR-29 / SR-12 / Airport Boulevard (AM and PM peak hours)
(#4) SR-29 / South Kelly Road (PM peak hour)
(#6) SR-29 / Napa Junction Road (PM peak hour)
(#13) SR-29 / Meadows Drive (PM peak hour)
(#20) Broadway Street / Silver Oak Trail / American Canyon Road (AM and PM peak
hours)
(#21) Newell Drive / American Canyon Road (AM and PM peak hours)
(#24) Fairgrounds Drive / SR-37 Westbound Ramps (AM and PM peak hours)
As shown in the table all but intersections 20 and 21 are under the jurisdiction of CALTRANS and
most of the American Canyon intersections are at acceptable levels.
Streets
The pavement network is managed through a Pavement Management Program (PMP). The PMP
comprises miles of streets, current street condition or Pavement Condition Index (PCI), proposed
maintenance and repairs, and the budget. The PCI is an important gauge, since each roadway is
graded on a scale of 0 to 100, corresponding to the number and types of distresses in a pavement.
A PCI of 100 represents the best possible condition while 0 represents the worst. The pavement is
rated by one of five categories, as shown in Table 3-18.
Table 3-18: Street Condition Categories
CONDITION CATEGORY PAVEMENT CONDITION PCI
I Very Good 75–100
II/III Good 60–75
IV Poor 30–60
V Very Poor 0–30
Source: City of American Canyon, 2017b.
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By the time a road reaches 20 years and a PCI of 60, it has already lived 75% of its serviceable life
but has experienced only a 40% drop in quality. However, once a roadway reaches a PCI below 60,
rapid deterioration begins to take place. When the PCI falls below 60, the roadway is considered in
need of repairs. In 2015, the City resurfaced 1.75 miles of streets but only 0.15 miles in 2016. Based
on the PCI the average rating of the streets in American Canyon is 67, which places American
Canyon streets in the good condition category.
Traffic Signals
Levels of service analysis at unsignalized intersections is used to determine the need for
modification of the type of intersection control. The evaluation is made by reviewing traffic volumes
and signal warrants. There are eight signal warrants found in the California Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). As an example, the Peak Hour Volume Warrant can be used as a
supplemental analysis to assess operations at unsignalized intersections.
Public Transit Service
The City participates in VINE Transit, which provides bus service for Napa County and in American
Canyon as American Canyon Transit (ACT). The local system provides fixed route and door to door
service. Buses are scheduled on the fixed route approximately every 40 minutes. Transit routes are
shown in Exhibit 3-4. Vine Transit is the premier public transportation service operated by the NVTA.
Ridership varies from year to year. Table 3-19 shows ridership of the system for the most recent 3-
years. Total ridership for the system has been 1.2 million for the last 2 years. ACT’s portion
represents about 3% of the total ridership. Fares are $1.00 for adults and 50 cents for seniors, youth,
and students. Similar to most transit systems VINE operates at a deficit—$1 million in 2015 and $3
million in 2016.
Table 3-19: Vine System Ridership 2014–2016
SYSTEM RIDERSHIP 2014 2015 2016
Vine Local 815,502 1,025,859 1,013,818
Vine Express — 97,188 99,215
Vine Go Paratransit 224,188 23,105 22,690
American Canyon Transit 27,910 32,302 24,576
Yountville Trolley 27,794 24,888 22,251
St. Helena Shuttle 16,369 14,358 11,406
Calistoga Shuttle 22,480 21,946 21,731
Total 972,473 1,239,646 1,215,687
Source: Napa Valley Transportation Authority, 2015, 2016.
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Bicycle Plan
The City participated with NVTA to develop a countywide bicycle plan to guide and influence the
development of bikeways, bicycle policies, bicycle programs, and bicycle facility design standards to
make bicycling throughout Napa County more safe, comfortable, convenient, and enjoyable for all
bicyclists. The overarching goal of the Bicycle Plan is to increase the number of persons who bicycle
throughout Napa County for transportation to work, school, utilitarian purposes, and recreation.
The plan addresses the needs of all types of bicyclists, including novice riders and children, the
average bicyclist, and advanced riders and commuters, as well as shoppers, recreational riders, and
tourists. Important reasons for increasing bicycle travel include reducing congestion and greenhouse
gas emissions due to automobile traffic, as well as the general public health benefits of active
transportation. The City of American Canyon adopted the NVTA Bicycle Master Plan into the General
Plan in 2012.
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Exhibit 3-4: American Canyon Transit Routes
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DETERMINATIONS
3.3.11 The City Department of Public Works, Streets and Storm Drain Division is responsible for
street maintenance that includes 38 miles of streets, 1,233 streetlights, four traffic signals,
sidewalks, curbs gutters, crosswalks, signs, and lane striping. The PCI averages 67 for the
City, which is considered good. In 2015, the City resurfaced 1.75 miles of streets but only
0.15 mile in 2016.
3.3.12 A recent traffic study analyzed some 25 intersections around the City. Of those 25, nine do
not currently operate at acceptable levels of service according to their designated LOS.
Seven of those nine are under the jurisdiction of CALTRANS.
3.3.13 American Canyon Transit provides bus service through VINE and NVTA—both fixed-route
and door-to-door service to residents. Implementation of the countywide bicycle plan will
help to reduce traffic congestion.
3.3.6 - Storm Water
The Public Works Department also maintains the storm drain system. The City of American Canyon
is located in the Napa River Watershed near its confluence with San Pablo Bay. The drainage pattern
within American Canyon is generally in a westerly direction originating in the hills of the Sulfur
Spring Mountains. The City of American Canyon Public Works Department oversees municipal storm
drainage within the American Canyon city limits, and maintains a Storm Drain Master Plan and
engineering standards to guide the development of the municipal storm drainage system. The City’s
storm drainage system collects storm water runoff and discharges the water to the Napa River
through a system of on-street storm drain inlets and ditches, as well as retention/detention basins
and ponds designed to increase groundwater infiltration.
Storm water in the City is addressed in accordance with the City’s Municipal Storm Water Discharge
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit issued by the California State Water
Resources Control Board. To more effectively reduce storm water pollution in the Napa River
watershed and to provide a consistent approach to storm water regulations, the City of American
Canyon joined with the other Napa County municipalities to form the Napa Countywide Storm
Water Pollution Prevention Program http://www.countyofnapa.org/stormwater. The program
brings together countywide talents, knowledge and skills, community outreach and education
programs, regulatory guidelines for construction contractors, and grant funding to support storm
water protection in the City.
DETERMINATIONS
3.3.14 The Department of Public works Streets and Storm Water Division maintains the City’s
storm drainage system. The system of storm drains and channels divert storm water flow
to the west to the Napa River.
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3.3.7 - Solid Waste
Solid waste collection is provided for the City of American Canyon by Recology American Canyon
under the Napa-Vallejo Waste Management Authority (NVWMA). NVWMA contracts the
collection, hauling, and disposal of solid waste from Napa, American Canyon, Vallejo, and
unincorporated areas in southern Napa County. Waste collected from American Canyon is first
delivered to the Devlin Road Recycling and Transfer Facility, located at 889 Devlin Road in
American Canyon, for sorting before being sent to nearby landfills.
Prior to 2014, the majority of the City’s residual waste was sent to the Keller Canyon Landfill at
901 Bailey Road, Pittsburg, in unincorporated Contra Costa County. As of January 2014, residual
solid waste from American Canyon and other regions under the jurisdiction of NVWMA has been
directed to the Potrero Hills Landfill, located within Sonoma County, 19 miles from the servicing
transfer station. The Potrero Hills Landfill is a Class III landfill that accepts a variety of waste
types, including mixed municipal, construction/demolition waste, agricultural, sludge (biosolids),
industrial, and other designated wastes.
In 2014, American Canyon disposed of 12,896 tons of waste at Potrero Hills Landfill, accounting
for 97 percent of the City’s total solid waste. The Potrero Hills Landfill is permitted to accept up
to 4,330 tons of waste per day and is planned to be in operation until 2048, with a remaining
capacity of around 13.87 million cubic yards as of 2006.
DETERMINATIONS
3.3.15 The City contracts with Recology for solid waste pickup and disposal. Waste collected
from American Canyon is first delivered to the Devlin Road Recycling and Transfer
Facility for sorting before being sent to nearby landfills. The final destination is the
Potrero Hills Landfill, which has sufficient capacity until 2048.
3.4 – Financial Ability to Provide Service
For FY 18, the City has adopted a budget of $21,720,888 in expenditures balanced by
$21,363,288 in anticipated revenues. The difference is expected to be offset from the beginning
fund balance, which is estimated at $8,892,848. The City provided both General Fund and
Enterprise Fund services. General fund services include law enforcement, planning, public
works, and parks and recreation. The City receives fire protection from the American Canyon
Fire Protection District, a subsidiary district of the City.
3.4.1 - General Fund Services
Exhibit 3–5 shows the allocation of revenues for General Fund sources. The percentages
represent the average over the 5-year period. It is clear from the exhibit that property tax is the
largest source of revenue.
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Exhibit 3-5: Revenue Sources FY12-FY 16
Franchise Tax Other
2% 11%
Sales Tax10% Charges22%
Grants14%
PropertyTax
42%
Source: City of American Canyon 2014, 2015a, 2015c, 2016d
Exhibit 3-6 shows the allocation of expenses for the General Fund over the same period.
Exhibit 3-6: Average Annual Allocation of Expenses
Principal, 2% Interest, 2%
Capital
General
Outlay,
Government,
12%
21%
Comm. Dev.
and Public
Police, 28%
Works, 26%
Parks and
Recreation, 9%
Source: City of American Canyon 2014, 2015a, 2015c, 2016d
The exhibit shows that public works and police have the largest share of expenses. The police
expense represents 60% of public safety, which includes fire. The exhibit also shows that debt
service, principal and interest, averages about 4% of expenses.
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In FY 15–16, the General Fund balance decreased by $1.182 million. However, this is a result of one-
time transfers in the amount of $2.036 million; eliminating the impact of these transfers would have
resulted in an increase in fund balance by $848,000.
The Parks Division remains in need of additional funding. The FY 18 budget includes sufficient funds
for basic maintenance of current parks, but there is a need for significant funding source for park
improvements. The City has a cost recovery policy for recreation activities. This applies only to
recreation programming; parks maintenance costs are not recovered with user fees. Revenue
recovery from recreation programming has been 20% or less of expenses for several years;
best practices assume around 40% or more cost recovery.
In FY 10–11, during the “Great Recession,” the City Council approved a comprehensive General Fund
3-year Deficit Elimination Plan, which ended in FY 12–13. The goal of the Deficit Elimination Plan was
to minimize reductions in the general fund’s reserves through cost cutting measures and revenue
enhancement. The plan included two voter-approved revenue enhancements. The City’s Transient
Occupancy Tax rate was increased 2% to 12% and a $2-per-person admission tax to the City’s
cardroom became effective in January 2011.
In order to ensure the long-term fiscal sustainability of the City’s finances, the Council directed its
staff to enter a new 3-year “Stabilization Plan” beginning in FY 13–14. During this 3-year stabilization
period, critical reductions in expenses were slowly restored as revenue growth allowed. The 2015-16
fiscal year marks the final year of the plan.
Enterprise Funds
Table 3-20 shows revenues and expenses for the Enterprise Funds for water and sewer services. The
table indicates that charges must be supplemented with grants in order to cover expenses. If grants
were not available, the City would have to consider a rate increase. Although variation occurs from
one year to the next over the 5-year period, revenues exceed expenses so a positive fund balance
would result.
Table 3-20: Enterprise Fund Revenues and Expenses (in millions of dollars)
REVENUES 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Charges 9.4 8.6 8.8 8.2 9.3
Grants 1 0.2 4.1 0.3 3
Other 0.1 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.6
Total 9.4 9.2 13.7 9 12.9
Expenses 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Water 4.9 5.5 6.2 7.3 5.4
Sewer 4.4 3.8 3.6 4.6 5
Total 9.3 9.3 9.8 11.9 10.4
Source: City of American Canyon, 2015a, 2015c, 2016c, 2016d.
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The 2017 adopted water rates are shown in Table 3-21. Rates are tiered to encourage conservation
by using fewer units. The water service area includes some areas outside the city limits that were
acquired, as the City became the successor agency to the water district upon incorporation. There
are additional charges for service outside the City.
Table 3-21: 2017 Residential Water Rates
CUSTOMER CATEGORY INSIDE THE CITY OUTSIDE THE CITY
SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL VOLUME CHARGE PER UNIT VOLUME CHARGE PER UNIT
Tier 1 (0–8 units*) $3.24 $4.54
Tier 2 (9–20 units*) $4.14 $5.80
Tier 3 (20+ units*) $4.42 $6.19
Multi Family 1” meter (residential) $3.77 $5.28
Monthly Meter Charge $6.23 $8.72
Drought Emergency surcharge $2.00 $2.00
Source: City of American Canyon 2017b
Sewer rates are set according to the average monthly usage for January to March of the previous
calendar year. New customers are charged per average winter usage and rates are adjusted the
following year if applicable. Sewer rates are shown in Table 3-22.
Table 3-22: Residential Sewer Rates
SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL: FLAT RATE JANUARY TO MARCH—AVERAGE USAGE
Low Winter Water Use $48.60 4 units or less per month
Average Winter Water Use $51.75 4.1–13 units per month
High Winter Water Use $53.61 13.01 units and above per month
Multi-Family Residential $38.81 per dwelling unit
Source: City of American Canyon 2017
Capital Improvement Program
The City of American Canyon’s capital improvement program is a long-range program for major
municipal construction projects. Key projects currently in progress include:
Devlin Road Connection: In 2015, the City undertook a design project to construct a major
connector from Devlin Road to Green Island Road. These two roads serve its growing
industrial area on the north side of the City. When the City completes this section of
Devlin Road, and when Napa County constructs one additional segment of Devlin Road
north of American Canyon, Devlin Road will serve as a continuous parallel route to State
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Route 29 from Napa to American Canyon. This will help keep truck traffic off State Route
29 and ease congestion during peak times. The City anticipates beginning construction
on this project in 2019.
Broadway District Specific Plan: Broadway is the heart of American Canyon. Owned and
operated by Caltrans as State Route 29, Broadway has served as the main thoroughfare
through American Canyon since the Carquinez Bridge was completed in 1927. The NVTA
approved a modified boulevard concept for the State Route 29 Corridor. With the NVTA
Broadway plan complete, the City is developing a Specific Plan for the land use on either
side of the highway. This plan will be completed in 2018.
Green Island Road Reconstruction: Green Island Road is currently the only road serving
the Green Island industrial district in the north portion of American Canyon. This road
was originally constructed more than 40 years ago and receives heavy truck traffic. In
2015, the City began the design to completely reconstruct the road to meet current
needs. This project, which will be constructed in conjunction with the Devlin Road
project noted above, will begin construction in 2018.
Valley View Senior Affordable Housing Project: The City of American Canyon has
partnered with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates to construct rental housing
affordable to 70 low-income seniors and veterans in American Canyon. This project will
help fill a gap in the availability of affordable homes specifically designed for seniors and
veterans and will include on-site support services. This project will break ground in 2019.
Reserves
The City maintains three reserves and had policies for general fund, capital improvements, and
economic development. Reserves are established each year on July 1, when the City sets the
General Fund Reserve at 25% of the final budget for the fiscal year just concluded.
The Capital Projects Reserve is $2 million. The Capital Projects Reserve will only be used for capital
projects consistent with the City’s strategic goals.
The Economic Development Reserve is set at $1 million. The Economic Development Reserve will be
used to further the City’s adopted Economic Development program and to foster Council’s strategic
goal of attracting and expanding diverse business and employment opportunities or any additional
strategic economic development goals established by Council action.
Long-term Debt
In accordance with the City’s fiscal policy, long-term debt is limited to capital improvements or
projects that cannot be financed from current revenues or resources. In July 2015, the City entered
into a lease purchase agreement for $2,004,200 for the acquisition and installation of new
membranes at the Water Reclamation Facility. The terms of this lease require annual payments of
$157,222 through July 6, 2022, which includes interest at 3.55%. The cost of the asset was $2.164
million.
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For general fund activities, the major long-term debt year-end balances consist of $1.3 million in
2012 lease revenue bonds issued to refinance 2002 lease revenue bonds which were used to
construct the City gym and aquatic center; a $5.3 million capital lease to purchase a commercial
office building that was transformed into City Hall; $315,000 remaining on a capital lease for the
purchase of property bordering City Hall to the north; and $257,000 capital lease to purchase a
Vactor Truck for sewer, water and storm drain maintenance. As shown in Exhibit 3-6 above, debt
service account for 4% of expenses.
Table 3–23 shows the outstanding debt. It should be noted the City has no general obligation bond
debt.
Table 3-23: Outstanding General Fund Bond Debt
FY GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS LEASE REVENUE BONDS TOTAL
2012 0 $2,465,000 $2,465,000
2013 0 $2,017,000 $2,017,000
2014 0 $1,792,000 $1,792,000
2015 0 $1,559,000 $1,559,000
2016 0 $1,318,000 $1,318,000
Source: City of American Canyon 2016b.
For water and sewer activities, major long-term debt comprises a $4.7 million state revolving fund
loan used for construction of the City’s wastewater treatment plant facility; $830,000 for water
system improvement; $1.7 million for the acquisition and installation of the wastewater treatment
membrane; and $669,000 for the acquisition and installation of the water treatment membranes.
The City has no bonded debt outstanding for its enterprise type activities.
DETERMINATIONS
3.4.1 The City annual budget for FY 18 is $21.7 million for general fund activities. On average,
property tax comprises 42% of revenues and sales taxes 10%. The police department
accounts for approximately 28% of expenses followed by community development and
public works at 26%. Debt service accounts for 4%.
3.4.2 Water and wastewater are considered Enterprise Funds, which are funded by charges. Over
the period from FY 12 to FY 16, charges average $10.84 million versus expenses of $10.14
million.
3.5 – Status and Opportunities for Shared Facilities
The City works cooperatively with a number of local agencies to enhance services without
increasing cost.
• The City works with the school district and the Sheriff’s Office to provide a school resource
officer.
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In 2010, the City joined the Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (NVTID) to
increase tourism in American Canyon. The NVTID provides valley-wide as well as local
tourist activity marketing and promotion.
The City actively participates on the NVTA for transportation improvements and to
provide bus service as ACT as part of the countywide transit system.
The City also works with the County Library system for branch library in American
Canyon.
The City works with the cities of Napa and Vallejo for an adequate supply of potable
water.
The City joined with the other Napa County municipalities to form the Napa
Countywide Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program. The goal is to reduce storm
water pollution and to provide a consistent approach to storm water regulations.
The City and Napa Valley Unified School district will share parking facilities between
the New Napa Junction Elementary School and the new Clarke Ranch Community
Park.
Management Efficiencies
One measure of management efficiency is the ability of the agency to develop and carry out long-
term planning.
On the fiscal planning side, in 2011 the City adopted a Deficit Elimination Plan, which ended in FY
12–13. The goal of the Deficit Elimination Plan was to minimize reductions in the general fund’s
reserves through cost cutting measures and revenue enhancement. In order to ensure the long-term
fiscal sustainability of the City’s finances, the Council directed Staff to enter a new three-year
“Stabilization Plan” beginning in FY 13–14.
In addition the City has a strategic plan and the budget is tied to the strategic plan. The City updates
its urban water management plan every five years. The City has a stormwater master plan as well as
a sewer master plan. In FY 18, the City will complete a parks master plan funded in part by Parks
Capital Impact fees and a Parks User Fee. It also has a number plans to help determine maintenance
needs such as Potable Water Master Plan, Sewer Master Plan, and Recycled Water Master Plan.
DETERMINATIONS
3.5.1 The City works cooperatively with a number of agencies to provide enhanced law
enforcement, transportation, water, and tourism to the City.
3.5.2 The City exhibits management efficiencies through its multiple long-range plans that include
fiscal, water, wastewater, and parks.
3.6 – Government Structure and Accountability
The City operates under a council-manager form of government and is a general law city. There are
four elected Council Members and one elected Mayor. The Vice Mayor is selected annually by the
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Council. The Mayor and City Council members serve staggered four-year terms. The Council’s
responsibilities include passing ordinances, adopting the City budget, appointing committees, and
hiring the City Manager, Fire Chief and City Attorney. Since the American Canyon Fire Protection
District is a subsidiary district of the City, the Council also acts as the Fire District’s Board of
Directors.
Meetings of the American Canyon City Council and Fire District Board are held according to the
Brown Act on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. Closed session is held at 5:30 and open session
begins at 6:30. The Council meets in the Council Chambers at 4381 Broadway, Suite 201, unless
otherwise noted. Meetings are broadcast live on public access cable Channel 28 and are also
accessible live via streaming video. City Council agendas and agenda packets will be available online
by Friday, 5:00 p.m., the week prior to the City Council Meeting. The City also maintains a website.
Residents can be appointed to the following commissions and committees.
The Parks and Community Services Commission advises the City Council on park
development, park and recreation facility use issues, recreation programming and
related issues. The Parks and Community Services Commission meets the second
Thursday of each month, every other month is a joint meeting with the Open Space
Advisory Committee. Meetings are at 6:30 p.m. and are located at City Hall, Council
Chambers, 4381 Broadway, Suite 201, American Canyon, CA 94503.
The Open Space Advisory Committee advises the City Council on open space, trails
and related issues. The Open Space Advisory Committee meets the first Wednesday
on a bi-monthly basis at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, Oat Hill Meeting Room, 4381
Broadway, Suite 201, American Canyon, CA 94503.
The Water Ratepayer Advisory Committee (WRAC), established August 15, 2017 to
advise the City Council on the 2017 Water Rate Study. The WRAC is an ad-hoc
advisory citizen/business group committee consisting of independent ratepayers. The
WRAC membership includes nine (9) members, all of which would be current
ratepayers. The membership consists of at least one (1) business inside City limits,
one (1) business outside City limits, and City residents/businesses that are not
otherwise on any other committees.
The Planning Commission acts on issues related to land use planning, zoning,
economic development, and community issues in the City. Terms are for four years.
Exhibit 3-7 shows the organizational chart for the City. In 2016, the City was staffed by 83.5 full-
time-equivalent employees in nine different departments.
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Exhibit 3-7: Organizational Chart
DETERMINATIONS
3.6.1 The City is a general law city governed by a five-member City Council that also acts as the
Board of Directors of the subsidiary district, the American Canyon Fire Protection District.
The City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday. Meetings are televised and streamed
and archived on-line at the City’s website.
3.6.2 The public is invited to participate in one of the four standing commission and committees
appointed by the City Council.
3.6.3 The City is staffed with 83.5 full-time-equivalent positions.
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3.7 – LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
The City will be applying to LAFCO to annex the Paoli/Watson Lane property. In addition the City
would like to expand its sphere to include properties within the ULL but outside the current City
limits. LAFCOs annexation and SOI policies are the only policies that may affect the City’s
operations.
DETERMINATIONS
3.7.1 Napa LAFCO policies for a potential annexation and would affect service delivery as the City
has directed to staff to pursue the annexation of the Paoli/Watson Lane property.
3.8 – Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies
Plan Bay Area 2040 (PBA) identifies one priority development area (PDA) in American Canyon. By
definition a PDA is a locally designated area within an existing community that provides infill
development opportunities and is easily accessible to transit, jobs, shopping and services.
The American Canyon PDA is along the Highway 29 corridor, designed to provide a retail service and
a residential hub for the community, with new open space and gathering places, and well-integrated
circulation for pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles. The PDA for American Canyon is consistent with
the PBA policy of directing development within urban growth boundaries. Infill development is also
consistent with CKH.
It should be noted that there are no transportation measures identified in PBA that would address
some of the impacted intersections shown in Section 3.5.5.
Determinations
3.8.1 The City has designated an area as a PDA which represents infill development that is
consistent with CKH and Plan Bay Area infill policies.
3.9 – Summary of Determinations
3.1.1 The City’s current population is 20,570. The population is expected to grow at a rate of 1% a
year so that in 2030 there would be up to 23,700 residents.
3.2.1 There are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the City’s
SOI.
3.3.1 The City relies on surface water from three main sources, the State Water Project (SWP),
permit (raw) water from the City of Vallejo, and treated water from Vallejo. The City also has
agreements for emergency supplies from Napa and Vallejo.
3.3.2 The City’s water treatment facility has a capacity of 5.5 million gallons and storage capacity
of 4.70 million gallons.
3.3.3 The City also uses recycled water to meet some of its demands for non-potable water.
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3.3.4 The City’s recently updated Urban Water Management Plan demonstrates that the City has
sufficient water to meet projected needs in the next 20 years.
3.3.5 The City operates the WWTP on Mezzetta at the western edge of the City. The WWTP was
designed to treat an average flow of 2.5 mgd, wet weather capacity of 5.0 mgd, and a peak
flow of 3.75 mgd. The daily average treatment over the last five years ranged from 1.54 to
1.62 mgd, well below the capacity of 2.5 mgd. That leaves additional capacity to
accommodate future growth within the time frame of this review.
3.3.6 Analysis of the sewer system for the Sewer Master Plan determined that without capital
improvements the system does not have the capacity to accommodate buildout of already
approved projects. With near-term capital improvements estimated at $35 million, the
system—along with reduced flow velocity—is capable of accommodating growth.
3.3.7 The City of American Canyon contracts with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office for law
enforcement. There are 24 sworn personnel or 1.2 per 1,000 population. The Sheriff’s Office
also provides mutual aid to the City.
3.3.8 In the past five years, the City’s law enforcement calls for service ranged from 17,057 to
19,703 or an average of 18,320, with no discernable trend. Crimes ranged from 551 to 773
during the same period.
3.3.9 The park system currently consists of 79 acres in 22 parks and three community centers. In
1994, the City had 6.14 acres per 1,000 residents. However, recent development in
American Canyon has outpaced the development of new parkland and reduced this ratio to
3.4 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. The City has set a standard of 5 acres of parkland
per 1,000 population following the Quimby Act.
3.3.10 Parks and Recreation conducted a needs assessment, which found that residents have an
unmet need for community parks, softball fields, dog parks, recreation centers, and a senior
center.
3.3.11 The City Department of Public Works, Streets and Storm Drain Division is responsible for
street maintenance that includes 38 miles of streets, 1,233 streetlights, four traffic signals,
sidewalks, curbs gutters, crosswalks, signs and lane striping. The PCI averages to 67 for the
City, which is considered good. In 2015 the City resurfaced 1.75 miles of streets but only
0.15 mile in 2016.
3.3.12 A recent traffic study analyzed some 25 intersections around the City. Of those 25, nine do
not currently operate at acceptable levels of service according to their designated LOS.
Seven of those nine are under the jurisdiction of CALTRANS.
3.3.13 American Canyon Transit provides bus service through VINE and NVTA—both fixed-route
and door-to-door service to residents. Implementation of the countywide bicycle plan helps
to reduce traffic congestion.
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3.3.14 The Department of Public Works, Streets and Stormwater Division maintains the City’s
storm drainage system. The system of storm drains and channels divert stormwater flow to
the west to the Napa River.
3.3.15 The City contracts with Recology for solid waste pickup and disposal. Waste collected from
American Canyon is first delivered to the Devlin Road Recycling and Transfer Facility for
sorting before being sent to nearby landfills. The final destination is the Potrero Hills Landfill,
which has sufficient capacity until 2048.
3.4.1 The City annual budget for FY 18 is $21.7 million for general fund activities. On average,
property tax comprises 42% of revenues and sales taxes 10%. The police department
accounts for approximately 28% of expenses followed by community development and
public works at 26%. Debt service accounts for 4%.
3.4.2 Water and wastewater are considered Enterprise Funds, which are funded by charges. Over
the period from FY 12 to FY 16 charges average $10.84 million versus expenses of $10.14
million.
3.5.1 The City works cooperatively with a number of agencies to provide enhanced law
enforcement, transportation, water, and tourism to the City.
3.5.2 The City exhibits management efficiencies through its multiple long-range plans, which
include fiscal, water, wastewater, and parks.
3.6.1 The City is a general law city governed by a five-member city council that also acts as the
Board of Directors of the subsidiary district, the American Canyon Fire Protection District.
The Council meets on the first and third Tuesday. Meetings are televised and taped.
3.6.2 The public is invited to participate in one of the four standing commission and committees
appointed by the City Council.
3.6.3 The City is staffed with 83.5 full-time-equivalent positions.
3.7.1 There are no Napa LAFCO policies that would affect service delivery.
3.8.1 The City has designated an area as a Priority Development Area (PDA) which represents infill
development that is consistent with CKH and Plan Bay Area infill policies.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
4: AMERICAN CANYON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
The American Canyon Fire Protection District (ACFPD) provides fire protection services to
approximately 4,395 acres including all of the City of American Canyon as well as some areas to the
north and east of the City. As shown in Exhibit 4-1, ACFPD’s jurisdictional boundary extends to the
west to the Napa River, south to the City of Vallejo, and east to Interstate 80. Land uses in ACFPD
include residential, growing commercial and industrial facilities, and rural areas. ACFPD is a
dependent special district and subsidiary district such that the American Canyon City Council serves
as ACFPD’s Board of Directors.
ACFPD provides structural and wildland fire suppression, rescue and advanced life support (ALS) first
response care on medical aids. ACFPD is recognized by the State of California Office of Emergency
Services (OES) as a Type 1 (Heavy Rescue) single resource. A private ambulance company, American
Medical Response (AMR Napa), provides continued ALS care and transportation of patients to the
appropriate hospital. Additionally, ACFPD provides fire prevention services which include plan
review and inspections of new residential and commercial development. ACFPD also maintains an
annual fire safety inspection program of all commercial, state mandated residential and educational
facilities.
4.1 – Growth and Population Projections
The District has an estimated population according to the 2010 census of 19,601. Table 4-1 shows
the population in comparison to the City of American Canyon and Napa County. The table indicates
the population of the City of American Canyon is approximately 86% of the District. This figure is
significant in that in order to remain a dependent district the population of the City must be at least
70% of the District population and 70% of the District must be within city limits. Given that most of
the population and the boundary coincide with the city growth projections for the City should
approximate growth projections for the District.
Table 4-1: ACFPD Population Estimates 2010
AGENCY 2010 POPULATION
American Canyon Fire Protection District 19,601
City of American Canyon 16,836
Napa County 136,484
Source: Neuvert GIS. 2017, City of American Canyon 2016, American Fact Finder 2017
Table 4-2 shows projected growth of the City of American Canyon. As seen in the table American
Canyon is expected to grow by about 1% annually. The estimated population in 2030 will be
approximately 23,700.
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Table 4-2: Population Projections for American Canyon
PERCENT CHANGE
2010- 2020- 2030- 2010-
JURISDICTION NAME 2010 2020 2030 2040 2020 2030 2040 2040
Napa County Total 136,484 144,200 153,100 163,700 5.7% 6.2% 6.9% 19.9%
American Canyon 19,601 21,500 23,700 26,200 10.5% 10.2% 10.5% 34.7%
Calistoga 5,155 5,300 5,500 5,600 2.8% 3.8% 1.8% 8.6%
Napa 76,915 80,700 85,100 90,300 4.9% 5.5% 6.1% 17.4%
St. Helena 5,814 6,000 6,100 6,300 3.2% 1.7% 3.3% 8.4%
Yountville 2,933 3,100 3,400 3,800 5.7% 9.7% 11.8% 29.6%
Source: City of American Canyon 2016a
DETERMINATIONS
4.1.1 The estimated population of ACFPD is approximately 20,570 and is expected to increase at a
rate nearly identical to that of the City of American Canyon. The City is expected to grow by
1% annually, so the population of ACFPD is expected to reach 23,700 by 2030.
4.2 – Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities
In 2012, the Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 244, which was signed into law and became effective
on January 1, 2012. The new law added a seventh area to evaluate in the MSR process. SB 244
requires identification of disadvantaged unincorporated communities that lie within ACFPD’s SOI.
By definition CKH defines a disadvantaged unincorporated community as inhabited territory (12 or
more registered voters) with a median household income of 80 percent or less of the statewide
median household income.
A review of census data and the American Canyon General Plan reveals that the median household
income (MHI) for the City of American Canyon, which includes most of ACFPD, was $81,955 which
exceeds the threshold of 80% of the statewide MHI.
DETERMINATIONS
4.2.1 There are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to ACFPD’s
SOI.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
Exhibit 4-1: American Canyon Fire Protection District Boundary Map
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4.3 – Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities
ACFPD owns two fire stations and at the present time operates one fully staffed station. Fire Station
11 is located in the Public Safety Facility at 911 Donaldson Way East, east of State Highway 29. This
station serves ACFPD and under automatic aid for adjacent areas within the County primarily to the
east of ACFPD and the City. Fire station 11 serves the entire District as well as some areas in the
southern unincorporated area of Napa County (61 square miles).The equipment housed at the
station consists of 12 vehicles and some other major equipment: three Type 1 (structural) fire
engines, one Type 3 (wildland) brush engine, two Type 6 brush/rescue squad engines (wildland), one
2,000-gallon water tender/pumper, one ladder truck and other command/support vehicles. ACFPD’s
facilities, allocation of personnel, and equipment are shown in Table 4-3.
Table 4-3: ACFPD Station Staffing and Equipment
STATION LOCATION STAFFING PERSONNEL APPARATUS
Station 11 Staffed 24/7 365 Minimum of one Two Type 1 engines,
911 Donaldson Drive days/year Captain and three One Reserve Engine,
East of State Highway 29 personnel One Ladder Truck, One
(Engineers/firefighters Type 3 engine, Two
/one paramedic) Type 6 brush/rescue
Volunteers respond squad engines, One
upon request to staff Water Tender/Pumper,
an additional engine as Two Command Pickup
needed vehicles, other support
vehicles and equipment
Source: ACFPD website - August 2017
Several pieces of equipment are planned for replacement under a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
that extends through 2030. The CIP is funded through a combination of fire fees along with an
annual transfer from the general fund. Table 4-4 shows the plan for primary equipment.
Table 4-4: ACFPD Fleet Replacement Needs
REPLACEMENT REPLACEMENT
APPARATUS DUE APPARATUS DUE
Rescue Truck—1992 Int’l 2018 Engine 311—Type 1 2019
Engine 411– Type III Wildland 2017 Engine E211 2004 La France 2025
Engine 11 - Type I After 2030 Ladder Truck T11 2030
F150 Pickup truck 2023 Command Pickups C1101 2029
Rescue Air/Light 2018 Command Pickups C1100 i 2025
Type 6 Brush Rescue Squad 2018
Source: American Canyon Fire Protection Department 2017b.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
Emergency calls for service are dispatched via radio from the City of Napa Emergency Dispatch
Center. Calls for service for the period 2010–2016 are shown in Exhibit 4-2 both calls within ACFPD
as well as mutual or automatic aid calls outside the District. As shown below, annual calls have
steadily increased. Calls for service ranged from 1,335 in 2010 to 1,710 in 2016. Annual calls for
service outside ACFPD’s boundary average approximately 15% of total calls, while medical
emergencies account for 62% of all calls.
Exhibit 4-2: ACFPD Calls for Service 2010-2016
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Total Incidents Incidents in District EMS/Rescue Incidents Fires Other Incidents
Source: Weeks, Chief Glen.2017.
ACFPD’s response time goal is to respond to calls for service in less than five minutes, 90 percent of
the time. In 2016, ACFPD responded within five minutes for 76% of emergency calls.
The ACFPD service area currently has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of Class 2 and 2Y on a
scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best. See Appendix C for an overview of ISO ratings.
Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) - ACFPD has the capability to handle different types of rescue
situations requiring specialized equipment and training. The most frequent type of rescue
emergency involves extricating people who are trapped in vehicles as the result of traffic accidents
with hydraulic rescue tools. ACFPD also maintains a team of personnel who are specially trained to
conduct rescue activities in permit-required confined spaces, structural collapses, trench collapses,
and low and high angle rescue. This is referred to as “US&R”. The US&R team trains regularly with
fire department personnel from other agencies within Napa County as a participant in the “Napa
Interagency Rescue Team”. ACFPD also has two inflatable rescue boats and US&R team members
are boat rescue and swift/flood water rescue qualified.
DETERMINATIONS
4.3.1 ACFPD provides structural, wildland fire suppression services, all types of rescue services
and emergency medical services.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
4.3.2 ACFPD owns two stations but currently operates from one fire station staffed by 20 full-time
personnel for one Type 1 engine and other all-risk fire apparatus, 24 hours a day, seven days
a week, all year around. ACFPD supplements this coverage with additional volunteer
personnel who respond by phone when needed.
4.3.3 The equipment located at the Fire Station at 911 Donaldson Drive east of Highway 29
includes two Type 1 engines, one Type 3 brush engine, two Type 6 Brush units, one truck
with aerial unit, one 2,000-gallon water tender/pumper, two command vehicles, and two
utility pickups.
4.3.4 Since 2010, annual calls for service have steadily increased from 1,335 to 1,710. Annual calls
are expected to increase as the City builds out.
4.3.5 In 2016, ACFPD units responded to 76% of all calls within five minutes. The ACFPD service
area currently has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of Class 2/2Y (on a scale of 1 to
10, with 1 being the best).
4.4 – Financial Ability to Provide Services
ACFPD is funded primarily by property taxes and two voter approved special assessment fees passed
in the early 1980’s. The special fire assessment tax rate is based upon property use, and
improvements to the property. A separate Fire Mitigation Fee funds capital facility and equipment
acquisition. The special fire assessment tax is an annual tax levy intended to support annual
operations, whereas the fire mitigation fee is a one-time fee imposed on new development activity.
Table 4-5 shows actual revenues and expenses for the period FY 13 to FY 16. The table shows the
revenues for the period have exceeded expenditures and that ACFPD has no debt service payment.
Approximately 85% of the expenditures go towards personnel costs. Expenditures over the period
averaged $3,991,112 while revenues averaged $4,461,219.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
Table 4-5: ACFPD Revenues and Expenses FY13-FY16 ($)
ACCOUNT FY 13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16
REVENUES
Property Taxes 3,007,828 3,109,213 3,340,741 3,588,245
Fire Assessment Fee 337,785 588,405 596,670 606,929
Fire Mitigation Fee 13,036 830 401,335 79,858
Interest Earnings 5,609 7,839 11,727 18,522
OES Reimbursement 178,437 96,693 186,841 478,931
Other 399,067 221,478 301,411 267,447
Total Revenues 3,941,762 4,024,458 4,838,725 5,039,932
EXPENDITURES
Personnel 2,931,711 3,303,533 3,366,604 3,764,845
Supplies & Services 830,065 510,190 591,467 472,437
Debt Service 0 0 0 0
Capital Outlay 35,166 45,915 37,593 74,921
Total Expenditures 3,796,942 3,859,638 3,995,664 4,312,203
Source: American Canyon Fire Protection District 2017
The FY 17 budget allows for $5,232,160 in expenditures and anticipates $4,787,573 in revenues.
The difference may be attributed to a capital outlay expense of $787,500 most likely for apparatus
replacement.
Exhibit 4-3 shows the average sources of revenues for the period FY13 to FY 16. The Exhibit shows
property tax accounts for 73% of revenues and OES reimbursements for strike teams accounts for
5% on average.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
Exhibit 4-3: ACFPD Sources of Revenue FY 13 to FY 16
Interest State OES
Earnings Reimbursement
0.2% 5%
Fire Mitigation Other
Fee3% 7%
Fire
Assessment
Fee12%
Property Taxes
73%
Source: American Canyon Fire Protection District 2017
In 2016, ACFPD responded to a record number of regional fire incidents (over eight for at least two
weeks each) accounting for over $478,931 in revenues from OES. Previous years ranged from
approximately $96,000 to $186,000. ACFPD has no debt service obligations. The Fleet Facilities and
Equipment Fund purchases all district owned facilities and equipment.
DETERMINATIONS
4.4.1 Expenditures over the period FY 13 to FY 16 averaged $3,991,112 while revenues averaged
$4,461,219. The district derives most of its revenues from property taxes, 73 percent, and
two voter approved special assessment fees. The special assessment for fire accounts for 12
percent while the special assessment for Capital Facility Mitigation accounts for 2 percent.
Of the total expenditures, approximately 85 percent goes to personnel costs.
4.4.2 ACFPD has no long-term debt. Facilities, equipment and capital improvements are funded
through the Fleet Facilities and Equipment Fund.
4.5 – Status and Opportunities for Shared Facilities
ACFPD contributes emergency resources along with other fire departments located in the area on
the basis of automatic and mutual aid agreements. ACFPD is a participant in the statewide fire and
rescue mutual aid system. ACFPD also has automatic and mutual aid agreements with the County of
County for CSA 3. Approximately 15% of calls for service are to areas outside ACFPD’s jurisdictional
boundary. ACFPD regularly responds to calls for service in unincorporated County areas as well as to
the City of Vallejo, City of Napa, and Solano County. ACFPD receives dispatch services via radio from
the City of Napa’s Emergency Command Center.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
Table 4-6 shows out of agency calls for service from the period 2013 to 2016. The table shows
service calls to Napa County ranged from 111 to 128 and Vallejo 56 to 73 during that period.
Table 4-6: Out of Agency Responses 2013-2016
Out of Agency Responses
Jurisdiction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Napa County 133 128 111 111 114
City of Vallejo 68 56 73 64 72
Source: ACFPD 2013, 2014a, 2014b, 2016, 2017
Additionally, in 2016, ACFPD responded to 11 major fire disasters within the State of California
providing from one to four personnel and related equipment including GIS support, water tender,
and a fire engine unit.
One measure of management efficiencies is whether the district engages in long range planning
activities. ACFPD has completed an Emergency Operations Plan, an annual spending plan and a five-
year strategic plan with ten major objectives.
Maintain a response time standard of five minutes 90 per cent of the time.
Maintain career development programs.
Develop a Standard of Cover Document.
Improve efficiency.
Develop a fixed asset improvement and maintenance program.
Improve communication throughout the organization.
Update volunteer programs.
Update Emergency Operations Plan.
A cultural document that includes customer service guidelines.
Refine Emergency Medical Service training programs.
ACFPD also has a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the City of Napa Fire Department. The JPA
includes fire prevention services and after business hours Battalion Chief coverage to ACFPD. In
addition to the strategic plan, ACFPD produces an annual report which identifies progress toward
meeting many of these goals such as response time, customer service, and training.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
DETERMINATIONS
4.5.1 ACFPD works cooperatively with County, state and local agencies. Through the County Fire
Department, ACFPD has automatic aid agreements with CSA 3 and CALFIRE to provide
coverage for the 61 square mile South County service area and other areas as needed.
ACFPD also has mutual aid agreements with the City of Vallejo, and provides regional heavy
rescue US&R certified response as needed.
4.5.2 ACFPD has automatic aid agreements and mutual aid with the Napa County Fire
Department, CALFIRE, and the City of Vallejo. These agreements provide coverage for the 61
square mile South County service area and other areas as may be needed.
4.5.3 ACFPD maintains a JPA with the City of Napa. The JPA includes fire prevention services and
after business hours Battalion Chief coverage for ACFPD.
4.5.4 ACFPD exhibits management efficiencies through its many long range planning activities.
ACFPD recently completed a five-year strategic plan and has proceeded to accomplish those
goals as documented in its annual report.
4.6 – Government Structure and Accountability
ACFPD is a dependent special district and subsidiary district with the Board of Directors consisting of
the five members of the American Canyon City Council. The Board meets on the first and third
Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at 6:30 PM at 4381 Broadway Street in the City of
American Canyon. Items pertaining to ACFPD are placed on a separate agenda as needed. Meetings
are noticed according to the Brown Act and the public is welcome.
ACFPD maintains a website link under the City of American Canyon website. Originally formed as an
independent special district in 1957, upon the incorporation of the City of American Canyon, ACFPD
became a subsidiary (dependent) district with approximately 72% of its area within the City’s
jurisdictional boundary.
The ACFPD service model is a full-time staffed department supplemented by trained volunteer
personnel. The structure of the organization is typical of many fire departments of its size and
appears to be appropriate for the type of department and calls for services. Exhibit 4-4 shows
ACFPD’s organizational chart.
Table 4-7 shows staffing of ACFPD. There are 20 paid career staff year round including the Fire Chief
and Assistant Chief, six fire captains, and 12 fire firefighter/paramedics. Volunteer personnel,
averaging ten staff, respond to calls by telephone dispatch as needed. These volunteers are fully
trained to provide fire response capabilities.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
Table 4-7: ACFPD Total Staffing
POSITION NUMBER STATUS
Chief 1 Administration & Command
Assistant Chief 1 Supports Chief & Command
Captains 6 6 career
Firefighter/Paramedics 12 12 career
Volunteer staffing as needed 4(P/T) Called out as needed
Total 20 20 career personnel
Source: ACFPD 2017a
One of the main governance issues is service to rural and open space areas adjacent to ACFPD.
While the ACFPD station covers the City, the ACFPD station and additional capabilities are closer to
much of the rural areas east of the City. ACFPD and the County of Napa have worked under an
automatic aid agreement for many years where ACFPD responds to areas east and south of the
County’s fire station..
DETERMINATIONS
4.6.1 The five member City Council of American Canyon serves as the Board for ACFPD. They meet
regularly on the first and third Tuesday of the month. ACFPD does not maintain a website
but has a link on the City’s website at www.cityofamericancanyon.org/city-
departments/fire-district.
4.6.2 ACFPD’s staff includes 20 career personnel which is sufficient to provide fire protection and
advanced life support emergency medical services.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
Exhibit 4-4: ACFPD Organizational Chart
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
4.7 – LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Napa LAFCO has established policies to help meet its CKH mandates. This section identifies local
LAFCO policies that may affect delivery of services by ACFPD. One of the goals of LAFCO is
“encouraging orderly formation of local agencies and the efficient provision of services.” As ACFPD
and County of Napa Fire Department continue to pursue cooperative services, the policies related to
efficient provision of services would apply.
DETERMINATIONS
4.7.1 LAFCO policies for the efficient provision of services apply as guides to orderly growth and
services.
4.8 – Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies
ACFPD participates in mutual aid and automatic aid agreements with CALFIRE and other local
departments. ACFPD sends strike teams to support efforts to suppress wildland fires in the region.
DETERMINATIONS
4.8.1 ACFPD participates in mutual aid and automatic aid agreements with CALFIRE and other
local departments to support fire suppression in the County.
4.9 – Summary of Determinations
4.1.1 The estimated population of ACFPD is approximately 20,570 and is expected to increase at a
rate nearly identical to that of the City of American Canyon. The City is expected to grow by
1% annually, so the population of ACFPD is expected to reach 23,700 by 2030.
4.2.1 There are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to ACFPD’s
SOI.
4.3.1 ACFPD provides structural, wildland fire suppression services, all types of rescue services
and emergency medical services.
4.3.2 ACFPD owns two stations but currently operates from one fire station staffed by 20 full-time
personnel for one Type 1 engine and other all-risk fire apparatus, 24 hours a day, seven days
a week, all year around. ACFPD supplements this coverage with additional volunteer
personnel who respond by phone when needed.
4.3.3 The equipment located at the Fire Station at 911 Donaldson Drive east of Highway 29
includes two Type 1 engines, one Type 3 brush engine, two Type 6 Brush units, one truck
with aerial unit, one 2,000-gallon water tender/pumper, two command vehicles, and two
utility pickups.
4.3.4 Since 2010, annual calls for service have steadily increased from 1,335 to 1,710. Annual calls
are expected to increase as the City builds out.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates American Canyon Fire Protection District
4.3.5 In 2016, ACFPD units responded to 76% of all calls within five minutes. The ACFPD service
area currently has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of Class 2/2Y (on a scale of 1 to
10, with 1 being the best).
4.4.1 Expenditures over the period FY 13 to FY 16 averaged $3,991,112 while revenues averaged
$4,461,219. ACFPD derives most of its revenues from property taxes (73%) and two voter
approved special assessment fees. The special assessment for fire accounts for 12% while
the special assessment for Capital Facility Mitigation accounts for 2%. Approximately 85% of
expenditures go toward personnel costs.
4.4.2 ACFPD has no long-term debt. Facilities, equipment and capital improvements are funded
through the Fleet Facilities and Equipment Fund.
4.5.1 ACFPD works cooperatively with County, state and local agencies. Through the County Fire
Department it has automatic aid agreements with CSA 3 and CALFIRE to provide coverage
for the 61 square mile South County service area and other areas as needed. It also has
mutual aid agreements with the City of Vallejo, and provides regional heavy rescue US&R
certified response as needed.
4.5.2 ACFPD has automatic aid agreements and mutual aid with the Napa County Fire
Department, CALFIRE, and the City of Vallejo. These agreements provide coverage for the 61
square mile South County service area and other areas as may be needed.
4.5.3 ACFPD maintains a JPA with the City of Napa. The JPA includes fire prevention services and
after business hours Battalion Chief coverage for ACFPD.
4.5.4 ACFPD exhibits management efficiencies through its many long range planning activities.
ACFPD recently completed a five-year strategic plan and has proceeded to accomplish those
goals as documented in its annual reports.
4.6.1 The five member City Council of American Canyon serves as the Board for ACFPD. They meet
regularly on the first and third Tuesday of the month. ACFPD does not maintain a website
but has a link on the City website at www.cityofamericancanyon.org/city-departments/fire-
district.
4.6.2 ACFPD staff includes 20 career personnel which is sufficient to provide fire protection and
advanced life support emergency medical services.
4.7.1 LAFCO policies for the efficient provision of services apply as guides to orderly growth and
services.
4.8.1 ACFPD participates in mutual aid and automatic aid agreements with CALFIRE and other
local departments to support fire suppression in the County.
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5: COUNTY SERVICE AREA 3
County Service Area (CSA) law allows for two types of CSAs. Some counties treat CSAs as just
another special district. Others, like Napa County, treat CSAs as merely financing devices of the
county government. CSA 3 is organized under the County Service Area Law in California Government
Code Sections 25210.1–25217.4. Originally formed by the County Board of Supervisors in 1979, the
agency funds fire suppression and prevention, rescue, hazardous materials (first response), and
basic/advanced emergency medical care as well as median landscaping, street lighting, and various
street maintenance services. CSA 3 contracts out for street maintenance. CSA 3 partially funds the
Napa County Fire Department, which has an agreement with CALFIRE. CSA 3’s jurisdictional
boundary is approximately 2.7 square miles or 1,742 acres, and includes unincorporated properties
of predominantly commercial and industrial land uses as well as the Napa County Airport area.
5.1 – Growth and Population Projections
Based on the 2010 census, CSA 3’s resident population is seven. CSA 3 is zoned industrial and public
institutional for the Napa County Airport. The only remaining development planned for the area
would be industrial, so the projected population is expected to remain at seven in the foreseeable
future.
DETERMINATIONS
5.1.1 The estimated current population of seven is expected to remain unchanged as the any
development would be expected to be industrial consistent with the zoning.
5.2 – Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities
Senate Bill (SB) 244 requires identification of disadvantaged unincorporated communities that lie
within CSA 3’s SOI or proposed SOI. CKH defines a disadvantaged unincorporated community as
inhabited territory (12 or more registered voters) with a median household income of 80 percent or
less of the statewide median household income. As discussed in the previous section, there are only
CSA 3 has an estimated population of seven. Therefore, there are no disadvantaged unincorporated
communities in CSA 3.
DETERMINATION
5.2.1 There are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to CSA 3’s
SOI.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
Exhibit 5-1: CSA 3 Boundary Map
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
5.3 – Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities
CSA 3 is a dependent special district that funds fire suppression, street sweeping, street landscaping,
and street lighting services through special assessments. Napa County administers CSA 3 and uses a
variety of contract services, including Napa County Fire for fire services and separate contracts for
street sweeping, street lighting and landscape maintenance services.
CSA 3 provides services within three “zones” that overlap in designation and by type of service
provided. Zone 1, Exhibit 5-2, is the portion of CSA 3 that receives street landscaping services from
the District. As shown, the services area includes most of CSA 3 and Napa County Airport.
Zone 2, Exhibit 5-3, is the area that is assessed for fire protection services from Napa County Fire
and the State of California CALFIRE.
The Napa County Fire Department operates one station within the boundaries of CSA 3. The station
is located at 1555 Airport Boulevard, west of State Route 29. This station serves the 61 square mile
South County area and includes a HazMat response vehicle to serve the area, the engines, a HazMat
truck/trailer, and a pickup. Several pieces of equipment are planned for replacement. Table 5-1
summarizes the replacement plan.
Table 5-1: Napa County Fire Apparatus Replacement Schedule
APPARATUS STATUS
HazMat Truck/trailer Replace in 2018
Engine—Type III Wildland Rotate unit as needed
Engine—Type I Replace in Spring 2018
Pickup truck Replace in Spring 2018
Source: Personal Communication Chief Biermann 2017
Emergency calls for service are dispatched via radio from CALFIRE’s St. Helena Emergency Command
Center located at 1199 Big Tree Road, St. Helena, CA 94574. Calls for service have ranged from 105
to 118 between 2014 and 2016.
Napa County Fire reported 69% of 105 total calls for service were for non-fire incidents in 2014. In
2016, the last full year for which information was available, 79% of 118 total calls for service were
for non-fire incidents. Calls were from the entire area of Napa County Fire that includes CSA 3.
Average response time to a fire or medical emergency call in the Napa County Fire Station area is
seven minutes and five seconds. The Napa County Fire area, which includes CSA 3, currently has an
ISO rating of Class 6 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the best.
Zone 3, Exhibit 5-4, is assessed for street sweeping and street lighting services. As shown, Zone 3
includes all of CSA 3’s jurisdictional boundary. Services are provided by an independent contractor.
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Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
Exhibit 5-2: CSA 3 Zone 1
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
Exhibit 5-3: CSA 3 Zone 2
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
Exhibit 5-4: CSA 3 Zone 3
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
DETERMINATIONS
5.3.1 CSA 3 is a dependent special district that funds fire suppression and street services such as
street sweeping, street landscaping, and street lights through special assessments.
5.3.2 CSA 3 has no facilities of its own. However, Napa County Fire has a fire station which serves
61 square miles including all of CSA 3.
5.4 – Financial Ability to Provide Services
CSA 3 is funded primarily by two special assessments. One of the assessments, the special fire tax,
was passed by voters in 1997 as part of the development process. The assessment is based upon the
use of the property and improvements and with an annual adjustment based upon the Engineering
News Record formula for the San Francisco area. Another separate assessment funds street services
and administration but is a much smaller amount.
Fire Station 27 serves the entire unincorporated area of south Napa County (61 square miles). The
expenses of operating Station 27 are proportioned to CSA 3 (33.3 %) and to the Countywide Fire
Fund (66.7 %), based upon calls for service and area served calculations as described in the Annual
Engineer’s Report. The assessment is calculated assuming buildout of the District. Since CSA 3’s
jurisdictional boundary is not fully built out, the total assessment collected is less that what is
needed to fully fund services. The difference is supplied by the County. The County supplement
varies based upon the calls for service and revenues generated as well as the budgeted needs. From
FY 13 to FY 18, the supplement ranged from $44,752 to $110,445. The supplement has been
planned to decrease over time as CSA 3’s boundary is developed.
The total annual CSA 3 budget is approximately $400,000. Table 5-2 summarizes revenues and
expenditures for FY 13 to FY 17. The revenue sources are special assessments, one for fire and one
for streets. Expenditures are primarily allocated to Napa County Fire for fire services and the County
Public Works Department which may contract for street sweeping and landscaping as well as
utilities such as street lighting. Table 5-2 shows there has been a surplus all five years, indicating CSA
3 has adequate funding based on assessment revenue and the County contribution.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
Table 5-2: CSA 3 Revenues and Expenses FY 13 to FY 17
FIRE FY 13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16 FY 17 AVERAGE
Revenues $367,041 $367,013 $395,039 $409,243 $429,462 $393,559
Expenses $359,131 $327,623 $371,135 $400,533 $271,221 $345,929
Surplus $7,910 $39,390 $23,904 $8,709 $158,241 $47,631
STREETS FY 13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16 FY 17 AVERAGE
Revenues $75,598 $76,275 $76,941 $75,881 $75,418 $76,023
Expenses $42,712 $46,529 $44,610 $52,384 $50,766 $47,400
Surplus $32,886 $29,746 $32,331 $23,497 $24,652 $28,623
Source: Napa County, 2015–2017.
Ratio of Reserves or Fund Balance to Annual Expenditures
CSA 3 maintains a reasonable fund balance for the size of area and services provided. The costs in
the Streets Services portion have consistently been below estimated annual costs and a reserve
balance has been developed currently estimated at $170,000. The Fire Services section has an
estimated reserve balance of $490,000.
Annual Debt Service Expenditures to Total Annual Expenditures
CSA 3 has no debt service obligations. The County Consolidated Fire Fund purchases all County-
owned facilities and equipment. CALFIRE provides its own additional fire engine for fire season
services.
Capital Improvement Program
The County has historically administered any required Capital Improvement Projects in CSA 3
through the Public Works Department for Streets and the County Fire Department for fire services.
CSA 3 contributes an amortized amount for cost of equipment and the fire station repairs.
DETERMINATIONS
5.4.1 CSA 3’s operating budget is approximately $400,000 per year. Services are funded through
two voter-approved special assessments, one for fire and one for streets. CSA 3 funds a
portion of Napa County Fire for fire services to the South County Region.
5.4.2 Since the fire assessment is calculated based on full buildout, which has not yet been
achieved, the assessment revenue is supplemented by the County to cover costs for fire
protection in CSA 3’s jurisdictional boundary.
5.4.3 CSA 3 has no long-term debt. Financing and capital improvements are funded through
County Public Works and Fire Department budgets.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
5.5 – Status and Opportunities for Shared Facilities
CSA 3 has a relatively small service area totaling approximately 2.7 square miles. CSA 3 minimizes
administrative costs and relies on the County Department of Public Works for the District’s
administration. CSA 3 has no facilities of its own, so there are no opportunities for shared facilities.
DETERMINATIONS
5.5.1 CSA 3 has no facilities of its own, so there are no opportunities for shared facilities.
5.6 – Government Structure and Accountability
CSA 3 is administered by Napa County and the Board of Directors consists of the five members of
the Board of Supervisors elected to four-year staggered terms. The Board generally meets on
Tuesdays of each month but no more than four times a month. Items pertaining to CSA 3 are placed
in a separate agenda as needed. Meetings are noticed according to the Brown Act and the public is
welcome. CSA 3 does not maintain a separate website, but it has a link on the County Department of
Public Works website at www.countyofnapa.org/publicworks/csa .
One of the main governance considerations is fire protection service to rural and open space areas
near and adjacent to CSA 3 and ACFPD. While the Napa County Fire station covers the 61 square
mile South County area, ACFPD has its station and additional capabilities closer to most rural areas.
The two agencies have an automatic aid agreement such that ACFPD responds to unincorporated
areas east and south of the County’s station.
DETERMINATIONS
5.6.1 The County Board of Supervisors serves as the Board of Directors for CSA 3. It consists of five
members elected at large to four-year staggered terms. The Board generally meets each
Tuesday of each month but no more than four times a month. CSA 3 does not maintain a
website, but it has a link on the County Department of Public Works website at
www.countyofnapa.org/publicworks/csa.
5.6.2 Napa County Fire and ACFPD have automatic and mutual aid agreements that provide fire
service coverage within CSA 3’s jurisdictional boundary.
5.7 – LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Napa LAFCO has established policies to help meet its CKH mandates. This section identifies local
LAFCO policies that may affect delivery of services by CSA 3. One of the goals of LAFCO is
“encouraging orderly formation of local agencies and the efficient provision of services.” As CSA 3
and ACFPD continue to pursue cooperative services, the policies related to efficient provision of
services would apply.
DETERMINATIONS
5.7.1 LAFCO policies for the efficient provision of services apply.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
5.8 – Relationship to Regional Growth Goals and Policies
CSA 3 is responsible for funding services to Napa County Airport, one of the smaller regional airports
in the Bay Area. The operation of and services provided to the airport industrial area would not be
affected by the development of the Priority Development Area (PDA) in the City of American Canyon
or the PDA in the City of Napa. The street maintenance and fire suppression services that are funded
by CSA 3 could be important in maintaining the Napa County Airport as a center for goods
movement in Napa County with its implication on jobs, housing, the overall economy of the region,
and air quality.
5.8.1 CSA 3 funds fire and street maintenance services which are important in operating the Napa
County Airport. The Airport is part of the network of facilities essential for goods movement
in Napa County.
5.9 – Summary of Determinations
5.1.1 The estimated current population of seven is expected to remain unchanged, since any
development would be expected to be industrial uses, consistent with the zoning.
5.2.1 There are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to CSA 3’s
SOI.
5.3.1 CSA 3 is a dependent special district that funds fire suppression and street services such as
street sweeping, street landscaping, and street lights through special assessments.
5.3.2 CSA 3 has no facilities of its own. However, Napa County Fire has a fire station which serves
61 square miles including all of CSA 3.
5.4.1 CSA 3’s operating budget is approximately $400,000 per year. Services are funded through
two voter-approved special assessments, one for fire and one for streets. CSA 3 funds a
portion of Napa County Fire for fire services to the South County Region.
5.4.2 Since the fire assessment is calculated based on full buildout, which has not yet been
achieved, the assessment revenue is supplemented by the County to cover costs for fire
protection in CSA 3.
5.4.3 CSA 3 has no long-term debt. Financing and capital improvements are funded through the
County Public Works Department and County Fire Department budgets.
5.5.1 CSA 3 has no facilities of its own, so there are no opportunities for shared facilities.
5.6.1 The County Board of Supervisors serves as the Board of Directors for CSA 3. It consists of five
members elected at large to four-year staggered terms. The Board generally meets each
Tuesday of each month but no more than four times a month. CSA 3 does not maintain a
website, but it has a link on the County Department of Public Works website at
www.countyofnapa.org/publicworks/csa.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates County Service Area 3
5.6.2 Napa County Fire and ACFPD have automatic and mutual aid agreements that provide fire
service coverage within CSA 3’s jurisdictional boundary.
5.7.1 LAFCO policies for the efficient provision of services apply.
5.8.1 CSA 3 funds services which are important in operating the Napa County Airport. The Airport
is part of the network of facilities essential for goods movement in Napa County.
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6: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE CONSIDERATIONS
This chapter includes sphere of influence (SOI) recommendations and analysis for each agency. CKH
requires LAFCO to adopt an SOI for each city and special district in the County. An SOI is defined in
Government Code Section 56076 as “a plan for the probable physical boundary and service area of a
local agency or municipality as determined by the Commission.” LAFCO must make determinations
with respect to the following factors when amending, establishing, reviewing, or updating an SOI:
Present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space
lands. This consists of a review of current and planned land uses based on planning
documents to include agricultural and open-space lands.
Present and probable need for public facilities and services. This includes a review
of the services available in the area and the need for additional services.
Present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services provided by the
agency. This section includes an analysis of the capacity of public facilities and the
adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide.
Social or economic communities of interest. This section discusses the existence of
any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the Commission
determines that they are relevant to the agency. These are areas that may be
affected by services provided by the agency or may be receiving services in the future.
Present and probable need for services to disadvantaged unincorporated
communities. The Commission must consider services to disadvantaged
unincorporated communities which are defined as inhabited areas within the SOI
whose median household income is less than or equal to 80 percent of the statewide
median income.
The following sections provide recommendation and discussion of each of the determination
required to update the SOIs for the City of American Canyon, the American Canyon Fire Protection
District (ACFPD), and County Service Area (CSA) 3.
6.1 – City of American Canyon
The City of American Canyon encompasses approximately six square miles at the southern end of
Napa County. The City’s jurisdictional boundary extends to Solano County and the City of Vallejo to the
south, the Napa County Airport to the north, and the Sulphur Springs mountains to the east. The
City’s SOI was originally established by LAFCO at the time of the City’s incorporation in 1992.
Exhibit 6-1 shows the City’s jurisdictional boundary, current SOI, and a potential SOI based on the
City’s urban limit line (ULL).
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Sphere of Influence Considerations
Exhibit 6-1: City of American Canyon Potential Sphere of Influence
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Sphere of Influence Considerations
The City and County agreed to a ULL in 2008, which is in force until 2030. Given that the ULL is
legally binding until 2030 and in fact is the ultimate boundary of the City, it may be appropriate
for the Commission to initiate an expansion of the City’s SOI to include some or all of the
remaining portions of the ULL that are not already within the City’s SOI. However, it has been
LAFCO’s practice to defer any SOI expansions until such time that specific land uses within the
affected territory are known. Therefore, it is recommended the Commission affirm the existing
SOI as part of this review. If expansion of the City’s SOI is to occur in the future, it is
recommended the City first identify specific land uses through the General Plan and pre-zoning
processes, which would involve addressing the requirements of CEQA with the City as lead
agency.
The City and ACFPD have jointly submitted a formal request to the Commission for an SOI
expansion involving a vineyard property located at 1661 Green Island Road (APN 058-030-041)
that is located to the immediate west of the City’s jurisdictional boundary, SOI, and ULL. The
request is included as Appendix D. A map of the requested SOI amendment is provided as Exhibit
6-2. This property is currently planted with a vineyard and designated as Agriculture, Watershed,
and Open Space in the County General Plan. In order to annex APN 058-030-041, the City would
first have to amend the ULL with agreement from the County and voter approval. Further, Napa
LAFCO policies direct the Commission to designate SOIs to guide orderly urban development in a
manner that prevents the premature conversion of agricultural lands. Finally, correspondence
from the Napa County Farm Bureau is included as part of Appendix B, which communicates
opposition to the potential annexation of the subject parcel to the City. With all of this in mind, it
would be appropriate to defer consideration of an expansion to the City’s SOI to include APN 058-
030-041 until after the parcel has been included within the ULL. This process would also involve
the City or the County serving as lead agency to address the requirements of CEQA for the
potential SOI expansion and annexation.
Additionally, there has been some discussion regarding the possible annexation to the City of a
separate vineyard property that is contiguous to the City’s jurisdictional boundary and the
northeast portion of the ULL (APN 057-090-065). The Napa County General Plan envisions
redesignating the property to industrial uses if Newell Drive is extended through the property to
South Kelly Road (Napa County General Plan 2008 Update, Policy AG/LU-40), which could
significantly alleviate traffic congestion on Highway 29 relative to other proposals (see Appendix
A). In order to annex APN 057-090-065, the City would have to amend the ULL with agreement
from the County so an expansion of the sphere to include this property could be considered at
that time. This process would also involve the City and/or the County serving as lead agency to
address the requirements of CEQA for the potential SOI expansion and annexation.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Sphere of Influence Considerations
DETERMINATIONS
Present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands. Most
of the area within the City’s SOI is built out. There are still some vacant and underutilized parcels
that could be developed. There are approximately 72 acres of low density residential parcels,
three acres of medium density residential parcels, and 43 acres of mixed use parcels within the
City’s jurisdictional boundary. Within these parcels there are 531 lower income lots and 122
moderate and above income lots. In addition, there is the planned Watson Ranch project, which
includes 309 acres of primarily farmland and wetlands in addition to an abandoned cement
plant. At present the Watson Ranch area is hayfields and wetlands. The project will add
approximately 1,200 single family residences and a 200-room hotel along with mixed use
development.
Present and probable need for public facilities and services. Development of any parcels
within the City’s SOI would require municipal services. The American Canyon Fire Protection
District already provides fire services within the City’s SOI and ULL through automatic and
mutual aid agreements. The SOI and ULL falls entirely within the water and sewer service areas
that the City acquired when it was incorporated. The Watson Ranch project will require
additional services related to parks, streets, sidewalks, and bike trails.
Present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services provided by the agency.
The addition of 1,200 homes in Watson Ranch will require some modification to the City’s
existing infrastructure. It will require larger water mains, upsized sewer lines, two water storage
tanks, and a recycled water line. The water treatment plant and the wastewater treatment plant
will have sufficient capacity. The City will more than likely hire additional police officers to
maintain the ratio of 1.2 sworn officers per thousand residents.
Social or economic communities of interest. There are no social or economic communities of
interest that are relevant to any potential amendments to the City’s SOI.
Present and probable need for services to disadvantaged unincorporated communities. There
are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the City’s SOI based
on available median household income data.
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Exhibit 6-2: Map of 1661 Green Island Road
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Sphere of Influence Considerations
6.2 – American Canyon Fire Protection District
The American Canyon Fire Protection District (ACFPD) provides fire protection services to
approximately 4,395 acres including all of American Canyon’s jurisdictional boundary as well as
some areas to the north and east of the City. As shown in Exhibit 4-1, ACFPD’s jurisdictional
boundary extends to the Napa River to the west, the City of Vallejo to the south, and Interstate 80
to the east. ACFPD’s service area includes a variety of areas and uses including residential, growing
commercial and industrial facilities, and rural areas.
One of the main governance considerations is service to rural and open space areas adjacent to
ACFPD. While the ACFPD station covers the City, ACFPD has its station and additional capabilities
closer to much of the rural areas east of the City. ACFPD and the County of Napa have worked under
an automatic aid agreement for many years where ACFPD responds to unincorporated areas east
and south of the County’s fire station. While there is merit to ACFPD and the County discussing
future SOI changes that may also involve County Service Area 3, staff recommends the Commission
affirm ACFPD’s SOI with no changes.
DETERMINATIONS
Present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands.
ACFPD’s SOI predominantly overlaps with the City of American Canyon with limited exceptions.
Present and planned land uses are consistent with the City’s General Plan land use designations
and the City’s ULL for incorporated areas, and the County’s General Plan land use designations
for unincorporated areas.
Present and probable need for public facilities and services. All lands within ACFPD’s SOI
receive fire protection services from ACFPD and the County through mutual and automatic aid
agreements.
Present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services provided by the agency.
ACFPD opened its station at 911 Donaldson Way East in July 2007 and continues to maintain the
station located at 225 James Road with intentions, at some time in the future, to staff it as a
second station. ACFPD has made major investments in apparatus and equipment in order to
provide service within its SOI. ACFPD has a capital equipment replacement plan which included
replacing two wildland firefighting apparatus in 2017. ACFPD’s capital plan provides for the
ongoing replacement of all apparatus and equipment including, rescue equipment, and two
rescue boats. These purchases were partially made because of the needs within ACFPD’s service
response area, which includes lands located outside ACFPD’s SOI through mutual and automatic
aid agreements. Annual calls for service since 2010 averaged approximately 1,500, of which 15%
involve emergencies outside ACFPD’s SOI. ACFPD is well equipped to handle these annual
service call levels and, in 2016, responded in less than five minutes 76% of the time. Further,
ACFPD’s ISO rating is 2/2Y on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the best.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Sphere of Influence Considerations
Social or economic communities of interest. There are two social or economic communities of
interest in ACFPD’s SOI. One is the City of American Canyon, which comprises 87% of ACFPD’s
jurisdictional boundary. The other community of interest is the Napa County Airport Industrial Area,
which is to the north of ACFPD’s SOI. The Airport Industrial Area is served by County Service Area 3
through a contract with the Napa County Fire Department, which has an automatic aid agreement
with ACFPD. The southeast corner of the Airport Industrial Area in the vicinity of Tower Road is
within ACFPD boundaries.
Present and probable need for services to disadvantaged communities. There are no
disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to ACFPD’s SOI based on available
median household income data.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates Sphere of Influence Considerations
6.3 – County Service Area 3
CSA 3 primarily serves the Napa County Airport Industrial Area and any future development will be
in the industrial area already in CSA 3’s current boundary. Since there is no anticipated expansion of
services provided by CSA 3 beyond the current SOI, the recommendation is to affirm the current SOI
with no changes.
DETERMINATIONS
Present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands. Lands
within CSA 3’s SOI are unincorporated and designated as the South County Industrial area and
zoned by the County as Industrial and Public Institutional. The Public Institutional portion
contains the Napa County Airport. The City of American Canyon is located to the south and the
City of Napa is located to the north, both of which are zoned Urban Residential. Areas to the
east and west of CSA 3 are zoned Agricultural Watershed. It is anticipated current zoning will
remain unchanged in the foreseeable future.
Present and probable need for public facilities and services. There is no anticipated
development outside and immediately adjacent to CSA 3. Therefore, there is no present nor
probable need for services outside CSA 3’s SOI.
Present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services provided by the agency.
CSA 3 has the capacity to serve areas within its jurisdictional boundary and SOI. Since all public
services in the area are contracted out, any changes can be accommodated in existing contracts.
In addition, there are mutual and automatic aid agreements with neighboring fire agencies to
provide full fire protection service coverage. Services are funded primarily through special
assessments and supplemented by the County.
Social or economic communities of interest. The City of American Canyon is a community of
interest located immediately south of CSA 3. The City of American Canyon receives fire services
from the American Canyon Fire Protection District and provides its own street maintenance
services.
Present and probable need for services to disadvantaged unincorporated communities. There
are no disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to CSA 3’s SOI based on
available median household income data.
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7: REFERENCES
American Canyon Fire Protection District. 2013. American Canyon Fire Protection District 2012
Annual Report. March 1.
American Canyon Fire Protection District. 2014b. American Canyon Fire Protection District 2013
Annual Report. April 4.
American Canyon Fire Protection District. 2014a. American Canyon Fire Protection District 2014
Annual Report. March 1.
American Canyon Fire Protection District. 2016b. 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. Updated March 1.
American Canyon Fire Protection District. 2016a. American Canyon Fire Protection District 2015
Annual Report. March 1.
American Canyon Fire Protection District. 2017. American Canyon Fire Protection District 2016
Annual Report. March 1.
American Canyon Police Department. 2017. Annual Report 2016.
American Fact Finder. 2017. Website:
https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk
accessed October 7.
CALFIRE Chief Biermann CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire. 2017. Personal Communication: email. August
24.
California Department of Finance. 2017. Report E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and
the State January 1, 2016 and 2017, May 1.
Calrecycle.2017. Potrero Hills Landfill. Website:
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/SWFacilities/Directory/48-aa-0075/Document Accessed
October 3.
City of American Canyon. 1994. General Plan Parks and Recreation Element. November 3.
City of American Canyon. 1996. Storm Drainage Master Plan Final Draft. December.
City of American Canyon. 2014. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended
June 30 2013. January 13.
City of American Canyon. 2015a. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended
June 30 2014. January 9.
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Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates References
City of American Canyon. 2015b. City of American Canyon 2015-2023 Housing Element. March 17.
City of American Canyon. 2015c. Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment. December.
City of American Canyon. 2015d. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended
June 30 2015. December 22.
City of American Canyon. 2016a. Sewer Master Plan. May.
City of American Canyon. 2016b. Watson Ranch Specific Plan Project Draft EIR chapter 4.13. July 1.
City of American Canyon. 2016c. City of American Canyon and American Canyon Fire Protection
District Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016.
December 28.
City of American Canyon. 2017a. Staff Report Update on Strategy to “Improving Traffic Flow on the
Highway”. March 28.
City of American Canyon. 2017b. Water and Sewer Rates. Website:
http://www.cityofamericancanyon.org/departments-services/administrative-services-
finance/utility-billing/rates-conservation. Accessed September 28.
City of American Canyon.2017c.Pavement Condition. Website:
http://www.cityofamericancanyon.org/city-departments/public-works/streets-right-of-
way/pavement-managment. Accessed 10/5/17.
Fehr & Peers. 2016. Final Transportation Impact Study Watson Ranch Specific Plan in American
Canyon, California for Comments Received Environmental Impact Report. June.
He, William. 2017. City Planner. Personal Communication: Telephone September 28.
Kennedy Jenks Consultants. 2016. Final 2015 Urban Water Management Plan for City of American
Canyon. June 14.
Napa County 2015a. Statement of Revenues and Expenses Budget vs. Actual by Fund FY 13. July 9.
Napa County 2015b. Statement of Revenues and Expenses Budget vs. Actual by Fund FY 14. August
18.
Napa County 2016. Statement of Revenues and Expenses Budget vs. Actual by Fund FY 15. June 30.
Napa County 2017a .Statement of Revenues and Expenses Budget vs. Actual by Fund FY 16. March 6.
Napa County 2017b. Statement of Revenues and Expenses Budget vs. Actual by Fund FY 17. May 22.
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Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates References
Napa Valley Transportation Authority. 2015-2016. Annual Report 2015.
Napa Valley Transportation Authority. 2016-2017. Annual Report 2016.
National Fire Protection Association. ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule Resources. Website:
https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Resources/Emergency-Responders/Job-tools-
and-resources/ISO-Rating-Resources.
Transportation Research Board, 2000. Highway Capacity Manual.
Weeks, Chief Glen. 2017. Personal Communication: email August 20.
Wilkenson, Ken. 2017. Police Department. Personal Communication: Telephone September 28.
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APPENDIX A:
“Improving Traffic Flow On The Highway” Staff Report March 28, 2017
- 1 -
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
STAFF REPORT
MARCH 28, 2017
WORKSHOP
SUBJECT
Update on Strategy to “Improving Traffic Flow on the Highway.”
SUBMITTED BY
Jason B. Holley, P.E. Public Works Director
Brent Cooper, AICP, Community Development Director
Dana Shigley, City Manager
BACKGROUND AND ISSUES
After considerable community outreach in 2013, the City Council adopted a community Vision
Statement. Soon after, the City Council also adopted its first Strategic Plan consisting of seven strategic
focus areas, numerous strategies and their respective goals in support of the new Vision Statement. As
time passed, the City accomplished many of the stated initiatives and the Strategic Plan was updated by
the Council in Spring 2016.
The updated Strategic Plan includes a Focus Area for “Transportation”. Specifically, it strives to:
“Improve the City's transportation network to mitigate traffic and enhance the quality of life for the
community”.
A key Strategy in support of the Transportation Focus Area is: “Improving Traffic Flow on the Highway”.
The workshop tonight is an opportunity for the community to receive an update on the City’s progress
on implementing this Strategy. Specifically, the following Strategic Plan Goals in support of it:
Goal TR-3: “Construct improvements to Highway 29 at Napa Junction.”
Goal TR-4: “Ensure signal timing along Highway 29 is maximized using the most advanced
technology available.”
Goal TR-2: “Construct improvements to Theresa/Eucalyptus.”
Goal ED-5: “Construct final leg of Devlin Road.”
Goal TR-5: “Seek to obtain funding and construct Newell extension to Highway 29.”
Goal TR-1: “Seek and obtain funding for highway widening consistent with the Highway 29
corridor study and Broadway District Specific Plan”.
The first three Goals (TR-2, 3, and 4) pertain to smaller, discrete highway intersection projects. The next
three goals (ED-1, TR-5, and TR-1) pertain to the implementation of more costly, long-term regional
initiatives.
HIGHWAY INTERSECTION PROJECTS
Goal TR-3: “Construct improvements to Highway 29 at Napa Junction.” - The “SR29/Napa Junction Road
Intersection Improvements Project – Phase 2 (TR17-0200)” is part of the FY2016-17 Capital Budget.
Design of the project is complete and the City has obtained an Encroachment Permit from Caltrans. This
Project is scheduled to go out to bid in April. Construction should be complete by the end of 2017. The
Project will add two additional westbound turn lanes and widen the radius of the corners. The new
1
turn-lanes will increase capacity of the westbound approach, thereby reducing the amount of green
time needed to serve the anticipated traffic volumes. The green time will be shifted to the north-south
phase, thereby increasing through capacity and decreasing congestion. The corners will be widened to
reduce potential conflicts between large trucks turning off the highway and vehicles waiting on the side
street. The improvements are required as part of the Napa Junction III development and staff
anticipates bringing an item to Council in April related to this project.
Goal TR-4: “Ensure signal timing along Highway 29 is maximized using the most advanced technology
available.” – Phase 1 of this project was completed in 2015. It implemented a coordinated signal timing
plan in order to maximize consistent green times on the mainline. Currently the signal controllers use
GPS clocks to "synchronize their watches" and then implement a sequenced timing plan from the same
starting point each day. Unfortunately, this method is not always reliable and it difficult to know if the
sequencing is performing as intended.
The next phase, "The “SR29 Signal Interconnect Project (TR15-0300)” is part of the FY2016-17 Capital
Budget. This project physically connects each signal controller together in a series with wires and then
designates one as the master controller. The master controller will ensure that all other controllers are
operating the desired signal timing plan. In addition, detection cameras placed at each intersection will
count objects as they pass-through. This video will provide a continuous counting of vehicles and
feedback such a stopping time, etc. Staff is also exploring the addition of adaptive controller technology
(such as Rhythm Engineering's™ "InSync" platform). This technology uses the data provided by the
video to make adaptive changes in signal sequencing and timing in response to changing traffic
conditions. This technology has demonstrated a measurable reduction in traffic congestion on highly-
travelled roadways such as the highway.
The design of this next phase is complete and staff plans to submit an application for an Encroachment
Permit from Caltrans shortly. This Project is scheduled to go out to bid in summer 2017. Construction
should be complete by the end of 2017.
Next Step: No Council action is needed on these two projects at this time. Both are in process
and staff will return to the City Council as needed.
Goal TR-2: “Construct improvements to Theresa/Eucalyptus.” - Design of the “Eucalyptus Dr.
Realignment Project (TR13-0400)” is on hold pending conclusion on the Watson Ranch Specific Plan. In
spring 2016, the California Transportation Commission unilaterally postponed state funding for this
project until FY 2021-22.
Other projects not currently in the Strategic Plan
Other efforts either completed or planned include:
Improving the Westbound Donaldson Way intersection at Highway 29. This effort, completed a
couple years ago, significantly improved wait times and traffic flow from Vintage Ranch to the
highway.
The Commerce Blvd. connection to Eucalyptus Drive will be completed as part of the Clarke
Ranch and Napa Junction School projects. This will provide a second access point into the Green
Island area.
2
The completion of class one bike trails continues to be a priority. The Kimberly Bay trail
connection is currently in design and may be ready for funding by the end of the year. We
recently completed one key link in the Vine Trail (Silver Oak) and another link will be completed
with Devlin and Green Island Roads.
The Bay Trail extension north continues to be elusive, with challenges from the Napa County
Airport and State Fish and Wildlife.
NORTH/SOUTH CONNECTIONS
Since before the City’s incorporation, all residents of Napa County have struggled with a lack of
transportation alternatives to SR29. The result has been an ever-increasing level of traffic congestion as
development in Napa County and the North Bay has increased. There are numerous reasons for the
increased congestion, not the least of which is a County-wide housing-jobs imbalance. Simply put, most
non-governmental jobs in Napa County are in the hospitality and agricultural industry. Many of these
jobs are seasonal and pay modestly. This stands in stark contrast to the price of housing which is very
high, primarily due to a lack of supply. In short, most residents of Napa County love living here, but
relatively few are lucky enough to also work near where they live. And those that work in Napa County
are more likely than not to live elsewhere (the NVTA Travel Behavior Study estimates there are 90,000
trips per day in Napa County that originate or conclude outside Napa County). The City Council has, for
many years, advocated that any significant improvement to traffic congestion on Highway 29 through
American Canyon will require a full range of improvements and policy changes, including investment in
workforce housing in Napa County and improved transit and non-motorized options (of particular note,
the Vine Trail and Bay Trail connections) in addition to improved highway and road connectivity.
In many respects, the lack of alternatives to SR29 mirrors the City’s own water supply situation. In this
case, the City relies almost solely on the State Water Project – which has a less than desirable reliability
and over which the City has no control. Likewise, due to lack of funding and too many priorities,
Caltrans provides a less than desirable level of service for operations and aesthetics on the highway.
The City has limited ability to manage the highway, but similarly must work within Caltrans regulations
and highly constrained funding to guide its future. And more importantly, neither the Legislature nor
the California Transportation Commission has prioritized capital projects to increase capacity on SR29
and it seems unlikely they will do so anytime in the near future.
Nevertheless, SR29 is the central artery serving the life-blood of the North Bay economic engine. It is
the primary connection between Napa County and southern Solano County, the East Bay and South Bay,
and Central San Joaquin Valley. The current traffic congestion constrains economic development for all
of Napa County. To exert leadership on the future of SR29, the Council is wisely investing in an initiative
to increase capacity of highway by adding an additional travel lane in each direction. Much like the
Alternative Intake Project (AIP) will set the stage for increased reliability and capacity for future City
water customers, the "6-Lane Broadway Boulevard" will also increase roadway capacity by increasing
the number of vehicle travel lanes from 4 to 6. Importantly, this increased capacity will benefit all Napa
residents and improve economic growth in the region.
The analogy between water supplies and transportation systems goes much deeper than just the
highway. Beyond just the AIP (i.e. highway), the Council has also begun to invest significant resources to
diversify its water portfolio altogether. First, it has chosen to advance regionally significant recycled
water projects as part of its award-winning Zero Water Footprint Policy. Secondly, the Council has
3
chosen to invest in a share of a new state-wide surface water storage system (Sites Reservoir). Much in
the same way it is diversifying its water portfolio, the Council has also begun to help diversify the
region's north-south transportation systems. This is primarily through the addition of two new roadway
connections (1) Devlin Road (on the west side of SR29) and (2) Newell Drive (on the east side of SR29).
Here too, the City is part of a broader coalition of public and private interests striving to accomplish
these shared goals.
Each of these three routes is
critical for improved
circulation in and around
south Napa County. The
Devlin Road connection can
Figure 1. North/South
carry approximately 5,000-
Connectivity
10,000 cars and trucks per
day and will serve local
commuters and internal
traffic to the airport/Green
Island Road industrial areas,
removing these trucks from
the highway. The extension
of Newell Drive, serving an
additional 5,000-10,000 cars
per day, will be driven by
American Canyon residents,
but will primarily serve daily
commuters traveling from
cities to the south into Napa
for their employment.
Finally, Highway 29 will
continue to serve as the
primary commuter, visitor
and resident artery from
Solano County to Napa and
points north. The highway,
currently carrying up to
50,000 cars per day, also
serves as American Canyon’s
“front door” to the region
and is one of our potential
economic engines.
This report explores in detail
the opportunities and
challenges facing Highway 29
improvements, as well as the
two Highway alternatives:
Newell Drive and Devlin
Road. Figure 1 shows these three connections.
4
HIGHWAY WIDENING
Goal TR-1: “Seek and obtain funding for highway widening consistent with the Highway 29 corridor
study and Broadway District Specific Plan”. - Implementation of the Broadway District Specific Plan,
including highway widening to 6 lanes, will require local, regional, state and other funding. It is helpful
to break the project down into subcomponents by potential funding source. For example, certain
outside funding sources often can only be used for non-motorized improvements, while others may only
be used to improve transit improvements. Local monies typically can be used on a wider range of
improvements. In this regard, the City is at the forefront of local revenue generation through the
Council's 2014 adoption of a Traffic Impact Fee (TIF) that for the first time in Napa County provides for
the collection of fees from developers to cover their proportionate share of costs to widen the highway.
(It is noteworthy that Napa County is now currently updating its Circulation Element and also
considering the potential for a county-wide traffic impact fee.) Thus, much like solving a jig-saw puzzle,
the funding strategy is to acquire various sources - each paying only for the improvements allowed - and
then to combine them to build a complete project that accommodates all users on highway.
The 6-lane "Urban Arterial" proposed in the Broadway District Specific Plan will provide for pedestrian,
bicycle and transit modes of travel that currently don't exist on the highway. It will also include the most
advanced signal timing technology and avant-garde form-based zoning codes that will incentivize a new
residential mixed-use development along the corridor. Figure 2 below depicts how the 6 - Lane Urban
Arterial might look once completed and Table 1 below compares the features of this concept against the
existing conditions.
Figure 2 - Proposed 6-Lane Urban Arterial
5
Table 1 – Contrast between existing 4-Lane Rural Highway and proposed 6-Lane Urban Arterial
Existing Planned
Road Classification 4-Lane Rural Highway 6-Lane Urban Arterial
Posted Speed 55 mph 35 mph
Number of Lanes6 2 3
Lane Width 12-feet 11-feet
Non-Peak Travel Time 77 seconds 122 seconds
Pedestrian Facilities No Yes
Bicycle Facilities No Yes
Transit Facilities No Yes
On-Street Parking No Yes
Landscaping No Yes
Underground Utilities No Yes
Coordinated Signals Yes Yes
PDA Development No Yes
It is important to note the planned 6-lane Urban Arterial is the cornerstone of the implementation of the
Broadway District Specific Plan. The planned widening is consistent with all current City and County
General Plans, as well as the Napa Valley Transportation Authority's (NVTA) Highway 29 Corridor Study -
all which solicited significant public input and resulted in community consensus.
Moreover, the Plan embodies a sustainable community strategy as dictated by SB375 (Steinberg) and
seeks to locate housing near employment centers served by non-motorized transportation options. As a
key component to the "Bay Area Sustainable Community Strategy", the Association of Bay Area
Governments (ABAG) in association with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Bay
Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) initiated a program for local agencies to establish
Priority Development Areas (PDAs) that provide higher density housing in close proximity to
employment and transit. In 2010, the ABAG approved the City designation of approximately 225 acres
adjacent to Highway 29 as a Mixed Use Corridor Priority Development Area (PDA). The PDA - including
the widening the highway - is now the focus of the Broadway District Specific Plan. In short, the term
“highway widening” is not limited to just new vehicle travel lanes, but rather it represents the all-
encompassing prospect of accommodating all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and vehicles).
Funding Strategy
The estimated cost to implement planned highway improvements within the PDA is approximately
$25M (from American Canyon Road to Napa Junction Road). The funding strategy is to leverage
restricted funds to build as much infrastructure as possible (within allowable uses) and augment it with
unrestricted funds and private capital. For example, NVTA is in the process of soliciting MTC's
consideration to include certain (non-motorized) elements of the highway widening for funding from the
potentially new Regional Measure 3 (RM3). Other funding sources such as OBAG3 would be eligible for
these non-motorized elements too. Likewise both FTA and TDA-4 funding is available for transit
improvements. Thus, elements such as the curb/gutter, landscaping, utility undergrounding, Class I
Bikeway, and enhanced pedestrian crossings all have identified potential funding sources. Combined,
these items represent approximately 40% (or $10.0M) of the overall cost of the planned improvements.
Funding sources for a new vehicle travel lane are much more limited - the most likely choice is local
Traffic Impact Fee. Thus, elements such earthwork, asphalt paving and striping also have identified
6
potential funding sources. Combined, these items represent about 60% (or $15M) of the overall cost of
the planned improvements. Our current TIF program can fund most of the needed resources for this
component of the project. Frontage improvement along private property such as pathways, landscaping
and gathering areas will all be funded through private capital once properties redevelop. Thus, through
the strategic integration of the anticipated future restricted funds and accumulated local impact fees,
implementation of the planned improvements is a reasonably foreseeable outcome.
Lastly, It’s worth noting recent survey work indicates relatively little new right-of-way is needed to
widen the highway in between intersections. This will be further verified once the horizontal layout
begins in conjunction with development of the Specific Plan Line.
Figure 3 - Funding Strategy for Highway Widening
(1) New Vehicle
(1) New Non- Lane (Unrestricted
Residential Mixed-Use Motorized Pathway Funding) (2) Existing
Development (Restricted Funding) 60% of costs = Vehicle Lanes, Shoulder,
(Private Funding) 40% of costs = $10m $15m and Median
Note: Only half of the highway cross-section is show for clarity.
Despite recent concerns expressed by NVTA staff, City staff does not believe a change in direction is
warranted. Given our funding strategy, level of community support for the project, considerable need
for additional capacity, and desire for economic growth, we recommend the City proceed with the
Broadway District Specific Plan already underway. Planning for the pedestrian/non-motorized
improvements, landscaping and land use as benefits of the project without adding the additional lanes is
not feasible nor consistent with considerable community feedback received on the plan.
Next Steps:
Identify existing Caltrans right-of-way (Complete).
Circulate Broadway District Specific Plan and Draft EIR for comment (fall 2017).
Solicit Feedback/Approval on Plan/DIER from Caltrans (summer - fall 2017).
Council Approve Plan/Final EIR (spring 2018).
Bay Area voters approve Regional Measure 3 (fall 2018)
Develop Specific Plan Line and Master Project Sequencing (fall 2017 - spring 2019).
7
HIGHWAY ALTERNATIVE – DEVLIN ROAD
Goal ED-5: “Construct final leg of Devlin Road.” – It is a noteworthy accomplishment that only two of the
seven segments that make up Devlin Road remain unfinished today. Once complete, Devlin Road will
provide a parallel alternative route on the west side of SR29 (from Soscol Ferry Road to Green Island
Road.) Over the last two decades, Napa County completed five segments (Segments A, B, C, D, and F)
and they will construct a sixth segment (Segment E) in 2018.
Design of the final segment is underway in conjunction with the City’s “Devlin Road Segment H Project
(TR 14-0100), “ shown below in Figure 4. Design of Segment H is part of the City's FY2016-17 Capital
Budget and is 40% complete. Environmental review and permitting is underway and staff continues to
negotiate property acquisition needed for the road. Segment H is scheduled to go out to bid in late fall
2017 after regulatory permits are obtained. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of
2018.
Next Step: No further Council action is needed at this time. Project is on-going and staff will
return to the City Council as needed.
Figure 4. Devlin Road Segment H
8
HIGHWAY ALTERNATIVE – NEWELL DRIVE
Goal TR-5: “Seek to obtain funding and construct Newell extension to Highway 29.” – Eventually Newell
Drive will provide a parallel alternative route on the east side of SR29. The road is comprised of three
segments – two of which are located in the City and one is located in the unincorporated County. While
the most southerly segment (from American Canyon Road to Donaldson Way East) was completed with
the Vintage Ranch development and the middle segment will be completed over the next decade in
conjunction with the Watson Ranch development, completion of the northern segment (partially
located in the County) remains less certain.
Alignment Choices
There also remains uncertainty about potential roadway alignment. Table 2 identifies characteristics of
3 potential alignments.
9
Table 2. Alignment Options for Northern Segment of Newell Drive
Option #1 Paoli Loop Road #2 Paoli Loop Road / Green Island Road #3 South Kelly Road
Option #1 is currently contemplated in both the County Option #2 replaces the current at-grade intersection with an Option #3 would route Newell Drive north to a new
and City’s General Plan Circulation Element. Without interchange that provides direct access to Newell Drive and roundabout intersection at South Kelly Rd. Although it
intersection improvements, the signalized at-grade Green Island Road. This option would be the most costly and would cost less than Option #2, this option would require
intersection at SR29 may create significant backups on the would impact properties on the west side of the highway. the largest amount of agricultural property acquisition and
highway southbound during afternoon peak hours as could have the largest long-term O&M cost. This route
motorists trying to make their way to southbound Newell would travel through land currently owned by the Hess
Drive via existing Paoli Loop Rd. family and operated as a vineyard.
10
Option #1 Paoli Loop Road #2 Paoli Loop Road / Green Island Road #3 South Kelly Road #3 South Kelly Road
Length 4,100 feet 4,100 feet 7,400 feet
Structures (1) Railroad overcrossing (1) Railroad overcrossing (1) Railroad overcrossing
(1) Highway Interchange (1) Creek bridge
Highway NB: Right-in, Right-out Only Traffic study is needed to determine the best way to Realignment of South Kelly Road and Roundabout
Intersection SB: Via Paoli Loop accommodate anticipated north and southbound traffic at
the highway intersection. Options range from a signalized
intersection to a grade-separated "Single Point Urban
Interchange"
ROW East of SR29 Partial acquisition from six agricultural properties. Partial acquisition from six agricultural properties. Partial acquisition from six agricultural properties.
ROW West of None Full acquisition of up to four industrial properties on west None
SR29 side of SR29
Estimated Cost $30M $40 - $75M $50M
Caltrans Approval Yes Yes No
Required?
11
Funding Challenges Options #1 and #2
Because the Newell Drive extension will be a city/county owned and maintained road, we do not
anticipate any state or federal funding will be available for construction, including the interchange.
Funding must be provided by some combination of existing city/county funds and fees/exactions from
future developers. As noted, the southern segment of Newell Drive was completed by the developer of
the Vintage Ranch Development and the City is working with the developer of the Watson Ranch project
to construct the Newell Drive extension along the boundaries of the Watson Ranch project. This leaves
the segment roughly from Watson Lane to Paoli Loop/Green Island Road and the appropriate highway
connection (for Options #1 and #2) with no immediately identified funding source.
The proposed alignment for Options #1 and #2 will impact six parcels currently zoned for agricultural
uses and not in the City limits. These property owners would be able to provide the required Right of
Way and construct their share of the road extension IF they have the necessary zoning and other
resources to develop their property and generate revenues. This will likely require the City to annex the
area south of Watson Lane into the City limits and zone the property for commercial, industrial, or other
appropriate uses. With this complete, the property owners could be required to fund their share of the
road extension as they develop their parcels.
Possible Next Step: Begin the process of annexing the area south of Watson Lane. Meet with
LAFCo. Meet with residents in the area. Determine appropriate zoning.
Another option would be for the City to use its TIF program. The current TIF program does not include
any funding for the Newell Drive extension project. The Council could consider increasing the TIF to
include all or a portion of the Newell Drive extension. This could potentially double the current TIF
amount, from $577 per trip to $900 - $1,500 per trip. The TIF is paid by developers building projects
anywhere in the City (not just along Newell Drive) and this may have a dampening effect on
development along the highway corridor, as our TIF fees will be quite high1.
Possible Next Step: Return to the Council with information about including Newell Drive
extension in the TIF.
Finally, we could request the County participate in construction of this last segment, as it will be partially
in their jurisdiction and, most importantly, will serve primarily commuters and tourists from Solano
County and other areas headed north to Napa and beyond.
Possible Next Step: Meet with County staff to determine the County’s interest in participating
in this project. (Note: meeting is already scheduled for March 30.)
Additional Land Use and Funding Challenges with Option #3
Option #3, extending Newell Drive to South Kelly Road, would require the new road to travel through
land currently owned by the Hess family and operated as a vineyard.
In 2008, the City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County Board of
Supervisors regarding the City’s ultimate Year 2030 boundary and water allocation policies outside the
City limits but within the Napa County Airport Business Park. The MOU required American Canyon
residents to approve an urban limit line through an initiative process. Around the same time, the
County adopted a new General Plan that placed the Hess Vineyard outside the proposed urban limit line
1 This does not include any increase in the TIF for the $20M Rio Del Mar undercrossing of the railroad as identified
in the Watson ranch Specific Plan. Adding this to the TIF would increase the per trip fee by an additional $400.
12
and noted that the property may be considered for industrial use if Newell Drive is extended through
this property to South Kelly Road.
The urban limit line initiative easily qualified for election and was adopted by the City Council. At that
time, residents were concerned that industrial development of the Hess Vineyard in the County was not
in their interests, so the initiative redirected the future Newell Drive alignment from connecting at South
Kelly Road to Green Island Road at SR29. This avoided the possibility that City efforts to extend Newell
Drive would result in the Hess Vineyard converting to any zoning other than agricultural.
Table 3. Impacts of Land Use Choices for Hess Vineyard Parcels
Hess Vineyard Options
Converts to
Policy Issue Remains Ag Use Converts to Industrial Use Alternative Use and is
Industrial Use in
in County and is annexed to the City annexed to the City
County
City Urban Limit No Change No Change Requires change to MOU Requires change to MOU
Line (ULL) with County and an with County and an
approved voter initiative approved voter initiative
to amend the ULL to amend the ULL
City Sphere of No Change No Change City approves General City approves General Plan
Influence (SOI) Plan Amendment, Amendment, Prezoning,
Prezoning, and and environmental review.
environmental review. LAFCO must approve the
LAFCO must approve the SOI amendment.
SOI amendment.
General Plans No Change County may need City would amend the City would amend the
required for either to amend its Land General Plan Land Use General Plan Land Use
City or County Use Plan and Element to designate the Element to designate the
General Plan change zoning property for industrial property for industrial
uses and amend the uses and amend the
Circulation Element to Circulation Element to
realign Newell Drive to realign Newell Drive to
South Kelly Road South Kelly Road
Annexation No Change No Change Requires ULL, SOI, General Requires ULL, SOI, General
Plan, and pre-zoning tasks Plan, and pre-zoning tasks
plus LAFCO approval of plus LAFCO approval of the
the annexation into City annexation into City Limits
Limits (which will include (which will include the
the areas surrounding areas surrounding Watson
Watson Lane as well). Lane as well).
American Canyon No Change No potable water Would be located in City Would be located in City
Potable Water service unless limits with City water limits with City water
service LAFCO approves it service service
with City’s
consent
Possible Funding Possible County County Traffic City TIF, Possible County City TIF, Possible County
sources for Traffic Impact Fee Impact Fee (TIF), Traffic Impact Fee (TIF), Traffic Impact Fee (TIF),
extension of (TIF) Frontage Frontage Improvements Frontage Improvements
Newell Drive Improvements and exactions on future and exactions on future
and exactions on developers developers
future developers
13
Today, there is renewed interest in exploring whether north-south traffic demand could be
accommodated more efficiently if Newell Drive connected to South Kelly Road. Since the County’s
general plan says that this alignment may allow the Hess Vineyard to be converted to industrial uses, it
raises numerous policy issues, such as whether converting the Hess Vineyard to industrial use is a good
idea and if so, whether it should occur in the City or the County and whether industrial is the highest and
best use for this property. Table 3, on the previous page, identifies the policy implications of leaving the
Hess Vineyard in the County as agricultural; allowing it to be converted industrial in the County;
allowing it to be converted to industrial inside the City; and an Alternative use developed in the City.
As noted previously, the property owner can be required to construct segments of Newell Drive
improvements and/or pay fees for the project, but this is only effective if they develop their property
and generate revenues. Their ability to do this will depend on economic conditions, property owner
investment plan, third party property owner cooperation, zoning (ag vs. industrial), availability of
potable water, and the jurisdiction (City vs. County).
In order to maximize opportunity for the Hess family to sell or develop their land and pay for some or all
of the road extension, numerous policy changes will be required from the City, County and voters.
Without these changes, it is unlikely that the property owners will be able to fund road development
and all costs for construction will be borne by other City and County resources (TIF, etc.).
The Hess Vineyard does not extend all the way to South Kelly Road, so the Newell Drive extension
requires coordination with another landowner whose property would remain the County regardless of
whether the Hess Vineyard is annexed into the City.
Possible Next Steps:
Preliminary discussions with all property owners impacted by the Newell Drive extension
The City negotiates a new Urban Limit Line MOU with the County
American Canyon Citizens adopt an Urban Limit Line amendment initiative
The City amends the General Plan to reflect the new alignment to South Kelly Road
The County amends their General Plan to reflect the new alignment to South Kelly Road
The City Prezones the Property
LAFCO approves a sphere of influence amendment and annexation
With zoning in place, the property owner and City can determine final road design.
It is not possible at this time to predict whether any of these steps would be successful. In addition,
should it all be successful, there is no certainty that market demand would favor developing the
property at that time or that a future property owner wouldn’t keep the land vacant as a long term
investment.
Likewise, assuming the property could be developed in the County as industrial has an uncertain
outcome because LAFCO would have to approve City water service. It is not certain whether the City
would agree to provide water service or that LAFCO laws would allow City water service when the water
demand is not related to a public health emergency.
Possible Next Step: Meet with County staff to determine the County’s interest in extending
Newell Drive to South Kelly Road. (Note: meeting is already scheduled for March 30.)
14
NEXT STEPS
Solving long-term traffic circulation challenges takes money, time, and regional cooperation. Mostly,
though, solving these challenges requires planning, creativity and perseverance. The many segments of
Devlin Road took a decade to complete and cooperation from several regional partners. The Highway
29 improvement project and Newell Drive extension are not any different. We need to be committed to
our plans and continue making forward progress, just as we have for the last five years.
Throughout this report we have offered the Council some suggestions about possible next steps. The
Council is welcome to use these, or offer other direction. Staff has direction and is already proceeding
with projects related to Highway 29. Thus, of particular interest to staff is the Council’s interests the
alignment of Newell Drive extension.
15
Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates
APPENDIX B:
Comments Received During Public Review Periods
Appendix B is reserved for inclusion of all comments submitted on the draft report by affected
agencies and members of the public during the formal public review periods. Draft versions of this
report were made available for public review and comment during the following dates:
• January 26, 2018, through March 9, 2018
• July 31, 2018, through September 7, 2018
• September 24, 2018, through November 9, 2018
No written comments were submitted to Napa LAFCO during any of the dates listed above.
However, one comment letter was submitted by the Napa County Farm Bureau on July 19, 2018,
and is included.
- 1 -
Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates
APPENDIX C:
ISO Rating Overview
To help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties,
insurance companies need reliable, up-to-date information about a community's fire-protection
services. ISO provides that information through the Public Protection Classification (PPC) program.
ISO collects information on municipal fire protection efforts in communities throughout the United
States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data using a Fire Suppression Rating
Schedule (FSRS). The FSRS evaluates four primary categories of fire suppression: (1) fire department;
(2) emergency communications; (3) water supply; and (4) community risk reduction. The FSRS
includes standards set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). ISO then assign a rating
from Class 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10
indicates that the area's fire-suppression program doesn't meet ISO’s minimum criteria.
By classifying communities' ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public
fire-protection services. The program provides an objective, countrywide standard that helps fire
departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. Further, by securing
lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program
provides incentives and rewards for communities that choose to improve their firefighting services.
Changes to ISO ratings are generally based on changes to nationally accepted standards developed
by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Association of Public
Communications Officials (APCO), and the American Water Works Association (AWWA). When these
organizations change their standards, the ISO evaluation changes as well, providing up-to-date
information helping fire department’s and public officials better understand the successes of their
effectiveness efforts and their needs for improvements. These changes can have a significant impact
on the price of insurance and the effectiveness of coverage. In general, a lower PPC score translates
to a lower insurance premium, as a low score indicates a lower risk for serious fire damage.
- 1 -
Napa LAFCO – South County Region
Final Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Updates
APPENDIX D:
City of American Canyon and American Canyon Fire Protection District Joint Sphere of
Influence Amendment Request
- 1 -
William D. Ross Law Offices of Los Angeles Office:
Karin A. Briggs
David Schwarz
William D. Ross
P.O. Box 25532
Los Angeles, CA 90025
400 Lambert Avenue
Kypros G. Hostetter
Palo Alto, California 94306
Of Counsel
Telephone: (650) 843-8080
Facsimile: (650) 843-8093
File No: 199/6 & 199/3
April 2, 2018
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
bfreeman@napa.lafco.ca.gov
Brendon Freeman, Executive Officer
Napa County LAFCO
1030 Seminary Street, Suite B
Napa, CA 94559
Re: South County Regional MSR/SOI Update; City of American Canyon and
American Canyon Fire Protection District; Request for Inclusion of Green Island
Vineyard Property
Dear Mr. Freeman:
This communication is furnished on behalf of the City of American Canyon (“City”) and
the American Canyon Fire Protection District (“District”) as a supplement to their prior
comments on the Draft South County Municipal Services Review and Sphere of Influence
update (“South County MSR/SOI”).
Based on recent communications and conversations with the owners of the Green Island
Vineyard, a parcel located immediately west of the current City and District boundaries at the
termination of Green Island Road, the City and District request the inclusion of the Green Island
Vineyard property within the Spheres of Influence of the City and the District.
There are several reasons for this request, including that it will further the orderly
development of both the City and the District, will provide for the most efficient delivery of
municipal services to the Green Island Vineyard property, but most importantly is the agreed
participation of the Green Island Vineyard property in an extensive capital improvement project
of the City, the Green Island Road Community Facilities District (“the Green Island CFD”).
The Green Island CFD provides for extensive renovation of Green Island Road and
needed resources for the extension of Devlin Road, which will be of regional transportation
benefit.
In summary, the Green Island Vineyard property is requested for inclusion in the Sphere
Brendon Freeman, Executive Officer
Napa County LAFCO
April 2, 2018
Page 2
of Influence of the City and District.
Very truly yours,
William D. Ross,
City Attorney
District Counsel
WDR:jf
cc: The Honorable Leon Garcia, Mayor
City Council, City of American Canyon
Diane Dillon, District 3 Supervisor (via her Aide Nelson Cortez)
Belia Ramos, District 5 Supervisor (via her Aide Jesus Tijero)
Jason Holley, Interim City Manager
Glen Weeks, District Chief
David Gilbreth, Esq.