Category Archives: Solano County Board of Supervisors

California Forever Inc., Campaign finance, East Solano Plan, Flannery Associates, Solano County Board of Supervisors

California Forever going dark? …after spending $7 million in April-June

Latest campaign finance report includes details on massive income & spending…

Big bucks aren’t enough to win the day…

By Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent, August 13, 2024

Solano County recently posted California Forever’s 2nd Quarter campaign finance report, Form 460.  It’s 68 pages long, and provides a detailed look inside the billionaire funding and the massive effort to sell the public on the billionaires’ failed ballot initiative.

Contributions

The report details 11 self-funding contributions April-June totaling $5,935,000. In addition, they made non-monetary contributions (staff time, office space & expenses, legal fees and event sponsorships) totaling $1,473,302. Total contributions for the three months – all self-funded – were $7,408,302. This was on top of the $1,850,109 California Forever gave itself in the 1st Quarter. Yes, that’s a total self-funding of $9,258,411 through the first half of 2024!

Expenditures

California Forever spent most of that money. Expenditures April-June totaled $7,078,688 (plus another $319,455 in as yet unpaid bills). This on top of its 1st Quarter expenses of $2,008,873, a total outlay for the first 6 months of this year: $9,087,561.

The details revealed on the 60 pages of individual expenditures are mind-blowing. For instance, just take a look at the first page of expenditures, p. 8:

  • Acosta Consulting, Sacramento, for literature: $112,500.20
  • Angie Wei Consulting, Sacramento, for campaign consulting, 2 payments, both for $20,000
  • Grindstone Field Solutions, Sacramento, for campaign workers’ salaries, $140,135.42

That is only the first of 60 pages, with additional payments for each of the above categories.

Another example: see pp. 56-64 for massive amounts spent on “radio airtime and production costs”:

  • KCBS-AM San Francisco: payments of  $9,452, $13,636 and $17,106, total around $40K. (and similar payments to many other AM and FM stations in the Bay Area, Sacramento and one in Burbank)
  • Pandora Radio: 2 payments of $13,440. Spotify: 2 payments of $13,440 and another of $16,800. Sirius XM: $16,800.
  • And 2 whopping payments, $438,537 and $389,662.36 paid to DMA Nielsen of Queensbury NY for “t.v. or cable airtime and production costs.”
Transparency going forward?

QUESTION: Now that the initiative is no longer on the ballot, will California Forever be required by State and/or County law to file another 460 at the next deadline (probably in September sometime)?

QUESTION: California Forever now says they will “apply for a General Plan and Zoning Amendment and proceed with the normal County process for the negotiation and execution of a development agreement.” [County news release 22 Jul 2024]  >>What County department will be overseeing this kind of process? I assume that project documents will be posted on the County website, but it’s not clear to me where. Interested parties will want to be monitoring this process closely.

I’ll be sure to update with answers on the BenIndy if/when I get answers.

Roger Straw, Benicia Independent contributor

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California Forever Inc., East Solano Plan, Flannery Associates, Solano County Board of Supervisors

California Forever told to ‘Go somewhere else’

Supervisor Monica Brown doesn’t hold back…

Leaders react to East Solano Plan removal

A herd of horses walks in a pasture south of Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. (Chris Riley/The Reporter)

Vallejo Times-Herald, July 24, 2024

Solano County Supervisor Monica Brown waited months to share her thoughts on California Forever’s East Solano Plan. So when her moment came Tuesday morning, she didn’t mince words.

“How dare you come in here with your arrogance,” she scolded the company, criticizing the Silicon Valley-backed project for failing to communicate clearly with the County, accusing them of misleading voters and putting them on blast for a lack of detail and transparency in their initiative.

Brown said she was previously advised by Solano County Counsel not to speak out against California Forever to avoid recusing herself on matters that came before the board. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, she said, she got the green light from that office to share some thoughts on the situation.

And share she did, using supervisors’ comments as an opportunity to let fly a volley of verbal missiles for the would-be developers and celebrate the postponement of the initiative’s ballot appearance until at least 2026.

“You came here and thought ‘Well they’re a bunch of hicks, they won’t fight,’ ” she said. “Well, we did.”

Brown also challenged the company on its decision to sue Solano County farmers and questioned the qualifications of their employees.

“Who did you have working for you? The kids I gave Fs to in math?” the former teacher asked.

She also attacked the company for failing to use the normal means of development that the County has laid out. She accused the organization of trying to “buy votes” with their charitable giving.

“You had an agenda,” she said. ” ‘By God, we’re going to get this done in November and we’re going to tell those hicks forget you.’ “

While California Forever has indicated it hopes to mend fences with the County and its voters, and while it remains by far the county’s largest single landowner, Brown made clear she wasn’t particularly interested at this point.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re not welcome here ever again,” she said. “Go somewhere else.”

After the meeting, Supervisor John Vasquez told reporters that elected officials are entitled to their own opinions without making them public, and noted that other officials have faced recusal on issues for speaking out ahead of time in the past.

“Private opinions are private opinions,” he said. “Decisions at the dais are based on fact. You hear everything, and then you make a decision.”

Brown, a Democrat, expressed frustration with the Democratic consultants that the company brought in to help on this campaign, saying they had “sold your soul.”

She also noted that the County will have many things to work on over the next few years and that California Forever should have to wait its turn to get more County resources expended on it.

“What we have to tell them is, ‘You don’t get to jump to the front of the line,’ ” she said. “And I believe that with this going, that we do have a little bit of control at the driver’s side.” [See Supervisor Brown’s full comment, video below.]

Vacaville Mayor John Carli spoke to The Reporter about the future of the project on Monday. Carli, who has expressed before that California Forever did not sufficiently build trust with the community, said removing the initiative and taking time to hear from the community once again could help that aim.

“I do believe that their actions today are a step in the right direction,” he said.

Crafting an Environmental Impact Report and a Development Agreement could help the company explain to voters what they precisely mean to do and how it might impact the county as a whole, Carli said.

“This makes a lot more sense if you truly are interested in being here for the long term,” he said.

Still, he said, the firm has a long road ahead if they hope to rebuild that trust.

“Part of trust is being a good neighbor,” he said.

State Sen. Bill Dodd (D-3) expressed approval of the decision to remove the initiative from the ballot, but still had sharp words for the company’s end goals.

“The proponents of this ill-conceived development thought they were going to flash their cash and run over our community like a bunch of bumpkins, but instead they ran face-first into a brick wall,” Dodd said in a statement. “These billionaire speculators may try to spin it, but the bottom line is they got a wakeup call that Solano County residents won’t be fooled or taken advantage of.”

Dodd said he still believes the project would have “devastating consequences” for a number of issues in the county, including water, public safety, traffic and Travis Air Force Base.

“I hope they abandon their fundamentally flawed design and approach and instead work collaboratively with local governments to develop housing in a thoughtful way in places where it’s actually suitable.”

Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-11) commended the company for removing its initiative but struck a much more positive tone about the company’s end goals than other local politicians, focusing on the “further discussion” that needs to occur on key issues with the project.

“While the proposed initiative could offer our county many benefits, we must ensure that more work is done to protect current Solano County residents and our local assets,” she said.

Wilson noted that she looks forward to a future of “collaborating with all stakeholders.”

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-8) commended Supervisor Mitch Mashburn for reaching an agreement with California Forever and reiterated his position that the development would be irresponsible.

“From the beginning, I have maintained that the proposed project was only a pipe dream, not a true plan,” he said. “Rushing the process without thorough environmental and community review would have been disastrous for the existing residents of Solano County.”

Supervisor Brown’s comment on July 23, 2024:

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California Forever Inc., Flannery Associates, Solano County Board of Supervisors, Solano County CA, Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, Solano County Registrar of Voters, Solano Together, Travis Air Force Base

Solano Together Statement: The People of Solano County Defeat the Billionaires’ Development Plan

Statement: The People of Solano County Defeat the Billionaires’ Development Plan

Solano Together, July 22, 2024

Faced with the anticipation of overwhelming rejection by Solano County voters on the ballot, California Forever has pulled the plug on the East Solano Plan Initiative. The people have spoken and California Forever has been forced to withdraw their hastily drawn, poorly designed initiative, given a surefire loss in November.

Solano Together is proud of the people of Solano County for this amazing WIN. For the tireless advocates who engaged and educated the constituents, the brave local officials and community leaders who spoke out and denounced the project, and the resilient farmers who were on the frontlines against this harmful proposal.

Let’s be clear: California Forever knew that their guarantees were not binding. They knew the impact of their proposal on traffic, Travis Air Force Base, the environment, agriculture, existing cities, and more. Instead of taking the time to deeply engage in a transparent process of what their proposal means to the county, they decided to deceive the public to try and get the initiative passed.

We thank the Board of Supervisors for initiating the impact study that showed the negative impacts a project of this magnitude would have on Solano families.

Solano Together looks forward to continuing our local, community driven efforts to invest in the future of our county, including advocating for bringing more jobs and affordable homes to our existing communities while protecting farmland and open spaces through the renewal of the Orderly Growth Initiative by 2028.

California Forever Inc., Flannery Associates, Solano County Board of Supervisors, Solano County CA, Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, Solano County Registrar of Voters, Solano Together, Travis Air Force Base

California Forever Withdraws East Solano Plan Initiative from Ballot

[BenIndy: Not a defeat, per say, but most certainly a win.]

Joint statement by Solano County and California Forever

Issued July 22, 2024

Statement by Mitch Mashburn, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, and Supervisor for District Five

Board of Supervisors Chair Mitch Mashburn. | File photo.

After a discussion between myself and Jan Sramek, the Founder and CEO of California Forever, we have agreed that they will withdraw their measure and not proceed with the election in November.

Instead, they will submit an application for a General Plan & Zoning Amendment and proceed with the normal County process which includes preparation of a full Environmental Impact Report and the negotiation and execution of Development Agreement. As part of the normal County process, California Forever will reimburse the County’s costs for this future work, including both staff time and external consultants.

As a result, the action for the Board to place this measure on the ballot on tomorrow’s agenda is no longer needed.

I think it signals Jan Sramek’s understanding that while the need for more affordable housing and good paying jobs has merit, the timing has been unrealistic. I want to acknowledge that many Solano residents are excited about Mr. Sramek’s optimism about a California that builds again. He is also right that we cannot solve our jobs, housing, and energy challenges if every project takes a decade or more to break ground.

But announcing last year that California Forever would seek a vote on the November 2024 ballot, without a full Environmental Impact Report and a fully negotiated Development Agreement, was a mistake. This politicized the entire project, made it difficult for us and our staff to work with them, and forced everyone in our community to take sides.

Delaying the vote gives everyone a chance to pause and work together, which is what is needed – not a fight between friends throughout the County on both sides of the issue. With the ballot measure off the table, it will be far easier for county staff to work with California Forever. It also creates an opportunity to take a fresh look at the plan and incorporate input from more stakeholders.

We are who we are in Solano County because we do things differently here. We take our time to make informed decisions that are best for the current generation and future generations. We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to be heard and get all the information they need before voting on a General Plan change of this size.

As we now have competing reports and studies to consider and reflect on, I’ll give Mr. Sramek and his team a challenge. Consider us the ‘show-me county.’ Use the Environmental Impact Report and Development Agreement process to prove to us how you’ll strengthen Travis AFB, how you’ll provide water, and how you will solve the transportation challenges. And show us the financial engineering that makes it possible to pay for billions of dollars of infrastructure, without increasing our taxes, and while delivering a net tax surplus to our county.

I’d like to thank Mr. Sramek for recognizing the need of our community for more time and information. As Chair of the Board and the Supervisor who represents the area most impacted, I will seek to form a subcommittee of the Board for this proposal, and I look forward to working with him and his team collaboratively going forward.

Supervisor Mitch Mashburn

Statement by Jan Sramek, Founder & CEO of California Forever

California Forever CEO Jan Sramek. | Chris Riley / The Reporter.

For close to a century, California has been a place of optimism and opportunity, where every generation was better off than their parents. That’s why I moved here a decade ago, and that’s the California I believe in and want to help build.

But in recent decades, California has stopped building, and as a result, that optimism and opportunity has begun to slip away. We build a fraction of the homes every year that we built in the 1970s – despite our population growth. We make companies go through five years of planning and environmental review to open one factory – so they move to Arizona instead, and take their jobs with them. We make solar farms so difficult to permit that Texas now has more renewables than California.

We believe that Solano County has the opportunity to forge a new path towards the California Dream for this generation, and generations to come.

We also believe that we must move forward with urgency – because delays are not just a statistic. They have a human cost. As the father of two toddlers, I’m reminded of this reality every day. For every year we delay, thousands of Solano parents miss more mornings, recitals, and bedtime stories because they’re commuting two hours for work. They cannot get those magical moments back.

We want to show that it’s possible to move faster in California. That’s why we asked for zoning approvals in 2024, followed by an Environmental Impact Report and Development Agreement in 2025 and 2026. But we recognize now that it’s possible to reorder these steps without impacting our ambitious timeline. Instead, we will work with the County to prepare the Environmental Impact Report and Development Agreement over the next two years, and then bring the full package back for approval in 2026.

This creates opportunities to incorporate additional community input, and then provide everyone with access to objective analysis, and the full terms of the Development Agreement, including the community benefits. We believe that with this process, we can build a shared vision that passes with a decisive majority and creates broad consensus for the future. We’re excited about working with the Board of Supervisors, its land use subcommittee, and county staff to make this happen.

Finally, I want to personally thank the tens of thousands of Solano residents who have shaped and supported the East Solano Plan. In the upcoming weeks we will launch a series of community workshops to help design the community benefits, including down-payment assistance, training funds, and small business grants, and to hear any other suggestions for improving the plan. If you would like to participate or have other ideas, my email is jan@californiaforever.com.

Jan Sramek

Read the Joint Statement >>