Rio Vista
Rio Vista was founded in 1858 as Los Brazos Del Rio "the arms of the river" at the junction of Cache Slough and the Sacramento River. The property had been part of a large Mexican land grant owned by John Bidwell of Chico. The city flooded in 1862, forcing settlers to rebuild it on higher ground four miles downstream the current site. Similar to several other Solano County cities, Rio Vista was incorporated after catastrophe struck, this time in 1892. A year after a massive fire almost leveled the entire community, residents voted to make Rio Vista an official city. The town has grown to almost 4,600 residents and is poised on the brink of a commercial and residential development drive that will quadruple the city's population and tax base within 10 years. Most of the residential growth will be in the form of "active senior" gated communities. The community now boasts an 18-hole golf course. At a Glance Population (2007 estimate by the California Department of Finance): 7,823 Race (Numbers provided by U.S. Census Bureau and because of overlapping categories do not reflect total population): White: 4,038 Hispanic or Latino: 522 Black or African American: 54 American Indian and Alaska Native: 42 Asian: 73 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 1 Some other race: 187 Two or more races: 176 Age: Under 5 years: 299 18 and older: 3,430 65 years and over: 901 Median age: 40.7 Housing Units: 1,974 Median Household Income: $44,534 Crime (Year 2007): Homicide: 0 Rape: 0; Robbery: 3; Assault: 41; Burglary: 50; Theft: 62; Auto theft: 12 Registered Voters: Total (as of Jan. 4, 2008): 3,987; Democrats: 1,786; Republicans: 1,474; Non-partisan: 587 Top Employers*: Barrier Systems: 50; California Vegetable Specialties: 70; Dry Vac Environmental: 50; Dutra Dredging & Construction: 90; Moreno Trenching, Ltd.: 85; Warren E. Gomes Excavating: 30 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, *Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce, City of Rio Vista, Solano County Registrar of Voters. Chamber of Commerce 50 North Second St., Rio Vista, 94571 (707) 374-2700 City of Rio Vista City Hall, 1 Main St., Rio Vista, 94571: 374-6451 City Council The City Council meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of each month in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 1 Main St. in Rio Vista. For general information, call Interim City Clerk Carolyn Parkinson at 374-6451. Councilmembers are: • Mayor Ed Woodruff, term expires November 2008• Vice Mayor Bill Kelly, term expires November 2008
• Councilmember Ron Jones, term expires November 2010
• Councilmember Jan Vick, term expires in 2010
• Councilman Sanmukh Bhakta, term expires 2008 City Departments • Finance department: 374-2176.
• Community development director Tom Bland: 374-2205.
• City Manager Hector De La Rosa: 374-6451
• Public Works Department, 789 Saint Francis Way: 374-6747
• Fire Department: 374-2233
• Police Department: 374-6366 Library The Rio Vista Library is at 44 S. Second St. For services and hours, call 374-2664. The librarian is Susan Reeve. Utilities • For information on water and sewer billings, new service or disconnections: 374-2176.
• Garbage service is handled by Rio Vista Sanitation, 100 Main St.: 374-5644.
• Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Customer services: 1-800-743-5000; Spanish-speaking: 1-800-660-6789
• Telephone service is supplied by Frontier: 1-800-921-8105.
• Comcast and Charter Cable provide cable services. Transit • Contact Transit Metro at (707) 374-2878
• Transit Coordinator: John Andoh, 374-5337 Post Office The Rio Vista post office is at 140 Sacramento St., 94571: 374-2057. Animal Control Outside the city limits, call Solano County Animal Shelter, 2510 Clay Bank Road, Fairfield:784-1356 Inside Fairfield, Suisun City, Dixon, Rio Vista or Vacaville, Humane Animal Services: 449-1700 Appointed Commissions Planning Commission The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 1 Main St.: 374-2205. Members of the commission are: • Chairman Tim Callahan, term expires 2009
• Everette Upham Jr., term expires 2008
• Janis Hunter, term expires 2009
• Mark McTeer, term expires 2008
• Frank Benda, term expires 2010
• Linda Van Nieuwburg, term expires 2008
• Ginger Conrad, term expires 2010
Parks and Recreation Commission The Parks and Recreation Commission meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 1 Main St. For information, call Jenny Symons at 374-6451. Commission members are: • Bruce Vieira, term expires 2007
• Vacant
• Lori Sanchez, Chairwoman, term expires 2008
• Bill Mortimore, term expires 2008
• Gene Vick, term expires 2010
• Toni Tucker, term expires 2009
• Clinton Scholting, term expires 2009 Police Department The Police Chief is William Bowen. The department has 13 sworn officers, including the chief. The department is at 50 Poppy House Road, in Rio Vista. • Nonemergency business: 374-6366 • Dispatch: 374-2300. Fire Department Fire Chief Jack Ingraham heads a department that includes about 27 volunteers and seven full-time employees, including one chief, three captains, three firefighter/paramedics. The department provides Advance Life Support Emergency Service (24/7). The department covers the city of Rio Vista and is contracted to provide services in the Delta Fire Protection District, which includes several communities on the east side of the Sacramento River. The station is at 350 Main St. in Rio Vista. • Nonemergency business: 374-2233. River Delta Unified School District Offices for the River Delta Unified School District are at 445 Montezuma St., Rio Vista, 94571-1651; phone: 374-1700; fax: 374-2995; www.riverdelta.k12.ca.us. The River Delta Unified School District has about 2,216 students in 10 schools, kindergarten through 12th grade and about 30 in its adult school. The district is a tri-county district representing parts of the river communities in Solano, Sacramento and Yolo counties along the Sacramento River between Sacramento and Rio Vista. The Board of Trustees usually meets at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the district office (November through March) and at various school sites along the Sacramento River (April through October). The schedule can be found on their Web site. Trustees • David Bettencourt, president, Area II: 374-2233
• Marilyn Riley, Area I: (707) 374-6614; merkiejim@frontier.net
• Vice President Lee Williams, Area I: (707) 689-3960; leewilliams@frontiernet.net
• Clerk William Schauer, Area III: (916) 776-1722; wms2@citilink.net
• Alicia Fernandez, Area V: (916) 744-1790; fernandezlamera@msn.com
• Joy Baker, president, Area IV: (916) 775-1656; JOY.baker@earthlink.net
• Kathleen Jackson, Area II: (916) 307-7802; kjackson25@yahoo.com • Interim Superintendent: Dr. Alan Newell, (707) 374-5009; anewell@riverdelta.k12.ca.us Schools and principals Listed are the schools in Solano County. The district also has one K-8 school in Isleton, one K-6 school in Walnut Grove, one K-6 school and one community day school and one continuation school in Courtland, and one high school and one middle school in Clarksburg. • D. H. White Elementary School (K- fourth-grade): 500 Elm St., Rio Vista. Linda Costlow: (707) 374-5335 • Riverview Middle School (fifth- through eighth-grade), 525 S. Second St., Rio Vista, Pierre Laleau: (707) 374-2345 • Rio Vista High: 410 S. Fourth St., Rio Vista, Jim Lake: (707) 374-6336 • River Delta High and Elementary School, Independent Study Program, 410 S. Fourth St., Rio Vista. Robert Hubbell, Chief Educational Services Officer: (707) 374-1725 • Wind River School, Adult Education, 410 S. Fourth St., Rio Vista, Robert Hubbell, Chief Educational Services Officer: (707) 374-1725. Seniors • NorthBay Alzheimer's Resource Center provides information and assistance to Alzheimer's Disease patients and their families. The center is at 1000 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville 95687: 454-3112, or 1-888-922-9922. • Meals on Wheels of Solano County Inc. is a nonprofit agency which serves meals to homebound seniors covering all of Solano County with the exception of Benicia. Meals on Wheels is at 95 Marina Center, Suisun City 94585: 426-3079 or 1-800-788-5114. • Area Agency on Aging serving Napa/Solano counties. It offers senior information and assistance: 469-6679. • Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) offers information on Medicare and senior supplements: 1-800-434-0222. • Long-Term Care Ombudsman investigates and resolves complaints concerning nursing home care: 644-4194, or 24-hour hotline: 1-800-231-4024. • Social Security and Medicare Eligibility Information: 1-800-772-1213. • Solano County Adult Protective Services receives reports of elder abuse and offers information and referral and in-home support: 1-800- 850-0012. • Elder Care Locator offers a nation-wide service to help families and friends find information about community services for seniors: 1-800-677-1116.
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