LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEW YEAR

What’s in store for 2008?

End of building freeze, vote on water rates among key issues surfacing this year

Terry Hankins The D Street Bridge will close for repairs after the 2008 boating season. Zoom Photo

Pop quiz: How many elections are on tap for this year?

The answer: Three — starting as soon as a month from now.

Petaluma and the rest of California join the national trend of picking presidential candidates earlier than usual when the state goes to the polls Feb. 5.

In what some are calling a national primary, California joins 16 other states in holding primary elections that day. But the February primary vote is only for the presidential race and some statewide initiatives that haven’t yet caught the attention of most voters. We’ll have to wait until late spring for primaries involving state and Congressional offices.

Here’s a rundown of what else Petalumans can look forward to in 2008.

Winter

In addition to the presidential primary, the remainder of winter will see the draft General Plan wrapping up in hopes of an April adoption by the City Council.

The final public hearing on the revised draft and accompanying EIR, which addresses greenhouse gas emissions, is scheduled for Monday’s City Council meeting.

If the council gives the OK to prepare a final General Plan for adoption, it could be back for review in March, city staff said.

This month, the city also plans to restart construction on the Petaluma Boulevard North road diet, which shut down for the holiday season. Project completion is scheduled for late February.

Work is also proceeding through March on the completion of the South McDowell Boulevard road diet, including a roundabout at the Baywood Drive intersection.

Finally, a new city manager is slated to be at the helm of City Hall in early February, allowing Mike Bierman to retire after five-and-a-half years in Petaluma.

Spring

If the General Plan is adopted as planned in April, it will signal the end of a development freeze that will have been in place for nearly two years due to a projected water-supply shortfall.

However, the new General Plan specifies water-conservation measures the city says will extend its water supply through 2025, when the plan is due for another update.

That means projects in the city’s pipeline, including large retail developments at the former Kenilworth Junior High site and across from Petaluma Valley Hospital, could start moving through the city’s review process after the General Plan is approved.

City roadwork scheduled for spring includes the extension of Caulfield Lane over the railroad tracks to Hopper Avenue, allowing the city to close the north end of Hopper at Lakeville Street because of a substandard intersection with the railroad tracks there.

And in early June, the primary elections for state Assembly, Senate and U.S. House races will be held. Incumbent Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, so far have no challengers from within their party and are expected to go on to easy November victories in this heavily Democratic area.

However, State Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, is facing a primary challenge from Assemblyman Mark Leno and San Francisco police commissioner Joe Veronese.

In addition, former North Bay Assemblyman Joe Nation recently announced he is considering jumping in the race.

Summer

A number of long-planned street projects should get under way by summer, according to Larry Zimmer, the city’s capital improvements manager.

Washington Street from Howard Street to the river, and Sixth Street from D to J streets, are scheduled for new pavement as part of a single project.

“That is my highest priority,” Zimmer said. “There is federal funding involved, so we want to complete that within the timeframe.”

More streetscape features like benches and light poles are slated for downtown blocks, a project that was delayed several years to save money.

But the city is preparing to add streetscape improvements to sections of Keller, Liberty and Fourth streets this summer, Zimmer said.

Bike lanes will be constructed on Petaluma Boulevard North from Shasta Avenue to the “twin bridges” over the river near Industrial Avenue, a project that could begin in summer.

“I don’t see any reason why that won’t happen,” Zimmer said.

A key link in the pedestrian and bike trail along the river may also go forward, he said. A bridge over the river near the north end of Copeland Street will allow users to reach Water Street North and the downtown.

“We are hopeful for this next construction season,” Zimmer said.

However, he said the Water Street section of the trail will be built as part of an as-yet-unapproved condo project there and if that project is delayed, the work may be pushed back.

Fall

The November election already has a long ballot for Petalumans, and there’s still time for more measures to be added.

In addition to state and federal races — including the election of the next president — Petalumans will be choosing three City Council members and deciding whether to roll back water and sewer rates, an issue that city leaders say could have a devastating effect on Petaluma’s finances.

A citizens’ initiative brought forward by former council member Bryant Moynihan and a group called Petalumans for Fair Utility Rates would rescind a 5-year package of rate increases adopted by the council a year ago. Future rate increases would be limited to a cost-of-living increase.

After the group collected enough signatures from voters to qualify the initiative for the ballot, the City Council faced the choice of scheduling the issue for an election or adopting the law outright.

Opposed to the measure, the council said it had no choice but to put the question to voters this year.

A city report on the impacts of the measure said it could have significant effects on city finances and jeopardize completion of the new sewer plant on Lakeville Highway that would recycle wastewater for irrigation — a key part of the city’s water conservation plan.

When Petalumans go to the polls in November to vote on the measure, the plant will be nearly complete and staff training under way for its expected June 2009 opening.

The almost-finished status of the plant is expected to be a key selling point for opponents of the initiative in urging voters to refuse the rate rollbacks.

Voters will also fill three City Council seats, currently held by Samantha Freitas, Karen Nau and Mike O’Brien. None of the three have announced if they will run.

One challenger, 2006 council candidate Tiffany Renée, has said she will run again this year.

(Contact Corey Young at cyoung@arguscourier.com)