Sacramento – The City of Soledad this week presented a resolution to Assembly Member Anna M. Caballero, honoring her “for her dedication, her humanitarian services and steadfast work for the City of Soledad.”

The city adopted the resolution in appreciation of Assembly Member Caballero’s success in authoring and working to pass AB 1253.  The bill, signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger on October 20, allows the state to lease, sell, convey or exchange to the city at fair market value state land that will allow the city to expand its wastewater treatment facility. 

“This was a well-deserved honor,” said Soledad Mayor Richard Ortiz.  “The Assembly Member’s generosity with her time and her commitment to the city’s project were significant.”

He added:  “Most of all, we appreciate the fact that she’s always been there for the city.” 

The mayor also thanked Caballero for responding to requests from local business leaders, by hosting local workshops:  a financial literacy workshop held on November 17, and an upcoming workshop on avoiding home foreclosure, to be held at the Soledad Community Center on December 8. 

Ortiz also expressed appreciation for the Assembly Member’s distribution of a brochure, in both Spanish and English, on how parents can spot gang influences that could be affecting their children.  He said that he had heard from several constituents who commented that the brochure was welcome example of spending state money wisely.

The city adopted a growth moratorium in 2004 when the state regional water board found that the city’s wastewater facility was barely adequate to handle the wastewater needs of a population that more than doubled from 11,463 people in 2000 to 26,203 residents in 2004. 

The city is also under contract to accept and treat waste discharge from the Salinas Valley State Prison, which amounts to nearly 2/3 of the total flow to the city's plant.  The prison’s wastewater needs are expected to grow in future years as the prison accepts more inmates and plans for a prison expansion.

The governor’s signature on the bill came with a signing message that directs his staff to lease the land to the city, rather than sell it outright, until legislation has been passed that would exempt the land transfer from the state’s environmental laws.

Caballero and the city have both written to the governor questioning the rationale for this directive.  “Our analysis indicates that the state could quickly and easily satisfy its responsibility for environmental review,” said Caballero.  “It doesn’t make sense to us to delay a sale of the property to the city.”

“I’m not done with this issue,” added Caballero.