Cloverdale council debates city mailer on Potter Valley decommissioning; keeps notice on website

Cloverdale Vice Mayor Brian Wheeler and council members discussed a written public comment criticizing a recent informational flyer about the Potter Valley project that accompanied some water and sewer bills, and the council agreed to retain information on the city website while continuing to treat the Potter Valley decommissioning as a standing agenda item.

The issue surfaced when the council read a written comment from David Fowler, who wrote that he was “shocked that the city would spend my tax and or utility bill money to produce and distribute wild misinformation and to engage in such blatant fear mongering.” Fowler’s letter, submitted as a written comment, also cited sources including the California Department of Water Resources, the California Data Exchange Center, PG&E diversion reports, a draft application for surrender of license, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to contest several of the flyer’s points.

Why it matters: Council members said the flyer is intended as public education tied to local water resiliency planning as the Potter Valley project — a multi-jurisdictional matter involving PG&E, federal agencies and downstream water users — moves through possible decommissioning steps. Vice Mayor Wheeler told the meeting the flyer was issued because, from outreach before a town hall, “about 70% of Cloverdale said, ‘what’s going on with the water?’ and they didn’t know,” and he argued the material highlights health-and-safety concerns the city has heard from emergency services.

Discussion and context: Fowler’s letter disputed several claims attributed to the city flyer, including the role of the Van Arsdale diversion in Russian River flows and whether the Potter Valley powerhouse has generated electricity since 2017. Fowler described the flyer images and language as alarmist and provided counterpoints drawn from state agency data and a draft application for surrender of license. Council members and staff acknowledged the letter and debated whether the flyer constituted appropriate public outreach. One council member recommended removing the flyer from the website pending review; others opposed removing it, saying information had been lacking in the community and that keeping an informational page is warranted.

Council direction and next steps: Council did not take a formal roll-call vote to remove the material. Instead, members agreed to keep the informational content on the city website at least for now and to avoid sending it with every utility bill going forward. The Potter Valley project remains a standing agenda item; council members said they will continue getting updates from Mayor Lance (absent from the meeting) and from representatives on the multi-jurisdictional advisory committee.

Council members noted practical constraints: some requested documents and PG&E records remain confidential or redacted, and several speakers warned that the city’s leverage is limited without full access to underlying data. Council members said they will continue to press for information through interagency meetings and the city’s advisory participation.

Public-facing details and clarifications: The written comment from David Fowler was entered into the record; the council discussed, but did not adopt, any ordinance, resolution, or formal policy change at the meeting. Council members described the city’s outreach as an “informational” effort intended to alert residents to potential water-supply and fire-safety implications should the Potter Valley infrastructure change. The council reiterated that the item will return to future agendas as a standing item and that updates will be provided to the public as information becomes available.

Ending: The council closed the discussion without a formal vote on the flyer and continued the Potter Valley project as an active standing issue. Residents who submitted written comments were acknowledged and the council asked staff and its city attorney to keep the council informed as federal, state, and private-party processes develop.