Vallejo council splits Mare Island infrastructure work into engineering and legal tracks

Vallejo — The City Council on Tuesday directed staff to accelerate progress on long‑running Mare Island infrastructure disputes by separating technical planning from legal ownership negotiations.

Councilmembers proposed a two‑track approach: form a recurring operational work group of representatives from the city, Mare Island Company and the Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District (VFWD) to advance engineering, capacity and implementation planning; and pursue a separate legal track, including mediation, to resolve disputed ownership and funding responsibilities.

"We recommend separating those two conversations so we can make progress on both fronts without them delaying each other," Councilmember Palmares said, explaining the goal was to allow engineers and agencies to "slog through the issues" while legal counsel and mediators address ownership questions.

Councilmembers emphasized the need for regular, public updates and staff presence at work‑group meetings; the council asked staff to provide quarterly public reporting and to identify appropriate city staff and agency representatives. The city attorney noted the developer will still propose an infrastructure plan as part of any specific plan process, and the operational track is intended to help inform that plan rather than supplant it.

The motion to direct staff carried unanimously. Councilmembers and public speakers urged expedited resolution of ownership because long‑term maintenance costs could be substantial and planning lead time is required if the city or district might assume responsibility for infrastructure.

What’s next: Staff will engage VFWD and other partners to schedule recurring work‑group meetings, scope the technical review and report back to the council with options for mediation and a suggested cadence of public updates.