Rio Vista council approves amended letter asking county for bilingual signs, vegetation maintenance and other safety steps at Sandy Beach

The Rio Vista City Council voted to send an amended letter to the Solano County Board of Supervisors with recommended safety measures for Sandy Beach after a recent drowning.

Staff recommended multiple low-to-moderate cost steps: add Spanish-language signage (with imagery), post warning signs at restrooms and docking areas noting “no lifeguard on duty,” place clearer messaging near the county-provided life-jacket stations to indicate life jackets are not intended for swimming, install a flag-warning system (double-red to purple for specific hazards), and consider trimming vegetation to improve visibility. Staff noted some measures (lifeguards, capacity limits) may be constrained by county budget and operational policies.

During council discussion Vice Mayor Donnelly and other members supported stronger signage and an alcohol ban at the site; several council members objected to including a request for county-employed lifeguards, saying asking for lifeguards could send a mixed message if the city is simultaneously warning that swimming is prohibited. The council voted to strike the lifeguard request from the draft letter and approve the letter as amended.

Council directed staff to finalize the revised letter and submit it to the mayor for signature. The council also asked staff to explore posting warning signage on city-owned approaches to Beach Drive where feasible and to consider whether wayfinding funds could help pay for improved signage.