The Vacaville City Council adopted a draft Strategic Plan that will guide the city’s decision-making through 2029 at its meeting Tuesday evening. The current strategy plan will conclude this year in June.

City of Vacaville staff collected more than 1,000 survey responses and conducted interviews with the Mayor, City Council and Senior Leadership team. Staff held community focus groups in person and virtually, and the city’s strategic planning sessions were open to the public.

Staff then identified 37 objectives and 178 strategies to reach those objectives. A draft of the plan was presented on Tuesday evening. Full adoption by the council is expected on June 23.

The city will measure its progress toward the goals via progress reporting from performance metrics, quarterly reports, annual reviews, and senior leadership team meetings. City Manager Savita Chaudhary said she will have to meet with the staff to discuss what aspects of the draft are realistic under the city’s current financial and staffing constraints. She said staff will indicate to the council later in the process which parts of the plan are achievable in year one.

“Some of these things are pie in the sky,” she said. “There are a lot of infrastructure projects here.”

Frank Nelstone, a community member and frequent public commenter at Vacaville City Council Meetings, attended the meeting to advocate for a cannabis program in Vacaville. He provided the city with a cost-benefit analysis covering development requirements and offered resources on how the city could launch and maintain the program. Staff asked the council for direction on whether or not to pursue further research on a cannabis program as part of the strategic plan. All other communities in Solano County allow cannabis businesses and receive associated tax revenue. Vacaville residents can purchase cannabis in adjacent municipalities or have it delivered to their homes legally.

“I believe that the roadmap ahead is really important, especially the place that we find ourselves in,” Carli said.

Nelstone spoke to the council, noting that unlicensed and unregulated cannabis sales already take place in the city. He argued that the program could bring revenue to the city while increasing the quality of life for residents.

Councilmember Sarah Chapman asked City Attorney Andria Borba what ordinances are in place on cannabis in the city. Borba said there are ordinances in place that would regulate cannabis businesses if the city were to allow them. The city does not currently allow cannabis businesses. Chapman then said she would like the council to direct staff to further explore the possibility of a cannabis program.

Mayor John Carli said he felt the cannabis conversation was minimizing the importance of the strategic plan, then called Police Chief Chris Polen to the front of the room to ask him questions about cannabis. Polen confirmed that medical marijuana is allowed in Vacaville and recognized that it can be medically beneficial for some users. He then referred to marijuana as a “gateway drug.” According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is limited evidence suggesting that cannabis use increases the risk of using other drugs, and the majority of cannabis users do not go on to use other “harder” drugs.

“It always will be the gateway,” Polen said. “It’s the gateway to the next. It’s alcohol, it’s marijuana and what’s next after that. As your chief, I am always concerned about the youth. I am always concerned about what it leads to. There are still deliveries that are coming into the city of Vacaville in a legal way, and it is being delivered to people’s homes.”

Polen said some communities have done well with cannabis dispensaries, using cameras to keep law enforcement informed.

“I don’t think there is a clear-cut yes or no on whether it is going to work for you or not. As your Police Chief, I don’t want it here. I think there are ways to get marijuana legally, and I don’t think you need it at a storefront in the city of Vacaville,” he said.

Councilmember Roy Stockton said he was against the idea of preserving staff time for other issues. Councilmember Ted Fremouw asked about any delivery issues in the city, which Polen said he was not aware of. Chaudhary said any further analysis would take about three to six months for staff. Vice Mayor Michael Silva said he supported the city conducting an analysis on cannabis as a low priority. Councilmember Greg Ritchie asked staff to bring other companies and economic development to the city before focusing on this issue.