City trying to sell Hillcrest plant

The City of Yuba City has started shopping around its Hillcrest water plant after residents turned down a proposal to connect to municipal surface water.

But a smaller tie-in that would ship water to 1,000 homes in Region 1 is still on the fast track.

Utilities Director Bill Lewis is hopeful he can meet the City Council's goal last month of a Region 1 meeting within 30 days. The Utilities Department has been working on getting the project and its costs outlined so a timely City Council session can be held. No date has been set.

"I'm trying to meet the council's deadline of 30 days," said Lewis.

The council asked city staffers to look at a tie-in for that area alone after Region 1 residents did not veto the city's surface water connection proposal.

Overall, the city's proposal was turned down last month by a majority of Hillcrest Region 1, 2 and 3 property owners and utility customers.

The City Council on Tuesday will consider a resolution to apply for low-interest loans from the California Department of Public Health. The loan would cover the costs of reducing arsenic concentrations in Region 1.

While the city is studying a plan to connect Region 1, which is located east of Highway 99 in unincorporated Sutter County, it is also shopping the Hillcrest water plant around.

Letters went out Tuesday to eight water utility companies asking if they had an interest in purchasing the Hillcrest water plant, said Lewis.

Public Meeting

- WHO: Yuba City City Council

- WHAT: Application for loan to reduce arsenic concentrations in Region 1

- WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday

- WHERE: City Council chambers, 1201 Civic Center Blvd.

Contact Appeal reporter John Dickey at 749-4711 or jdickey@appeal-democrat.com