Developer CEO faces criticism first-hand over plans for new Solano County city
FAIRFIELD — Criticism and skepticism were front and center in the first face-off between Solano County residents and the founder of a controversial development company seeking to build a brand new city.
Jan Sramek, the CEO of California Forever, saw the frustration first-hand, including from State Senator Bill Dodd, who was sitting beside him.
"You know, my mom always told me, 'If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all,' " Senator Dodd said. "I don't think I listened very well."
People in the audience also had critical comments and questions.
"Why have you kind of kept in secrecy until now?" Sally Gripman said.
"Why don't you ask us to invest?" Bob Terrell said. "What's wrong with that?"
"I would like to know why in God's name do you want to build another city here?" Anne Courtright said.
Sramek was prepared for the frustration in the Paradise Valley Estates senior living community— hosting this first Solano County debate-style town hall.
"You know we knew that this would be a tough audience from the beginning and they've asked a lot of tough questions," Sramek said. "But I think that people have started to see that we have answered some of them."
Sramek is the CEO of the investment group, formerly known as Flannery and Associates, that spent more than a year secretly cobbling together 55,000 acres of land around Travis Air Force Base and is now announcing a proposal to build a new city on part of it.
Next year's November ballot will ask voters to rezone the ag land to residential to create more housing.
"If you look at the figures, Californians are leaving the state net-net," Sramek said.
Senator Dodd still needs convincing.
"To me, there's something fishy here," Dodd said. "It's something that the voters are going to have to pay attention to, and let me tell you, the Flannery group will have plenty of money to influence this election."
Sramek says more outreach with the community will be coming in the next few months. Then in January, he will release the first detailed plan for the proposed city.