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Q: Why don’t Redding or Shasta County offer a turf replacement rebate to their residents? Many cities and counties in California are giving rebates to replace turf in this drought.

A: The municipally-owned Redding Water Utility simply can’t do that, said Water Conservation Specialist Candice Delello. That’s because any program the agency pays for must be covered by higher rates, she said.

“You have to think of how much that would cost,” said Delello, if many of the city’s 30,000 customers requested a rebate or cash incentive for replacing their lawns. The rebate program’s cost would have to be built into the city’s rate structure, she said, as the utility company must be self-sustaining.

Depending on the type of turf, the size of the yard and the amount of preparation required, an artificial turf installation can cost between $2,814 to $7,058, according to home improvement contractor resource HomeAdvisor. People who do the work DIY would pay less.

Also, said Delello, any proposed water utility increase must first be justified to the state as part of the approval process.

“Most people really don’t want to pay higher rates to give other people money for lawns,” she said.

The state has offered turf replacement rebate and incentive programs in times of drought, most recently in 2015.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned in May that mandatory water restrictions could be imposed statewide if conservation efforts don't improve soon. Newsom last year called for Californians to voluntarily cut water use by 15%, but the state hasn't met that goal.

In April, Redding voted to enact mandatory water use restrictions for the city's residents and businesses. The council has approved penalties for those who overuse.

Shasta County does not offer any incentives to people who take out their lawns, said spokesman Tim Mapes.

“I keep hoping that the state’s going to come out with something” to give incentives for customers, said Delello. “That’s something that a lot of people, especially in the North State with the heat, would like to know about.”

For now, Redding maintains a list of suggestions of water-sipping native plants, she said. That information, along with details about what Redding’s water restrictions, can be found at https://bit.ly/3zRGZZg.

Q: I noticed the new mile markers that say North Sacramento River Trail near the Sundial Bridge. Where do these markers start and end? Where is mile zero?

A: The North Trail starts at the top of the bluff on Hilltop Drive and ends at the Stress Ribbon Bridge near Keswick Dam.

The new markers are the first in the city of Redding’s project to place new signage along the Sacramento River Trail. They're intended to guide hikers and bikers to points of interest and help them record their progress on the trail.

When complete, quarter-mile posts will start at zero at the farthest points on each branch of the trail system, starting at the city limits, Redding Community Projects Manager Travis Menne said.

Posts are made and installed in batches, he said. More are coming this summer,

The city plans to remove wooden mile markers still in place along the trail, or change some to match the new system. "Since the trail is no longer one long loop, it didn’t make sense to keep the old (circular) mileage system," Menne said. 

There are 15.93 miles of trails within Redding's city limits, he said. "That doesn't include the Sacramento River Rail Trail, which is another 11.1 miles."

For more information or updates, call 530-225-4512.

Q: The city over the last few years has given airlines revenue guarantees to fly here. Where does that money come from?

Hi, this is David Benda.

A: Called minimum revenue guarantees, the city of Redding has had two contracts in recent years, according to Public Works Director Chuck Aukland.

The most recent one started when Alaska Airlines began flying once a day to Seattle in June 2021.

The City Council approved a revenue guarantee for $400,000. Of that, $364,900 came from the city's general fund, while the balance came from Redding Electric Utility and the city's water, wastewater and solid waste divisions, Aukland said.

“The general fund portion also included $25,000 for marketing, for a total of $425,000,” Aukland said in an email.

In 2019, United Airlines started flights from Redding to Los Angeles.

That service was made possible in large part thanks to a $1 million revenue guarantee, with community donations providing $890,000. 

Bethel Church, which draws people from around the world to Redding, also was another major contributor, committing $450,000 to the fund.

“If it weren’t for Bethel, we wouldn’t have a flight to Los Angeles,” then-Redding City Council member Francie Sullivan said at the time.

The city provided the rest of the money for the Los Angeles flights, with $60,000 coming from the general fund and $50,000 from the utilities, Aukland said.

"We used all but $10,000 for the service," he said.

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David Benda, Michele Chandler and Jessica Skropanic are part of a team of dedicated Record Searchlight journalists whose work centers on local issues, including business, government, housing, land development, politics and the criminal justice system, and coverage of breaking news. They also bring inspiring, feel-good news stories and multimedia content from around the North State. Visit the staff directory to contact them. To support and sustain their work, please subscribe today!