Local Politics · Lindsay, CA
Lindsay Council to Review $6.5M Water Settlement Fund Use at 6 p.m. Tuesday
The Lindsay City Council will review how more than $6.5 million received from a SQM North America Corporation settlement was allocated after internal restrictions on the funds were removed in May 2025. The settlement stemmed from perchlorate contamination that forced Well 11's shutdown in 2008, with the city receiving $9.5 million in 2024 before attorney fees. Former Mayor Valeriano Saucedo requested the agenda item be placed on the council's next meeting. City staff stated restrictions were lifted because a State Water Resources Control Board grant fully funded the Well 11 treatment plant project, freeing the settlement proceeds for debt elimination, retirement prefunding, and reserves.