City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: January 17, 2023
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, Interim City Manager
SUBJECT: Activity Report
BUILDINGS
1. Community Center Complex Project – A Tree Removal Contract was approved at the 10/03/2022 Council meeting and the field work began on November 1 and was completed by November 23 (two weeks early). Staff provided a progress report at the 9/19/2022 Council meeting.
2. Emergency Generator Replacements – The city received a $150,000 grant from Cal OES in 2021 to replace the emergency generators at City Hall and the Police Station. At the 2/07/2022 City Council meeting, a $175,000 contract with Alltech Services was approved. The generator at the Calif Breeze Sewer Lift Station will also be replaced under this contract and will be funded with Sewer Impact monies. All three generators have been installed, inspected, and tested. The 80KW generator at the Police Station required permitting from the Monterey Air District which was issued on 12/22/2022
WASTEWATER
Industrial Wastewater (IW) System/Reclamation Plant – Dudek completed the final design for the IW Conveyance and Treatment Facility construction documents. Staff and the city surveyor are finalizing the temporary and permanent easements needed for the project. City staff continues to coordinate with the State Water Resources Control Board regarding the city’s State Revolving Fund loan application (last virtual meeting was 11/17/2022). Staff provided a progress report at the 11/07/2022 Council Meeting.
WATER
1. Well 7 – In mid-July, staff began manually operating the well under our permit from the State Drinking Water Division while completing the electronic and remote controls. At the 12/05/2022 Council meeting, the Equip Well 7 Contract was accepted as complete.
AGENDA
ITEM
9 2. Alpine Court Water/Sewer Service – Grant agreements with the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) to fund the preliminary and final design of extending water and sewer service from Gonzales River Road to Alpine Camp were approved at the 7/06/20 City Council meeting. Staff prepared a draft agreement with the property owner and the City Attorney is coordinating with staff to finalize it. All plans and reports were provided to SWRCB staff by 11/30/2022 deadline.
3. Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency – Staff is an alternate on the SVBGSA Technical Advisory Committee (Soledad staff is the representative for South Valley cities).
PARKS
1. Skate Park Improvements – Phase Two improvements to the skate park will be funded by the 2018 Parks Bond Act. On 3/03/2022 staff received the executed grant agreement with the State Department of Parks and Recreation. American Ramp Company provided a revised scope and cost for the improvements due to an increase in costs over the last year. The contract with American Ramp Company was approved at the 9/19/2022 Council meeting. The contractor has shipped the materials for the Phase Two improvements and will begin installation on 1/23/2023.
2. Meyer Park – Staff has coordinated numerous maintenance items over last several months including fixing light fixtures, replacing uplifted sidewalk, pruning trees, and replacing the rubber mulch under the swings with wood fiber. We are working with MST on installing a bus shelter that the city and MST will split the cost for.
SOLID WASTE
1. California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (“Cal Recycle”) Coordination – Our annual meeting with staff from Cal Recycle, Salinas Valley Solid Waste Agency, Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling, and the cities of Greenfield, Soledad and Gonzales was held on 8/02/2022.
2. Quarterly Tri-Cities Franchise Agreements Meetings – Staff from the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority, Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling and the cities of Gonzales, Soledad, and Greenfield meet on a quarterly basis to discuss the various waste collection programs (commercial accounts, food waste, organic waste), compliance with latest state regulations, public outreach and education, customer surveys, etc.). Most recent meeting was 8/10/2022.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
1. Vista Lucia Development (City’s Sphere of Influence - East of US 101) a. City staff reviewed the Admin Draft #1 and Admin Draft #2 of the SEIR and provided comments to the Community Development Director.
b. City staff is holding bi-weekly Zoom meetings with Pembrook Development and their consultants.
c. Psomas developed a capital program of improvements to convey sewage from the SOI to the City WWTP for treatment and provided the draft technical memo in Mid-November for staff’s review.
Final Technical Memorandum was submitted in April 2022. d. Staff and our on-call traffic engineer have coordinated with Caltrans District 5 staff on the process for preparation of a Project Study Report/Project Development Support (PSR-PDS).
Staff will issue a Request for Proposals to engage a consultant to prepare the PSR-PDS documents.
e. On 3/28/2022 Staff met with Monterey County PW staff and discussed the applicant’s preliminary offsite roadway design. Staff met with Monterey County staff on 10/7/2022 and discussed executing a Maintenance Agreement for the city to be responsible for maintenance of Associated Lane when it’s widened as part of the Vista Lucia Development (maintenance will be funded by an assessment district formed as part of the development).
2. Rianda Cooler Development Project (Gloria Road) – The CEQA documents are underway. Staff is coordinating with the applicant’s site civil engineer on frontage improvements along Gloria Road.
We participate in weekly coordination meetings with the applicant’s consultant team.
3. In June 2022, DR Horton executed an agreement with D'Arrigo Bros to look at the feasibility of developing the 130-acre parcel in the city. A kick-off meeting with DR Horton and city staff was held on 7/07/2022 and DR Horton made a presentation at the Joint Planning Commission/City Council meeting on 8/01/2022. Staff provided a brief progress report at the 11/07/2022 Council Meeting.
OTHER PROJECTS
1. GIS – City staff continues to work on a GIS mapping system by inputting field data for water, sewer and storm drainage systems. Our water and wastewater consultants are using the GIS to develop capital improvement projects to serve the proposed development projects in the SOI. We hold monthly coordination meetings with a GIS Consultant.
2. FEMA Flood Map Updates – Over the two years, FEMA and their consultants have been remapping seven watersheds in the Gabilan Mountains in the vicinity of South Salinas, Chualar, Gonzales and Soledad to update their Flood Maps. Preliminary flood insurance maps were released for public review on 10/21/2021. At the 12/06/2021 City Council Meeting, City staff made a presentation on this effort along with a letter to be sent to FEMA with our comments and questions on their mapping effort. A 90-day appeal period began on 5/12/2022 and we emailed our comment letter to FEMA staff on 7/26/2022.
3. South Salinas Valley Broadband Joint Powers Authority – Staff is supporting the efforts of this newly formed JPA. This includes preparing a Request for Proposals for Legal Counsel Services, coordinating with MBEP staff on preparing the agenda packet for the 9/29/2022 Board Meeting.
Staff attended the 9/29/2022 Board meeting and presented the agenda item for Request for Proposals for Legal Counsel Services.
PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
WASTEWATER
Staff takes daily reads and testing at the wastewater plant. Staff repaired the Grit machine. Channel A is now fully operational. The aerator in Pond 6 has been pulled for repair. Weed abatement is recurring at the ponds. Crews removed weeds and bushes at the solar panels, Engie provided solar panel washing.
Staff regularly cleans the sewer lift stations primarily due to high number of rags and disposal wipes clogging the pumps.
WATER
Staff monitors the four city wells and sampling stations around town. Staff responds to water leaks as soon as possible. All four wells are operational.
Staff is working with FRM (contractor) regarding finetuning SCADA (operation controls) recently installed. Well 7 is programmed and online.
STORM WATER
Staff prepared for the winter rains. Cleaning storm drains and culverts and preparing sandbags. The public works yard has maintained sand and sandbags for the public during the rainy season. Staff cleaned the storm drains near the winery on South Alta to prepare for the winter storms.
Staff clearing storm drains on South Alta
PARKS
CANYON CREEK & MEYER PARKS
Staff putting up Christmas lights at the park Staff covering graffiti at Canyon Creek park Staff removing Graffiti at Canyon Creek Park Staff installing Santa and his sleigh at Meyer Park
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff maintains all city buildings. Staff changes filters every three months in the HVAC systems. Staff also repaired two doors at the Old Medical Center.
Staff washed windows in government buildings
STREETS
Staff continues Traffic Control at the Fifth Street Bridge each school day (weather permitting).
Staff has been called out twice over the past several months to replace the traffic signal at Alta Road/Gonzales River Road after getting hit by long haul trucks that leave the scene Staff decorated downtown, Central Park and various other christmas decorations around town.
Staff participated in the Holiday lights festival and the Holiday parade.
Public Works float in the holiday light parade
TRAINING
Staff will be participating in Confined Space Training in February. Gonzales will host the training put on by California Rural Water Association (professional association).