City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: April 17, 2023
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Trevin W. Barber, City Manager
SUBJECT: Public Works Activity Report
BUILDINGS
1. Community Center Complex Project – Staff provided a progress report at the 1/17/2023 Council meeting. On 1/31/2023 the Request for Proposals was issued to the three short-listed Design/Build Teams. City and Swinerton staff have held a series of confidential meetings with the DB Teams over the last two months. Their proposals are due on 4/18/2023, the teams will be interviewed by the end of the month and an award of contract will be presented at the 5/15/2023 Council meeting.
2. Fire Station – The Fire Station was fumigated for termites in January 2023. The roof will receive a seal coat to address some leaks in three to four months when the winter rain ends.
WASTEWATER
1. Industrial Wastewater (IW) System – Construction documents for the IW Conveyance and Treatment Facility was completed in September 2022. Staff, city surveyor and real estate appraiser are finalizing the temporary and permanent easements needed for the pipeline contract. City staff is coordinating with the State Water Resources Control Board regarding the city’s State Revolving Fund loan application (most recent virtual meeting was 3/14/2023).
2. Capital Improvement Program – Psomas is updating the wastewater portion of the city’s Capital Improvement Program and they submitted a draft CIP that was revised based on staff’s review.
WATER
1. Capital Improvement Program – Schaaf & Wheeler recently submitted a draft CIP for the city water system.
AGENDA
ITEM
11 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 the 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).
ROADS
1. Fifth Street Separated Bike Lane Project – This project was presented at March 20 Council meeting and was installed on 4/5/2023 for the three month pilot project PARKS
2. Skate Park Improvements – Phase Two improvements to the skate park were funded by the 2018 Parks Bond Act. The contract with American Ramp Company was approved at the 9/19/2022 Council meeting. The contractor began installation on 1/23/2023. The project was substantially completed on 2/02/2023 and a ribbon cutting was held on 2/11/2023.
3. Meyer Park – Staff has coordinated numerous maintenance items over the last several months including fixing light fixtures, replacing uplifted sidewalks, 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. 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.
The Final Technical Memorandum was submitted in April 2022. b. 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.
c. 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).
3. 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 bi-weekly coordination meetings with the applicant’s consultant team.
4. 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 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 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.
PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
WASTEWATER
Staff continue to take daily readings, inspections and testing at the wastewater treatment plant. Staff spent time sandbagging and protecting the treatment plant during March rains.
The river rising during the last big storms.
WATER
Staff continue to monitor the wells and sampling stations around town. Staff respond to water leaks as soon as possible. Staff continue to replace meter registers on the east side of town. Staff completed water testing of all wells for the EPA. Staff tested for PFAS and other constituents such as lithium.
Staff repairing a meter.
STORM WATER
Staff spent considerable time on stormwater to ensure there was no flooding. Staff found a storm drain that was sealed due to the resident washing stucco into the storm drain. Staff were able to remove most of it and get the drain running again.
Staff removing stucco from a storm drain.
PARKS
Staff continue to maintain and mow Central Park when there are breaks from the rain. Staff have had to remove or cut down several trees around town and in the parks due to hazards from the rain.
Staff cutting tree in Central Park that is leaning and could fall across the road.
CANYON CREEK & MEYER PARKS
Staff cleaned up Canyon Creek Park from the flooding in January, and it rained again. When there is a break from the rain, we will clean it up again.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff continue to clean the Council Chambers, Vosti Center and public restrooms daily. Staff are working with LabCorp (Old Medical Building tenant) to have the interior painted.
STREETS
Staff continue Traffic Control at the Fifth Street Bridge on school day mornings (weather permitting).
TRAINING
Staff participated in underground line tracing and marking training in Soledad. Staff will participate in ergonomic training to meet OSHA compliance in April.