City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: November 20, 2023
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Public Works Activity Report
BUILDINGS
Community Center Complex Project – An award of contract to Otto Construction/WRNS Design/Build Team was approved at the 6/5/2023 Council meeting. The Notice to Proceed for design services for Phases 1 and 2 was issued on 6/16/2023 and a kick-off with the Otto Construction/WRNS Team was held on 6/28/2023. UPDATE: WRNS submitted 100% Design Development plans and specifications for city review on 10/30/2023. City staff and contract Building Official have reviewed the submittal and provided comments to WRNS.
WASTEWATER
1. Industrial Wastewater (IW) System – Construction documents for the IW Conveyance and Treatment Facility were 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 (the next virtual meeting is 11/17/2023).
2. Water/Sewer Rate Study – A contract with Lechowicz & Tseng to prepare a Water/Sewer Rate Study was approved at the 11/21/2023 Council meeting. They reviewed the City’s rate structure, utility billing data, impact fee studies and capital improvement programs and developed a financial model.
Staff and the consultant presented the initial rates at the 8/07/2023 Council meeting. On 9/18/2023 Staff and consultant met with Industrial Business Park facilities managers to discuss the Draft Water/Sewer Rate Study. Staff and consultant presented the Draft Water/Sewer Rate Study at the 9/18/2023 Council meeting. UPDATES: The Public Hearing to consider increasing the rates will be held as part of the 11/20/2023 Council Meeting.
AGENDA
ITEM
12 WATER
1. Johnson Canyon Parallel Waterline – A design contract with Schaaf & Wheeler was approved at the 6/20/2023 Council meeting. The contract was executed, and a kick-off meeting was held on 6/29/2023. The 60% Design Submittal was received on 9/14/2023 and the consultant is revising the plans based on city review comments.
2. Alpine Court Water/Sewer Service – At the 8/07/2023 meeting, the City Council approved submitting grant agreements with the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) to fund construction of extending water and sewer service from Gonzales River Road to Alpine Camp. Staff have submitted the grant application for construction for the project.
ROADS
1. Fifth Street Truck Ban – This project was issued for public bid on 7/17/2023 and one bid was submitted and opened on 8/17/2023. Based on the submitted bid, the project will be rescoped and additional funding will be identified to install the signs and other materials.
2. Safe Routes to School Steering Committee – Staff participated in the 10/18/2023 Steering Committee meeting.
3. Monterey Salinas Transit Circulator – Over the last two years, MST staff has coordinated with city staff to replace the Dial-a-Ride Service with a fixed route bus service in Gonzales. MST and city staff met on 10/09/2023 and drove the proposed route to observe the various stops and developed some adjustments to the bus route. On 10/20/2023 MST staff emailed a revised fixed route bus service for city staff’s review.
PARKS
1. Meyer Park – Staff has coordinated numerous maintenance items over the 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. Maury Treleven with Tri-Cities Disposal coordinated a Reuse, Recycle & Cleanup Event on 10/21/2023 and a summary memo is attached.
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.
3. On 3/17/2023 the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority issued a Request for Proposals for Collection of Solid Waste, Recyclables and Organic Waste. The RFP includes compliance with the recent State mandates such as AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383. Three proposals were received by the 6/30/2023 deadline. Staff from the four cities reviewed the proposals and ultimately decided to negotiate a contract extension with Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling.
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 are preparing a Request for Proposals to engage a consultant to prepare the PSR-PDS documents. c. 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). UPDATE: Staff attended a follow-up meeting with County staff on 8/16/2023.
2. Rianda Cooler Development Project (Gloria Road) – This project received final approval at the 9/25/2023 LAFCO meeting. The next step is for the applicant to submit plans for building code review.
OTHER PROJECTS
1. Computer Network Server Replacement – Alvarez Technology is replacing the computer servers for City Hall, Fire Station and the Police Department. This $130,000 effort began with an eight-month procurement phase and the physical work is being performed over a six-month period which is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
2. South Salinas Valley Broadband Authority – On 7/05/2023, the City received the High-Level Design package funded by the $250,000 CPUC Local Agency Technical Assistance grant. UPDATE: Staff is currently reviewing an encroachment permit application to extend the fiber to the Police Station where the IT Servers for City Hall, Police Department and Fire Department reside.
3. 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. GIS Staff with AMBAG is supporting our efforts including coordinating with County GIS staff to obtain additional mapping layers.
4. 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. FEMA did not revise the flood maps based on City review comments and the new maps are effective 11/30/2023.
5. Transportation Agency for Monterey County – Patrick Dobbins attends the monthly Technical Advisory Committee meetings and is the TAC Vice Chair for 2023.
PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
WASTEWATER
Staff perform daily inspections of the influent and effluent at the wastewater treatment plant. The percolation ponds are regularly disced and ripped to ensure good percolation. Staff also performed rodent control and weed abatement at the WWTP. Staff ripped Field B for better percolation.
Staff ripping Field B at the Wastewater treatment plant.
Staff performing weed abatement.
Staff performed maintenance and repair on floats at lift stations and pulled a pump at Cal Breeze lift station for repair. Staff also performed sewer line cleaning on Alta Minor and Belden Streets at the hot spots. Staff will continue to clean sewer lines in a scheduled and orderly fashion.
WATER
• Staff continue to perform testing and maintenance on the water system. • Staff replaced about 40 registers per meters this month. • Frank came across a contractor stealing water from a fire hydrant on South Alta Street. We spoke to the company and are recovering the cost of the water.
STORM WATER
Staff have been preparing for winter weather by cleaning storm drains, repairing barricades and blinker lights, preparing our storm and SSO trailer for the winter. Staff trimmed trees, cleaned out percolation ponds, did a Corp Yard clean up and built a shed to house barricades, signs, etc.
Staff building a shed at Corp. Yard
PARKS
Staff mow turf areas in city parks on a weekly basis. Staff clean restrooms, cleans trash, and makes repairs in parks regularly.
Staff perform maintenance at Central Park, Centennial Park, Meyer Park, Venice Park, Canyon Creek Park, and Canyon Creek Tot Park. Staff replaced the irrigation controller at Central Park.
CANYON CREEK & MEYER PARKS
Staff continue rodent control at Meyer Park and regular maintenance. The slough at Canyon Creek Park was cleaned out in preparation for the winter.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff continue to maintain the city owned buildings.
STREETS
Staff continue to remove tree trimmings. A large pine tree in the slough was removed at 2nd street. Staff installed Ped Crossing signs at First Street and Alta Minor and Fifth Street and Elko. Staff have filled potholes in the allies with street grindings that are stockpiled at Gabilan Court.
EVENTS
Staff helped the Recreation Department in getting pumpkins for the Harvest Festival and setting up and taking down the festival.
Pumpkins ready for the Harvest Festival.
Attachments:
1. Gonzales Fall Cleanup Day Report