City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: January 16, 2024
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Public Works/City Engineer Department 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. WRNS (Project Architect) submitted 100% Design Development plans and specifications for City review on 10/30/2023 (on schedule). City staff and contract Building Official have reviewed the submittal and provided comments to WRNS. UPDATE: WRNS is preparing the Construction Documents, and their 75% submittal is due January 19, 2024. Staff will present a progress report at the 2/05/2024 Council meeting. Project is on track for groundbreaking by the end of April 2024.
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 (next virtual meeting is 11/17/2023). UPDATES: On 1/06/2024, SWRCB staff emailed City staff that the environmental and technical packages are complete and they’re finishing their review of the financial package. Once that’s complete, staff will present the SRL Loan Agreement for approval at an upcoming Council meeting.
2. Water/Sewer Rate Study – The Rate Consultant (Lechowicz & Tseng) reviewed the City’s rate structure, utility billing data, impact fee studies and capital improvement programs and developed a financial model. and consultant presented the Draft Water/Sewer Rate Study at the 9/18/2023 Council meeting. UPDATES: The Public Hearing and Prop 218 Protest Vote was held as part of AGENDA
ITEM
10 the 11/20/2023 Council Meeting. At the conclusion of the item, the Council approved the new Water and Sewer rates that went into effect on 1/01/2024.
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. UPDATES: The 90% Design Submittal was received on 12/22/2023.
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 has submitted the grant application for construction for the project. UPDATES: In December 2023 SWRCB staff advised City staff that funding was not available for the project this fiscal year.
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.
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 is 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). Staff attended a follow-up meeting with County staff on 8/16/2023.
d. Staff is working with the contract Planner on items in the draft Development Agreement.
2. Rianda Cooler Development Project (Gloria Road) – This project received final approval at the 9/25/2023 LAFCO meeting. Next step is for the applicant to submit plans for building code review.
UPDATE: PG&E is not able to provide the power needed to operate the facility until December 2025 and staff is reaching out to PGE Government Affairs for their assistance.
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 was performed over a six-month period. UPDATE: The City Hall server was replaced on 11/01/2023 and the Police Station server was replaced on 12/01/2023.
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. In October 2023 Tilson Technology (network design consultant) began the Low-Level Design for installation of 40 miles of fiber optic cable in Gonzales.
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. Staff recently purchased several iPads for use by Public Work field personnel.
4. FEMA Flood Map Updates – In 2021 and 2022, FEMA and their consultants remapping seven watersheds in the Gabilan Mountains in the vicinity of South Salinas, Chualar, Gonzales and Soledad to update the Flood Maps. FEMA did not revise the flood maps based on City review comments that included inaccuracy of their stream gauge calibrations and the new maps became effective 11/30/2023.
5. Transportation Agency for Monterey County – Patrick Dobbins attends the monthly Technical Advisory Committee meetings and is the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee for 2024.
PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
WASTEWATER
Staff perform testing and daily inspections of the influent and effluent at the wastewater treatment plant.
The disposal ponds are regularly disced and ripped to ensure good percolation.
Staff have begun new testing requirements for the New Wastewater General Permit.
Staff spent time cleaning Lift Stations and have been cleaning sewer lines on Alta Minor and the alley ways between Alta Minor and Belden.
Staff uploaded the new Sanitary Sewer Management Program (SSMP) to the CIWQS program.
Staff also performed quarterly generator testing at the lift stations in preparation for winter.
WATER
Staff continue to perform testing and maintenance on the water system. Staff repaired three meter leaks during December.
Staff is actively mapping the water and sewer system for GIS.
STORM WATER
Staff have been working on clearing the percolation ponds for storm preparedness. Staff continue to clean and check storm drains.
Smith & Enright was contracted to clean the percolation pond at the north end of the Canyon Creek Subdivision. Staff removed shrubs in the percolation ponds at Sunrise and Arroyo Estates lift stations.
Staff cleaned the willows out of Sunrise perc pond.
PARKS
Staff mow turf areas in City parks on a weekly basis. Staff cleans restrooms, cleans trash, and makes repairs in parks regularly.
Staff put up Christmas lights in Central Park .
CANYON CREEK & MEYER PARKS
Staff continue to clean the restrooms and grounds at Meyer Park. Staff put up Santa and his Reindeer.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff continue to maintain all City owned buildings. Staff replaced the HVAC filters in the public buildings.
STREETS
Staff fills potholes as necessary.
EVENTS
Public Works staff hosted a Thanksgiving potluck at the Corp. Yard for City staff.
Staff spent a lot of time setting up Christmas decorations around town. Staff hung wreaths and banners on Alta Minor and Fourth Street. Staff put Christmas characters on Fourth Street. Lights in the trees, decorated City Hall, etc.
Staff closed streets and set up for the Holiday Lights festival. Staff manned the snow blowing machines and kept the trash cans empty for the event and then helped take down the event.
Staff preparing the lighted characters for placement on Fourth Street.
TRAINING
Staff participated in sandbag training and an APWA Public Works training this month. Staff also participated in Blood born pathogen training for OSHA requirements.