City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: February 20, 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 – WRNS (Project Architect) submitted 100% Construction Document plans for City review on 1/19/2024 (on schedule). City staff and the contract Building Official reviewed the submittal and provided comments to WRNS. Staff presented a progress report at the 2/05/2024 Council meeting. On 2/05/2024, the Design/Build team met with the GYC and provided updates on the Teen Center, Library, and Courtyard. On 2/07/2024, the Design Build team met with County Library staff on design updates. The project is on track for groundbreaking by the end of April 2024 and staff is planning a Groundbreaking Ceremony for 4/27/2024. UPDATE:
WRNS is preparing the 100% Construction Document submittal which is due to the city at the end of February for Building Code Review.
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 (most recent virtual meeting was 12/15/2023). UPDATES: On 1/11/2024, SWRCB staff emailed city staff that the SRF Agreement is with their Contract Department, and it will take three to four months for them to email us the SRF Agreement.
2. Wastewater Treatment Plant Repairs – At the recommendation of staff, on 2/05/2024 the City Council authorized emergency work to repair the berms and improve the percolation at the disposal fields.
This was based on staff observing that the percolation of treated wastewater in the three disposal fields slowed over the last two weeks due to a higher water table because of the higher-than-normal AGENDA
ITEM
11 rain last year and this winter’s rainfall. Staff engaged a contractor to regrade the berms at the disposal fields that should restore the capacity of the disposal fields. Staff also had Rain 4 Rent to provide and install a temporary pipeline to pump treated wastewater from the disposal fields to the emergency overflow basin near the WWTP headworks.
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. Staff reviewed the submittal and provided Schaaf & Wheeler with our comments. We plan to issue the project for public bid by 2/28/2024.
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 submitted the grant application for construction for the project. In December 2023 SWRCB staff advised city staff that funding was not available for the project this fiscal year.
ROADS
1. Fifth Street Truck Ban – This project was issued for public bid on 7/17/2023 and one bid was received and opened on 8/17/2023. The submitted bid was double the $35,000 estimate by the designer, so the project will be rescoped and additional funding must be identified to install the signs.
2. Safe Routes to School Steering Committee – The community member Steering Committee led by TAMC staff continues to hold their monthly meetings.
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 1/03/2024 staff emailed our review comments on the 60% design submittal to MST staff. MST’s design consultant is working on the 90% design submittal.
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. UPDATES: On 1/24/2024, staff met with residents of the California Breeze Subdivision and discussed park maintenance and some improvements. They were made aware of the need to increase the Parks/Open Space Assessment to fund any improvements.
SOLID WASTE
1. 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.
2. 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 fiveyear 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 has drafted a Request for Proposals to engage a consultant to prepare the PSR-PDS documents for the North Alta/US 101 Interchange.
c. 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 has reached out to PG&E Government Affairs for their assistance and a meeting will be held by the end of this month.
OTHER PROJECTS
1. Computer Network Server Replacement – Alvarez Technology replaced 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. The city hall server was replaced on 11/01/2023 and the police station server was replaced on 12/01/2023.
UPDATE: On 2/08/2024, the old servers were taken offline, and this project is now complete.
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. UPDATE: Staff is working with Tilson Technology on siting a fiber hut for the fiber optic cable and connectivity components at the city Corporation Yard.
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.
UPDATE: Staff recently engaged a new GIS support consultant, and we are holding bi-weekly meetings.
4. FEMA Flood Map Updates – In 2021 and 2022, FEMA and their consultants remapped 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 percolation ponds are not percolating as they should be. Groundwater has risen. Staff are having a hard time getting the disposal fields to dry out in order to rip them with the tractor. With the heavy rain in January, staff are looking at ways to maintain the treatment capacity at the WWTP. Staff contracted with Swift Tectonics to regraded and raise the levees in the disposal fields.
Swift Tectonics raising levee between
disposal fields A & B
Crew clearing vegetation at the treatment plant.
WATER
Staff continue to perform testing and maintenance on the water system. Staff are still mapping the water and sewer system for GIS.
STORM WATER
Staff have been clearing debris after each storm. Staff have been able to maintain the streets and stormwater system and keep flooding from happening in the hot spot areas in town.
Ditch along Fanoe Road, cleared before the storms.
PARKS
• Staff mow turf areas in City parks on a bi-weekly basis during storm season. Staff cleans restrooms, cleans trash, and makes repairs in parks regularly.
• The Skate Park has some needed repairs. The installation company will be out at the end of February to repair it.
CANYON CREEK & MEYER PARKS
Staff continue to clean the restrooms and grounds at Meyer Park.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff continue to maintain all City owned buildings.
COMMUNITY POOL
The pool heater has been ordered and the contractor has been onsite to ensure that when the heater arrives the installation will go well. Staff is ordering new sand filter media and will change it before the upcoming season.
Sand Filters at the pool mechanical room
STREETS
Staff fill potholes when necessary. With a bit of dry weather, staff will begin filling them.
EVENTS
Staff work on special events that come up and preps Central Park when needed.
TRAINING
Staff did not participate in any training this month.