City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: January 21, 2025
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 – During December 2024, significant progress was made on the sitework and the interior and exterior construction of Building A (Teen Center and Library). The new driveway and parking lot were paved, and all site curbs and gutters adjacent to the driveway and parking lot were poured. The concrete sidewalk and MST bus turn-out on Fifth Street were also completed. On the exterior of the building, TPO roof installation was completed at the lower roof areas, and waterproofing installation was finished at the high roof areas, which will accept metal roof panels. HVAC rooftop equipment and metal roof material were delivered on 12/23/2024.
On the interior of the building, the fire sprinkler system rough installation was completed, and inspected by GFD on 12/16/2024. HVAC rough installation above hard lid ceilings was also completed and inspected by 4 Leaf on 12/19/2024. In-wall insulation is complete at 85% of interior walls and drywall installation is underway. Our Construction Manager is actively coordinating the design and installation of Internet Fiber service, with AT&T and Spectrum. USDA staff visited the project on 01/08/2025 to review the contractor’s December progress payment. The GYC will visit the project on 02/06/2025 for a furniture "sit test" of proposed chairs for the different spaces in the Teen Center. Staff and the Construction team will provide a project update at the 01/21/2025 Council meeting.
WASTEWATER
1. Industrial Wastewater (IW) System – Construction of the IW Pipeline began on 11/04/2024 and is approximately 45% complete (currently one month ahead of schedule). Right-of-Entries, Temporary and Permanent Easements have been obtained from the six property owners that make up the AGENDA
ITEM
11 alignment. The contract for the IW Treatment Facility was issued for public bid on 1/15/2025 with bid opening scheduled for 2/26/2025.
2. WWTP – Regional Board staff visited the WWTP on 8/22/2024. City staff provided the Regional Board staff with updates on the operations and maintenance efforts of the WWTP and our progress on constructing the IW System. Staff is preparing the quarterly report for October, November and December to the Regional Board on 1/30/2025.
ROADS
1. Monterey Salinas Transit Circulator – Over the last three years, City staff coordinated with MST staff to replace MST’s Dial-a-Ride Service with a fixed route bus service in Gonzales. The contractor completed their work in October 2024 and the Circulator went into service earlier this month.
SOLID WASTE
Quarterly Tri-Cities Franchise Agreements Meetings – Staff from the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority, Tri-Cities Disposal 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.
Staff attended the most recent meeting on 11/13/2024.
OTHER PROJECTS
1. Emergency Preparedness – the PW Director and PW Supervisor meet monthly with Fire Chief Jason and Police staff to discuss Emergency Preparedness.
2. GIS – City staff continues to work on a GIS mapping system by inputting field data for water, sewer and storm drainage systems. Staff hold monthly meetings with ProWest (GIS consultant). Other mapping efforts include assessing sidewalks to map uplifted or missing sidewalk panels and performing a street sign inspection.
PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
WASTEWATER
Staff check the influent and effluent at the wastewater treatment plant on a daily basis. During October and November, the disposal fields were percolating the treated wastewater very slowly. The groundwater below the perc ponds is higher than typical and the ponds are not performing as they should. Two of the processing facilities were discharging too much ag-wash water. The water level in the treatment ponds is too high. Staff began hauling water to the Soledad plant while a new disposal bed was built. A&G Pumping hauled water to Soledad for about 10 days.
Swift Tectonics building a new percolation pond.
On 12/24/2024, the new disposal bed was completed. Staff began pumping into the new pond. Over the Christmas holidays, staff were able to bring freeboard back to the permitted level due to pumping into the new pond. Staff will now drain the existing disposal fields to disc and rip and repair the existing percolation system.
Staff pulled pumps at the headworks to make repairs and clean the pumps.
Staff cleaning rags off the headworks pumps.
WATER
Staff tests for chlorine residual daily, and maintenance on the water system. Staff repairs chlorine leaks and performs maintenance on the wells
On 12/04/2024 staff with SWRCB’s Division of Drinking Water visited Gonzales for their annual sanitary survey. SWRCB staff emailed the attached follow-up report on 12/17/2024. Overall, they were satisfied with the City water system and requested that the following repairs be completed by the end of January:
1. Fill in rock around the base of the flush valve discharge to keep the water from undermining the adjacent ground.
2. Repair a leak in the air relief valve at Well 5.
3. Replace the sample tap at Well 6.
Staff are currently working on these items and painting the well house at Well 5. The Division of Drinking Water also asked for a new cross connection control policy. Staff will work on this item in the near future.
For the month of December there were no coliform positive results from samples taken at the sampling stations or water distribution system. Water test results from the County of Monterey Environmental Health are attached.
PARKS
Staff mows turf areas in the City parks regularly. Staff cleans restrooms, cleans trash, and make repairs in parks. Staff repair and maintain irrigation in Central and Centennial Park. The irrigation at Central Park has been repaired.
Staff making irrigation valve repairs at Centennial Park.
Staff put up all the Christmas decorations in time for the Holiday Lights festival.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff continue to maintain City owned buildings. Staff clean the Vosti Center restrooms daily. Staff clean the Council Chambers weekly.
STREETS
Staff continue to fill potholes. Staff painted the loading zones at the schools during Christmas break.
Staff continue to clean and maintain bioswales on Center Street.
EVENTS
Staff have been participating in in-house training. Several staff members participated in Forklift training presented by King City staff on 12/11/2024.
The City belongs to MBASIA which now offers OSHA tailgate training. Staff will participate in this program every other Tuesday morning for regular tailgate meetings.
Staff helped with the setting up and take down of the Annual Holiday lights Event.
Attachments:
1. Water Coliform Reports
2. Sanitary Sewer Survey
3. Attachment A - Deficiency List