City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: May 19, 2025
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Activity Report
WASTEWATER
1. Industrial Wastewater Pipeline – Construction of the IW Pipeline began on 11/04/2024 and is approximately 80% complete with final completion expected by 5/30/2025.
2. Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility - The IW Treatment Facility contract was issued for public bid on 1/15/2025 and six bids were opened on 2/26/2025. As reported at the 3/17/2025 Council meeting, the submitted bids exceeded the project budget, so staff has requested a $6M Amendment to the $29M State Revolving Fund loan for the IW System. Staff will recommend an Award of Contract to Gateway Pacific Contractors (low bidder) at the 5/19/2025 Council meeting with issuance of the Notice to Process after SRF approval of the $6M Amendment.
3. Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) – City staff provides Regional Board staff with updates on the operations and maintenance efforts at the WWTP and our progress on constructing the IW System.
Staff are meeting with the Regional Board regulator on 4/15/2025.
BUILDINGS
1. Fire Station Roof – On 5/19/2025 SSB Construction will repair the Fire Station roof. Over the last two weeks City PW and Fire staff removed the BBQ pit and exhaust stack so the opening in the roof can be covered with plywood and an underlayment prior to the roof work. Funding for this $24,000 project is from the County thanks to Supervisor Chris Lopez.
AGENDA
ITEM
15 2. Community Center Complex Project – The project is on schedule to be completed by December 1, 2025. The construction team will provide an update at the 5/19/2025 Council meeting. The on-site project camera can be accessed at this link:
https://share.earthcam.net/GonzalesCommunityCenter/gonzales_community_center_complex/camera /view_1/timelapse
STREETS
1. Fourth Street Pavement Rehab – Staff authorized Harris Assoc to prepare the construction documents to reconstruct the 100 Block of Fourth Street and the 400 block of Alta Minor. A Kick-off meeting and site walk were held on 5/6/2025. Funding is $636,150 in SB 1 funding.
2. TAMC Safe Routes to School Program - Staff engaged TL Engineering to design the Pedestrian Safety Improvements along Fifth Street from the Southbound Highway 101 on/off ramps. A site walk was held on 5/05/2025. Funding is a $250,000 RSTP grant from the TAMC.
3. Fifth Street Truck Ban – Staff will issue the traffic signs for the truck ban for public bid by May 30.
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.
On 4/28/2025 CalRecycle’s Jurisdiction and Agency Compliance and Enforcement Branch (JACE) emailed a letter to staff that the three cities would audit the City’s compliance with the following programs:
• Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (MORe) program (Public Resources Code (PRC) sections 42649.8 through 42649.87)
• Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR) program (PRC sections 42649 through 42649.7 and 14 CCR sections 18835 through 18839)
• Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE) program (PRC Section 41000 or PRC Section 41300)
• Household Hazardous Waste Element (HHWE) program (PRC Section 41500 or PRC Section 41510)
Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority staff are supporting the City’s response to CalRecycle’s audit.
OTHER PROJECTS
1. Emergency Preparedness – The PW Director and PW Supervisor meet monthly with Fire Chief Muscio and Police staff to discuss Emergency Preparedness. Topics include tabletop exercises, emergency notifications to residents and outfitting the Emergency Operations Center. The city’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is being set up in the space in the Old Medical Building in the space recently vacated by Sun Street Centers.
2. Geographic Information System (GIS) – City staff continues to work on the city’s GIS mapping system by inputting field data for water, sewer and storm drainage systems. Staff hold monthly meetings with ProWest (GIS consultant) to seek their assistance with our mapping efforts. 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, run daily inspections and testing of Dissolved Oxygen levels, pH, and conductivity at the wastewater treatment plant on a daily basis.
The disposal ponds are still fairly full. Hot weather will help get rid of the treated water. Staff are trying to balance discharging water to the discharge ponds.
The existing PW trash pump to move treated water between the three disposal beds is 25 years old and was recently repaired for use at the WWTP. But the pump is undersized for its use and needs to be replaced. Staff currently rent a pump from Rain for Rent. Staff are getting quotes to buy a new pump.
Staff repaired two aerators at the WWTP.
WATER
Staff tests for chlorine residual daily, and maintenance on the water system. Staff repairs chlorine leaks and performs maintenance on the wells.
For the month of April, all water samples taken at the sampling stations for the water system tested negative for coliform.
Staff addressed one water leak this month.
There were 77 door tags this month, prior to shuts off. We had 14 disconnects as a result of non-payment.
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.
Staff repaired the Meyer Park sign.
Staff are getting the pool ready for the upcoming swim season. The pool is balanced, and cleaning is almost finished. Staff are preparing for the upcoming County inspection.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff clean the Vosti Center restrooms daily. Staff cleans the Council Chambers weekly. Staff order all supplies for City buildings and disburses them appropriately.
STREETS
Staff were called out after hours to clean up after a Semi Tractor Trailer vs. Stop light accident at Alta Street/Gonzales River Road. Staff cleaned up the diesel spill after the accident and provided stop signs until the traffic light could be re-installed.
Staff repaired and replaced street signs that were damaged and/or knocked over.
Precision Concrete Cutting was onsite to shave off trip hazards on sidewalks. They completed Phase 4 of the long-term project.
Staff inspected the trenching and road repair done by a PG&E contractor on Alta Minor in front of Farmers Market.
EVENTS
Staff supported the Car Show in early April.
Staff prepped and provided assistance to Blue Zones and CADRE at the Community Garden.