City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: August 18, 2025
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Public Works/City Engineer Department Activity Report
WASTEWATER
1. Industrial Wastewater Pipeline – This project was completed on 6/30/2025. The Notice of Completion was approved at the 7/21/2025 Council Meeting and recorded at the County Recorder on 7/29/2025.
2. Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility - Award of Contract to Gateway Pacific Contractors (low bidder) occurred at the 5/19/2025 Council meeting and field operation began on 7/21/2025. The contractor, construction manager, design consultant and City staff hold weekly progress meetings to discuss open items, status of submittal review, project schedule and other business.
3. Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) – Regional Board staff visited the WWTP on 8/04/2025 to observe the treatment process and see the construction of the IW Treatment Facility.
WATER
1. Alpine Camp – The State Water Resources Control Board engaged an engineering consultant to prepare technical studies to support a grant to connect Alpine Camp to the City water system. A kickoff meeting was held on 7/23/2025.
2. Elevated Tank - Utility Service Company cleaned and painted the elevated tank during July under their 10-year maintenance agreement.
AGENDA
ITEM
12 BUILDINGS
Community Center Complex Project – The project is on schedule to be completed by 12/01/2025.
The electric switch gear was delivered on 7/15/2025, 60 weeks from when it was ordered. The electrical subcontractor installed and wired the switch gear and it’s ready for PG&E inspection.
Current work includes interior painting; planting of the site landscaping and Fifth Street was recently striped.
STREETS
1. 2025 Slurry Seal Contract – Three bids were opened on 7/23/2025 and the contract was awarded to Pavement Coatings (low bidder) at the 8/04/2025 City Council meeting. Currently executing the contract with field operations expected to begin in early September.
2. Fourth Street Pavement Rehab – Harris Assoc is preparing the construction documents to reconstruct the 100 Block of Fourth Street and the 400 and 300 blocks of Alta Minor. Harris Assoc made the 65% plans, technical specifications and cost estimate on 8/08/2025.
3. TAMC Safe Routes to School Program - Staff engaged TL Engineering to prepare several alternatives for pedestrian safety improvements along Fifth Street from the Southbound Highway 101 on/off ramps. On 5/09/2025 TL Engineering submitted draft alternatives for City staff review. Funding is a $250,000 RSTP grant from the TAMC.
4. Fifth Street Truck Ban – Bid opening for the traffic signs for the truck ban is 7/23/2025 and a single bid of $121,436 was received. Current funding is $30,000 Measure K monies and $52,924 in Unprogrammed RSTP funds. To close the funding gap, staff requested $38,512 as part of a mid-cycle RSTP Grant from TAMC.
SOLID WASTE
Quarterly Tri-Cities Franchise Agreements Meetings – The new 10-year contract with Tri-Cities Disposal was approved at the 6/16/2025 Council meeting. The most recent quarterly meeting with SVSWA, Tri-Cities Disposal and City staff was held on 8/12/2025.
OTHER PROJECTS
1. PW Field Person Recruitment – A PW field person recently left City employment and a recruitment is underway to replace that person.
2. Emergency Preparedness – 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.
3. 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.
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 Regional Board approved an addendum to our discharge permit to allow the City to land apply treated wastewater to the flood fields at the north end of the Industrial Treatment Facility site. Staff built and began land applying effluent in several flood fields near the new disposal basin. Staff inspects and manages the flow into the flood fields.
Staff performs weed control and rodent control at the wastewater treatment plant.
Staff is surveying the brick manholes in the City to develop an approach to rehabilitate them in the next four or five years.
Staff recently installed Smart Covers at three manholes that allows for remotely monitoring the level of sewerage at each location. The three locations are considered “hot spots”, and the Smart Covers will provide high level alarms, determine amount of inflow and infiltration during winter storm events, and verify the results generated by the Sewer Model.
WATER
Staff tests for chlorine residual daily, and maintenance on the water system. Staff repairs chlorine leaks and performs maintenance on the wells.
Well 4 is down for repairs as the pump bearings need to be replaced.
The Elevated Tank on Fifth Street was cleaned and painted.
For the month of July, all water samples taken at the sampling stations for the water system tested negative for coliform.
Staff addressed one water leak this month. This leak was on the homeowner’s side of the meter. The homeowner attempted to turn off the water meter and broke the corporation stop, which had to be replaced at their expense
There were seventy-six door tags this month, prior to shut-offs. We had sixteen disconnects due to nonpayment.
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 worked with Rotary to place a new picnic table at Central Park. Rotary also donated new or refurbished BBQ pits in Central Park.
Staff weed and clean the Bio Swales along Center Street and the redwoods along Alta Minor regularly.
There has been a repeated irrigation leak at Canyon Creek Park. Smith and Enright have fixed the issue.
Staff removed the softball fencing at Centennial field and is preparing for soccer season.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff clean the Vosti Center restrooms daily. Staff cleans the Council Chambers weekly. Staff orders supplies for City buildings and disburses them appropriately.
Staff cleaned and polished the floor at the Vosti Center and installed cameras at City Hall and completed various other tasks.
STREETS
Staff trimmed some trees on Fifth Street to allow for a PG&E pole to be installed across the street from the Community Center.
Staff have painted the crosswalks near school zones in time for school to start.
Staff picked up a large amount of tree trimmings this month.
Staff continues to fill potholes on City streets.
EVENTS
Staff joined the kids at the Vosti Summer camp for Public Works Day. Staff provided demonstrations on the equipment used every day and spoke about water, wastewater, and the other things that keep the City running.
Staff demonstrated Public Works equipment to the camp kids.
Staff helped with street closures and building the kiddie corral and the beer corral for the 4th of July.