City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: October 20, 2025
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Activity Report
WASTEWATER
1. Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility – The Contractor (Gateway Pacific) began construction 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. The contractor completed the grading work including the four basins on 9/30/25.
2. Rehabilitation of Brick Sewer Manholes – Staff is preparing a bid document for the rehabilitation of ten sewer manholes made of brick. These are older manholes that are not as strong as concrete manholes and can allow ground water into the sewer system. The bid opening is 10/23/2025.
3. Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) – The WWTP struggles to treat and percolate wastewater due to the cleanizers and sanitizers in the ag-wash water discharged from the processing facilities.
WATER
1. Elevated Tank - Utility Service Company cleaned and painted the elevated tank during July under their 10-year maintenance agreement.
BUILDINGS
Community Center Complex Project – The project is on schedule to be completed by 11/30/2025.
Current work includes interior painting, carpeting, concrete walkways in the courtyard, and site landscaping/irrigation. In early December the County Library staff will begin moving equipment, furniture and shelving from the existing library in the Gonzales Shopping Center. Staff is planning for the ribbon cutting ceremony on 1/10/2026.
AGENDA
ITEM
10 STREETS
1. 2025 Slurry Seal Contract – The contract with Pavement Coatings has been executed and the field work began with the contractor removing striping and cracking filling the streets to be slurry sealed.
The slurry seal work is scheduled for 10/21/2025 and 10/22/2025.
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 submitted 65% plans, technical specifications and cost estimate on 8/08/2025.
3. TAMC Vision Zero – Staff met with the Vision Zero Project Manager on 7/11/2025 and discussed potential traffic safety project to be designed and implemented. On 8/28/2025 a draft list of safety projects was emailed for City staff’s review. The next South Valley team meeting is 11/19/2025 in the Community Room at the Police Station.
4. Fifth Street Truck Ban – Bid opening for the traffic signs for the truck ban was 7/23/2025 and a single bid of $121,436 was received. Staff presented a staff report for award of this contract at the 9/15/2025 Council meeting. Funding is $16,788 in RSTP Fair Share Reserve Funds and $113,512 in a MidCycle RSTP Grant from the Transportation Agency for Monterey County.
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 EFFORTS
1. PW Field Person Recruitment – Recruitment to fill the open PW Maintenance Worker position was completed and the new employee started on 9/22/2025. Martin Diaz, new Public Works Supervisor, started on 9/29/2025.
2. Salinas Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency - It’s Gonzales turn to represent the four south valley cities on the GSA Board. The PW Director participated in the 9/11/2025 and 10/9/2025 board meetings and the next board meeting is 10/21/2025.
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.
Staff replaced Rain for Rent pumps with two new City-owned pumps purchased for $100,000. Rain for Rent ran a pipeline from the back end of the Wastewater Treatment Plant to discharge into any of the ponds.
Staff are working to build up exterior levy berms that have squirrel holes in them to avoid breaches along the levees.
Recently there’s been an issue with late night visitors driving ATVs onto the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility. Public Works staff asked D’Arrigo Bros to install fencing along their property line to keep these visitors out of the construction site.
Staff inspecting the levees at Wastewater Treatment Plant WATER
Staff tests for chlorine residual daily, and maintenance on the water system. Staff repairs chlorine leaks and performs maintenance on the wells.
Staff are coordinating the repair of Well 4 with the Winery due to the need to create a lay down area for the well pipe
For the month of September, 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 repaired by West Valley Construction since a new service lateral was needed.
There were 53 shut-off door tags this month to provide residents with seven-day notice to pay their utility bill or have their water turned-off. We had fifteen disconnects because 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 repairs irrigation leaks regularly.
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 completed the repair of the concrete floor at the fire house where the BBQ pits was removed.
Staff laying concrete at the Firehouse
STREETS
Staff continue to fill potholes, especially in the Business Park.
Staff Painting striping on the Fifth Street Bridge
Staff completed cleaning the storm drain areas that are prone to litter or dirt accumulation.
Staff will be also ready to address all storm drain clearing of debris.
Staff installed school banners on Fourth Street, Alta Minor, and Fifth Street.
Staff painted the bridge with traffic markings, and crosswalks.
EVENTS
Staff participated in a stormwater training event in Greenfield. Staff participated in the Monterey Bay Water Works Association training and expo on 9/17/2025.