City of Gonzales
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: January 20, 2026
FROM: Carmen Gil, City Manager
THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Public Works/City Engineer Department 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 bi-weekly progress meetings to discuss open items, status of submittal reviews, schedule and other business.
The contractor completed the grading work including the four basins on 9/30/25. The contractor has installed PG&E conduits and is currently placing structural concrete at the influent pump station.
Completion of this important project is expected in April 2027.
2. Staff continue to 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 were full over the Holidays; Staff utilized the flood lanes to their fullest potential. The contractor is on site and building the ponds for the new facility. Over the Holiday break staff continued to repair several levies within the main ponds. Staff continue to use the new ponds to help with the daily flow. Staff worked to make repairs to a couple of aerators that were not working in ponds 1 and 2. Staff is using the new clarifying system to improve the status of the wastewater in the plant. In addition to SRB a product that helps with the wastewater plant’s sludge problem.
3. Work at the Municipal Plant has continued. Gateway created two new basins out of what was already flood lanes onsite. Rain for Rent brought in the Clarifying System over the Holiday and begun operating it on 1/5/26. They are now helping to drain pound D so that we can get in there and begin rehabilitating it.
AGENDA
ITEM
11 4. Rehabilitation of two Brick Sewer Manholes – The bid opening was on 10/23/25 and the contract was awarded to Don Chapin Company at the 11/03/25 Council Meeting. The field work began on 12/22/25 with replacement of the manhole rims and covers, followed by concrete channel repair and internal coating work conducted on 1/5/25 through 1/7/25. The contractor also repaired a paving patch on 5th and Elko. The project was completed on time and on budget on 1/7/26.
WATER
1. Alpine Camp – The State Water Resources Control Board engaged NV5 (engineering consultant) to prepare technical studies, environmental studies and real estate appraisals and to support a grant application to connect Alpine Camp to the City water and sewer systems. The grant request was submitted to the state on 12/31/25 with some documents pending. Work will now begin on the Water application.
BUILDINGS
1. Community Center Complex Project – The project is mostly completed. There are a few small things pending that are scheduled to be fully completed by 1/20/26. The library is planning to move into their space mid-February and the City team with the Boys and Girls Club will start their operations 1/26/26.
The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 1/10/2026.
2. Well 4 – Maggiora Brothers Drilling has been directed to clean and repair this Well as authorized at the 11/03/2025 Council meeting. They have now started the work and are conducting tests. City staff has assisted them with staging equipment on site.
3. Staff cleans the Vosti Center restrooms daily. Staff cleans the Council Chambers weekly. Staff orders all supplies for City buildings and disburses them appropriately.
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 was completed on 11/7/2025. SB 1 reports regarding the project’s completion were submitted to the State on 12/23/25.
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. Staff met with Harris and Associates on 12/11/25 to discuss next steps. Harris Assoc will be submitting the construction documents soon.
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 – The bid opening was 7/23/2025 and a single bid of $121,436 was received.
The contract with Chrisp Company was approved at the 9/15/2025 Council meeting. Funding is $16,788 in RSTP Fair Share Reserve Funds and $113,512 in a Mid-Cycle RSTP Grant from the Transportation Agency for Monterey County. We received the Caltrans Encroachment Permit. The contract has been executed; signs have been ordered and are being shipped. The installation is set to begin on 1/26/26.
5. Staff continue to fill potholes around town, especially in the Industrial park.
6. During the rainstorms we had a few trees go down and staff was quick to respond and clean them up.
Weekly sampling on the industrial plants
PARKS
1. Staff mows turf areas in the City parks regularly. Staff cleans restrooms, cleans trash, and make repairs as needed. Staff repair and maintain irrigation in Central and Centennial Park.
Daily parks cleanup
2. Staff assist with community park reservation needs on weekends.
3. Staff continues to weed and clean Bio Swales and the redwoods regularly, including trimming of hedges that need to be addressed.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff clean the Vosti Center restrooms daily. Staff cleans the Council Chambers weekly. Staff orders all supplies for City buildings and disburses them appropriately.
EVENTS
Staff assisted with the set up of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Community Center on 1/10/2026.
Other Efforts
1. Staff tests for chlorine residual daily, and maintenance on the water system. Staff repairs chlorine leaks and performs maintenance on the wells.
2. For the month of December, all water samples taken at the sampling stations for the water system tested negative for coliform.
3. There were 78 door tags distributed for water shut offs prior to shut offs. We had 16 disconnects because of non-payment.