CITY OF GONZALES
2025 SNAPSHOT
Wow! What an amazing year 2025 has been! The City has been running like a true “little engine that could”, working on projects that promise to transform our community. The Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center Complex is almost complete with its Grand Opening Celebration taking place January 10, 2026. The new Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility is currently under construction with an estimated completion date of Spring 2027, and the new Electronic Billboard is under production with the developer planning to begin construction mid-January.
DENNIS AND JANICE CAPRARA COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX Phase 1 of the project brings in a new Teen Innovation Center and Teen Lounge to our community as well as a brand-new building for the local Monterey County Free Library, a meeting room, an outdoor amphitheater and plenty of outdoor spaces to enjoy. Did we also mention the new EV charging stations that will be available onsite? This exciting project is being made possible through funding from Measure X, private donations, grants, and a USDA Loan. It will be programmed with support from the Monterey County Boys and Girls Club, Olinga Learning among partnerships with CSUMB, UCSC, and Hartnell College. 2025 OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES This year we had multiple deserving employees that were recognized by their peers for their hard work
and dedication. Please join me in Congratulating our
Outstanding 2025 Employees: Fire Chief Jason
Muscio; Fire Captain, David Vasquez; Recreation
Coordinator & Administrative Analyst, Jessica
Olmedo; and Administrative Assistant II, Marisol
Gomez. We congratulate all of them and thank them
for their outstanding service.
NEW ARTWORK Through the support
of Blue Zones Project,
we were able to
commission a
beautiful mural that
now adorns our
downtown.
AGENDA
ITEM
6 TEN YEARS OF
GONZALES YOUTH COUNCIL (GYC)
The idea of a Gonzales Youth Council (GYC) started over ten years ago. Today, our GYC is stronger than ever, it has been nationally recognized and has been a model for Soledad, Greenfield and Salinas. They have helped take on local issues, have helped establish policy, and have even been published in medical journals. They advocated for mental health supports and even drove the process to get the Teen Innovation Center built.
What started as an idea has had a lasting impact on the students that have been part of it. Now, past GYCers represent Gonzales in circles around the State and Nation. All 87 participants have gone on to higher education and continue to make a positive impact in the community. Some have even made their way back to the area and now serve as teachers, mentors and supporters of young people. We can’t wait to see what the next 10 years of the GYC will bring! For more information on their journey, visit the City of Gonzales’ website at www.gonzalesca.gov.
IN 2026...
The Dennis and Janice Caprara Community
Center Complex will be in operation. The Teen
Innovation Center and Lounge, the Library, the
Outdoor Amphitheatre, the Meeting Room, and
Parking Spaces, including EV charging stations
will be open.
The Electronic Billboard will be up and running.
We will continue to advance the construction of
the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility.
We will continue advancing the Vista Lucia
housing project.
We will have a more modern website.
And we will continue to be fiscally responsible
and work to attract new revenue streams.
GRANT FUNDING
The City received multiple grants this year, including one in the amount of $30,000 from the Office of Traffic
Safety to support Gonzales PD’s efforts in reducing the number of persons injured in crashes, and aid in impaired driving enforcement, and public engagement and
education. In addition, the City secured $630,000 from
the County’s CDBG funds to support the purchase of a
brand-new Fire Truck.