City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: February 17, 2026
FROM: Octavio Hurtado, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Public Works/City Engineer Department Activity Report
WASTEWATER
Public Works is working on daily basis to maintain control of the WWTP. Staff continue to check the influent and effluent, run daily inspections and testing of Dissolved Oxygen levels, pH, and conductivity daily.
Staff have been making progress on general plant maintenance and cleanup. Staff have initiated weed abatement efforts taking advantage of the dry weather. Staff have completed the repair of several levees that were not accessible during the past rainy season. Staff are also providing maintenance to the pond aerators addressing mechanical issues and successfully getting two nonfunctioning aerators to operate.
Given that aeration is one of the key methods of treatment, staff will continue to develop a plan to quickly bring more functioning aerators online.
Due to the capacity needs of the plant, Gateway allowed the City to use the new ponds as holding ponds to prevent the City’s existing domestic ponds from overflowing. This has allowed Pond D to be emptied to remove sediment and disk. The City has also implemented a clarifying system that is treating 600,000 gallons per day cleaning the flows coming out of the secondary ponds and pumping into Pond D. We are looking into upsizing the outflow pipe from 4” to 8” to increase the treatment to our actual daily flows.
The intent is to stop using the Industrial Ponds as any further use may jeopardize the construction schedule of the Industrial Plant.
Currently, the existing plant disposal ponds are maintaining the influent daily flow. Staff is developing a plan to empty out Pond C to clean and rip while pond D, and other available ponds are filling. The intent is to always work on getting a pond empty to disk and rip to promote percolation.
AGENDA
ITEM
12 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 reviews, schedule, and other business. The contractor completed the grading work including the four basins on 9/30/25. The Contractor is currently working on installing necessary piping. Due to the capacity needs of the plant, Gateway allowed the City to use the new ponds as holding ponds to prevent ponds from overflowing. Staff will be assessing the existing domestic well to see if it can be used at the Industrial headworks to eliminate the designed tanked water system that will eliminate the need to truck water in.
Rehabilitation of Brick Sewer Manholes – The bid opening for rehabilitation of two sewer manholes on Fifth Street was 10/23/2025. The contract was awarded to Don Chapin Company at the 11/03/2025 Council meeting and construction occurred while the schools were closed for winter break. Staff is closing out the project.
WATER
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. A kick-off meeting was held on 7/23/2025 and the project team holds monthly coordination meetings. Most recently, Staff met with NV5 and Greg Piini, the real estate appraiser, to discuss necessary utility and construction easements to present to the existing landowner. In addition to the easements, funding agreements between the City and the State need to be in place prior to advertising the project for construction.
Staff tests for chlorine residual daily, and maintenance on the water system. Staff repairs chlorine leaks and performs maintenance on the wells.
Maggiora Brothers is still in the process of refurbishing Well 4.
For the month of December, all water samples taken at the sampling stations for the water system tested negative for coliform.
Weekly sampling on the industrial plants
There were 76 door tags this month, prior to shut offs. We had 15 disconnects because of non-payment.
PARKS
Staff continue to mow turf areas in the City parks regularly. Staff cleans restrooms, cleans trash, and make repairs in parks as necessary. Staff also repaired and maintained irrigation in Central, Vosti and Centennial Park.
Staff continues to assist community park reservation needs on weekends.
Staff continues to weed and clean Bio Swales and the redwoods regularly, including trimming of hedges that need to be addressed.
Staff is currently working with the GYC to set up a food pantry distribution station that is going to be placed at the community garden.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Staff continue to clean the Vosti Center restrooms daily, clean the Council Chambers weekly and order all supplies for City buildings and disburses them appropriately.
Staff are also addressing trash outside the Community Center.
STREETS
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 February 6, 2026 to get updated on the project. An item of concern was the condition of the sewer manholes. The plan moving forward is to assess the manholes in question and review the funding sources and assess the project against funding opportunities if combined with complete streets objectives. The goal is to have the project advertised and constructed in 2026.
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. Staff is reviewing the draft alternatives provided and will be in contact with TAMC to make sure the project is in line with the participatory program recommendations. The most cost-effective way to implement these improvements will be to add them to a street project such as the Fourth Street Paving Project.
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. Staff will be reviewing the list of recommended safety projects and aligning them with future street improvement projects.
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 awarded this contract 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. The Contractor submitted an Encroachment Permit to Caltrans for the work in the State right of way on January 7, 2026. On February 4, 2026, the City received a response to the permit application denying approval as proposed requiring a resubmittal addressing their concerns. The concerns require moving the location of some signs, modifications/replacement of existing destination sign instead of adding a new sign near an existing sign. Staff are coordinating the response to Caltrans to address their concerns for encroachment permit approval.
Staff continue to fill potholes, especially in the Industrial Park.
Staff have started re-painting the existing Keep Clear lettering on the Gonzales River Rd area.
EVENTS
Staff assisted with the setting up of Zumba classes held in the Community Center.