CITY OF SAN MATEO
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 5 Section Name: OLD BUSINESS Account Number: 10-4679 File ID: 25-10724 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: December 15, 2025
SUBJECT:
Wet Weather Preparations – Update
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an update on the City’s stormwater initiatives, wet weather preparations, and storm response activities.
BACKGROUND:
Staff has previously updated Council on wet weather preparation activities beginning at the August 21, 2023, City Council meeting and have transitioned to provide annual updates with the most recent one from the November 18th, 2024. The initial wet weather preparation update presented at the August 21, 2023, City Council meeting identified four (4) distinct timeline categories and twenty-three (23) individual initiatives and tasks related to stormwater management and maintenance improvements. The full list of these requested action items is provided in Attachment 1, with the majority now completed. This wet weather update will focus on the remaining incomplete initiatives, on-going annual maintenance progress, and other new activities related to stormwater management.
Incomplete Initiatives:
Develop Marina Lagoon Alternatives Analysis for Pumping Below 95 feet oStaff reviewed Schaaf & Wheeler’s identified alternatives for the Marina Lagoon pumps and elected to conduct a physical hydraulic model (which entails building a scale model of the pump station) to assess flow patterns, identify potential improvements to optimize pump efficiency and performance, and determine whether pumping below elevation 95.0 feet is advisable. oStaff released a Request for Proposals (RFP) and selected Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Inc., to perform the physical hydraulic modeling study, with Council awarding the agreement at the December 1, 2025, City Council meeting. Staff anticipates the study will be complete by July 2026. Storm Drain Master Plan Update
oStaff and the Master Plan consultant (Schaaf & Wheeler) have completed data acquisition and model development for the Master Plan and are currently focusing on reviewing climate change projections, developing criteria for project prioritization, and reviewing the preliminary capital project list. oPublic Works staff will provide an update on the Stormwater Master Plan to the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission and the City Council on January 14 and 26, 2026, respectively. The draft Master Plan is expected to be released for public review between February and April 2026, with formal Council adoption anticipated in June 2026. Staff will work to incorporate initial capital improvement projects in the 2026-2027 Capital Improvement Program.
Marina Lagoon Spot Dredging
oStaff previously advertised the project on June 8, 2025, and received a single bid that was approximately 30% higher than the original engineer’s estimate. The bid was formally rejected, and City Council directed staff to negotiate with the sole bidder in an effort to reduce costs. Unfortunately, the only viable
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cost-reduction measure identified involved decreasing the overall dredging volume, which was not an option the City wished to pursue. Staff is now preparing to re-advertise the project in late January, with the goal of initiating work in Spring 2026 and providing ample time for completion by October 31, 2026. Lagoon users and residents will be notified of upcoming construction timelines, impacts, and other related project information.
On-going Annual Maintenance:
Inspect and clean all catch basins
oCatch basin cleaning, along with other stormwater maintenance activities, is now being handled by the two full-time staff funded through the Community Flood and Storm Protection Fee. Staff has already observed system improvements resulting from the maintenance work performed last year. oIn previous years, maintenance efforts were targeting only catch basins; however, this year staff are completing both catch basin cleaning and pipe cleaning as part of the annual program. As of November 30, 2025, a total of 1,207 out of 5,086 catch basins have been cleaned, along with 970 out of 6,737 pipe segments, representing approximately 89,536 linear feet/ 17 miles of storm drain pipelines. Inspect and clean all City-owned trash capture devices, trash racks, and storm pump station wet wells. oThese actions are completed annually as part of O&M operations and procedures for wet weather season activities
Deploy up to four (4) sandbag stations throughout the City for upcoming rainy season, with focus on areas with history of flooding, and coordinate with community volunteers for filling bags, monitoring stations oSandbag Stations are available at the following locations to property owners within San Mateo Public Works Corporation Yard – 1949 Pacific Blvd
Beresford Park Parking Lot – 2720 Alameda de las Pulgas Anchor Road Parking Lot – Anchor Road at 3rd Avenue/J. Hart Clinton Drive oStaff was unable to secure a fourth station in the North Central neighborhood this year due to ongoing construction on the San Mateo Foster City School District site.
New Activities
Citywide Creek Maintenance Permit
oMaintenance of creeks and channels within the City typically includes vegetation management, sediment and debris removal, and other routine repair activities, many of which require permits from four or more regulatory agencies. Staff is pursuing a multi-agency regulatory permit to establish a general maintenance program that can be implemented on an as-needed basis for City-managed creeks and channels. oOn September 29, 2025, an RFP for professional permitting services was released. Staff selected Montrose Environmental Solutions and Council awarded an agreement at the December 1, 2025, City Council meeting. The consultant will also develop maintenance guidance for private property owners responsible for privately managed creeks and channels.
Community Feedback for Storm Drain Improvements
oAs part of the Storm Drain Master Plan update, staff is working with consultants to develop a community engagement mapping tool. The tool will allow residents to report recent or historic flooding at their properties or throughout the City of San Mateo. This information will help the City validate model results against real-world events, identify potential flooding areas not captured by the model, and highlight maintenance needs that may not have been previously observed. oThe mapping tool is expected to be released in mid-December and will remain active through April 2026, and any personal contact information submitted through the tool will not be released to the public.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no budget impact associated with this informational update.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This informational update is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
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NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 - Original Wet Weather Initiatives from August 21, 2023, City Council Meeting
STAFF CONTACT
Jimmy Vo, Senior Engineer
[email protected]
(650) 522-7319
Katherine Sheehan, Deputy Director
[email protected]
(650) 522-7303