CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM: Staff Activity Report – October 2025 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Review content, discuss, and receive public input.
DRAFT MOTION TO CONSIDER: Accept Staff Activity Report for October 2025.
OCTOBER 2025 SUMMARY
- STAFF PRODUCTIVITY
o ADMINISTRATION: With September being the month for catch up, October is typically a bookend month dedicated prepping for the next wave of work flow. Quarter-ending tasks such as receiving and recording TOT payments (due Oct 31), receiving and tracking applicant-driven cost recovery invoicing, preparing for the fiscal year-end audit reports (annual City audit and special revenue TDA funds), and preparing for yearend projects such as business license renewals, and STR permit renewals (and related OWTS permit tracking). Staff is still adjusting the workload being down two budgeted positions (City Manager and Grant Administrator). This will continue to be a challenge until additional at least one of the vacancies are filled.
I spent the first half of October continuing my orientation with the more complex projects in various stages of completion, and the second half of the month fully engaged and participating. Time flies by due to the increased workload. A few projects consume 65% of time, leaving the remaining 35% to cover everything else.
Approximately 50 highly productive management hours/week are required to keep up with the demands of the job. To begin shifting to a more sustainable pace, significant effort was dedicated to implementing the 2025 Classification and Compensation Study following adoption on October 12. Staff was notified of their updated title, job classification, pay rate, and next steps. Workloads can now shift with intention, and performance evaluated periodically to ensure growth and accountability. Outreach material is being prepared to fill the vacant grant administrator position, scheduled to be posted on or before November 21.
The City Manager attended several meetings in October. Highlights included:
• October 10: Video-call with HBMWD GM Michiko Mares and City Planner Trever Parker to introduce ourselves and open the channel of communication for topics of mutual interest. • October 12: Monthly Council meeting.
• October 16: Video-conference with the ALMT Working Group to brainstorm technical engineering perspectives for developing access to the beach via the traditional trail route. The City was assigned (and welcomed) the task of creating a design concept scope that will be used by Commission staff to begin G2G consultations and synchronize a collaborative path forward. • October 22 & 29: In-person weekly construction meetings for the Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie Project, to understand the issues holding up construction, coordinate better communication between partners, contractor, and technical staff, and develop a strategy to steer the project to success.
• October 21 & 28: Regular weekly meetings with Mayor Kelly and Pro-Tem Kenny. • October 31: Video-call with City Planner and Engineer to follow up with ALMT Working Group assignment, and to continue ongoing discussion regarding the Council’s July 08 direction to staff to develop a HBMWD comparative analysis.
• October 31: In-person staff meeting to discuss 2026 Medical Insurance with Mindy Sehon of George Peterson Insurance.
Additional information highlighting numerous topics by department is continued within this report. o FINANCE: Confirmed with JJACPA the Council’s desire to utilize their services to perform the FY2025 audit. Financial statements are being prepared for audit field work which is set to begin in December. Staff also processed bi-weekly payroll, weekly invoice payables, and also performed a cash flow analysis to ensure the City’s revenues are invested appropriately while preserving adequate resources for ongoing construction invoices for the Intertie and Tank & Pipeline projects.
Financial statements included in the November packet indicate business as predicted this time of year, with no anomalies or areas of concern. With the first quarter coming to a close, staff is paying close attention to revenues and expenses booked at the end of the fiscal year and making sure they are assigned to the right period. This reconciliation process is necessary to ensure accurate year-end statements and audit findings. o PUBLIC WORKS: In addition to their daily routine, Public Works staff provided significant oversight to the Intertie Project, maintained city storm drain systems pre-storm in mid-October, performed routine public space and trail maintenance, and provided support and consultation during the Town Hall window replacement and dry rot repair project.
o WATER: In addition to performing regular, daily routine water sampling and maintaining adequate water supplies available for distribution to all customers, the water department remained highly focused on
supporting the Emergency Intertie Construction
Project. Staff also troubleshot several customer leaks, finalized estimate approval for a Measure Z plant
equipment repair project with Rich Well Drilling,
coordinated November dates for contractor Liquivision
to perform storage tank inspection dives and repairs,
and coordinated an emergency leak repair of damage
to the raw water feed line that occurred on October 27
due to an alder tree that fell dangerously close to the raw water wet well intake adjacent to the creek
(images). Big thanks to Stuart at Rich Well Drilling for prioritizing the City that morning and performing the repair.
As the City reaches closer to having full control of the water system in-house, we anticipate reliance on an outside agent, third party T3 contractor to comply with State water laws. Management is exploring local options with neighboring water agencies to provide this service, through a mutual aid agreement, until such time the City is fully independent with certified operators. Currently operating with T3 Contractor Eric Sanders providing his service for a flat fee of $4k/month. In-house staff member Carl Anderson (T3 in training) passed exam several months ago and is working towards fulfilling the 1800 hours required to receive the license, and currently scheduled to take his Distribution 2 certification test soon.
Kyle Shipman (T2) and Say-gep Brown (T2) are studying for their Distribution exam (date yet to be determined)
Dereck Shadle is expecting to take his T2 Exam by November/December. o LUFFENHOLTZ CREEK LOW FLOW SEASON: Due to significant rainfall events that increased creek flow in mid and late October, dry season flow rate monitoring was postponed. A final update will be provided to the Council when the seasonal testing is concluded, per task order agreement with PWA. o PLANNING: The Planning Commission did not meet in October. City Planner Trever Parker continued to work on the LCP updates, ADU Ordinance development in conjunction with the Coastal Commission and State Housing staff, processing OWTS permits, reviewing development permits, and ongoing consulting with staff on ALMT and HBMWD comparative analysis projects. o ENGINEERING: City Engineer Steve Allen has been busy overseeing the Emergency Intertie Project with GHD Construction Manager Dagan Short. Steve Allen has also joined the City Manager and Planner in discussions to help conceptualize a path forward to execute the Council’s July 08 direction to staff to conduct a comparative study for Humboldt Bay Municipal Water, and also on the ALMT Working Group to brainstorm engineering strategies to establish conceptual drawings for the traditional trail route. Street Engineer Josh Wolf helped prepare the 2024 STIP project documents for unveiling at the November 12 meeting. That project includes enhancement to the south Main Street sidewalk, improving sight-lines with intersecting streets, repaving Main, Patrick’s Point, and the City’s segment of Westhaven Drive. o BUILDING: City Building Inspector Dan Dimick has kept busy handling routine inquiries, progress inspections on active projects through town, and providing construction oversight and liaison services between the City and commercial contractor ACGC who has nearly completed the Town Hall window replacement project. The project has been a huge success so far and will come in slightly under budget from the amendment former City Manager brought to the Council for approval in July ($75,000). o CEMETERY: One cremation plot was sold in October to host the remains of long-time Trinidad resident, godfather, and local legend Brent Twoomey. His ashes were placed fittingly beneath the cluster of redwood trees in the upper corner of the cemetery, just before the memorial service held for him on October 18.
Revenues so far this year (one quarter into the FY) have nearly met the expected revenue forecasted for the full year due to the Council’s action to increase rates. - FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS UNDER DEVELOPMENT
o Underground Utilities: Staff engaged with Underground Utility Project Specialists at PG&E in an effort to coordinate a presentation for the Council at a future meeting. Due to other pressing matters, this task has been postponed until later this year or when time allows. o Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, RFP: On July 08, 2025 the City Council directed staff with the following motion: Motion (Kelly/Breckenridge) to direct staff to proceed with a comparative analysis and feasibility study that evaluates the two options for water provisioning in the City of Trinidad: 1) connection to HBMWD in partnership with the Trinidad Rancheria or independently; 2) continuing to operate its own independent municipal water plant. The study should include comparative long-term costs, developmental (growth) impacts, environmental factors, regulatory/legal guidelines, technical/engineering and operational requirements. Staff will bring the RFP for the study back to the Council for final review and seek grant money to fund. Passed 3-2. Yes – Kelly, Breckenridge, Varela. No – Kenny, Tuttle.
The former City Manager made an attempt to visualize a path forward prior to his resignation effective August 28, but nothing concrete materialized. Staff invested time in September to revisit this topic and strategize next steps. After several meetings with technical staff and a follow up with HBMWD General Manager Michiko Mares, staff has received enough information to reprioritize the task given by the Council on July 08, and assemble the findings into either an actionable item for consideration prior to the end of year, or a meaningful update that will give the Council an opportunity to help fine-tune or steer the proposal.
Certain preliminary tasks have been distributed among staff to begin developing materials to support the next phase of discussion that will support carrying out the motion in the most efficient manner. City Planner Trever Parker developed some preliminary findings associated with the potential growth inducing impacts (concerns) from a connection to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. The report is attached as a supplemental document to this staff activity report, and is intended as an introduction to the research gathered following concerns raised during the July 08 meeting. This document and many others will be added to more information leading up to any actionable item reached during this process. City Grant Administrator Angela Cather was tasked with narrowing down grant funding opportunities available to the City for comparative analysis, or RFP’s that focus on consolidation projects. Cather’s report is also attached as a supplement to the staff activity report. City Engineer Steve Allen was tasked with reviewing several prior memos drafted by GHD over the last 20 years specifically comparing operation of the City’s water plant to an alternate source through HBMWD over the long-term.
Interim City Manager Adams was tasked with an introductory meeting with HBMWD GM Michiko Mares, and to help connect the dots and strategize next steps that are in sync with the July 08 motion, and a realistic timeline and funding options.
November 2025 update: HBMWD General Manager Michiko Mares reached out to the City to notify staff and Council of an upcoming presentation to the Board of Directors entitled “Overview of Next Steps for Proposed North Mainline Extension – Informational Presentation. City Staff will attend. Council and anyone interested in this topic are also encouraged to attend.
HBMWD’s November 13 Board packet and agenda are available on their website, along with the videoconference participation link (on the agenda cover). The meeting begins at 9:00am on Thursday:
https://www.hbmwd.com/2025-11-13-board-of-directors-meeting Staff will consider information presented at this meeting into its formula for determining how best to approach revisiting the Council’s July 08 direction to conduct a comparative/feasibility study. - GRANT PROJECTS
o Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie Project: Construction is underway. Most of the connecting pipe has been installed beneath the Westhaven Drive roadway, and with any luck the concrete pad for the pumphouse will be poured Tuesday morning (November 11). Getting to this point has been a serious challenge, but lines of communication have been
streamlined and all parties involved in this project have been reminded of their responsibilities and accountability in seeing this project complete within the grant deadline.
City grant staff has submitted a request to the funding agency (DWR) for a 30-day construction deadline
extension. DWR has expressed optimism that the
request would be granted, but we have yet to see it in
writing. The contractor is being pushed to complete the project by December 15, until further notice. Weekly
construction meetings have been reorganized into
focused technical meetings between the contractor and
engineers to facilitate expedited communication, optimize limited dollars left to complete the project, and
accommodate the construction team.
o Per Capita Parks & Recreation: The Racquet Court improvement project was rejected by Council in July.
Staff shifted attention to utilizing these funds to develop a shovel ready repair plan for the decaying boardwalk-sidewalk surface leading down Edwards Street from Van Wycke to the Harbor. The City failed to achieve a land tenure agreement with the Rancheria due to an issue discussed at the special meeting on August 06. The City filed a right-of-way use application to the BIA as directed by the Rancheria. Staff filed the completed application with the BIA as advised, but without familiarity with such process, we are unable to forecast a timeline for approval. There has been no response from the BIA to date. We will update the Council regularly as information is received.
- TRIBAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATIONS: The Council appointed Mayor Kelly and Pro-Tem Kenny to serve as representatives for G2G consultations with the Yurok Tribe and Trinidad Rancheria. Staff has reached out to representatives of both tribes and has yet to receive an invitation and/or has coordinated possible meeting dates. - TRAILS:
o ALMT: Under the lead of the Coastal Commission, the City is actively participating in the Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail (ALMT) Working Group. This group has been assembled by the Commission in response the appeal filed by the Tsurai Ancestral Society to the permit the City issued to itself in 2025 to repair the foot of the ALMT by constructing cable steps to enable the trail to reopen after a multi-year closure due to erosion at the base. The consent agenda item tonight is an action item requested in collaboration with the Group, for the City to take the first step in putting the traditional trail route concept on paper that can help to facilitate more detailed discussions about the revised phased re-opening approach. The City has made it clear that the budget provided is finite, and financial support from the Conservancy will be necessary to move it beyond the concept phase. o UNDERWOOD: Long-time resident Sharon Hunter assembled a team consisting of an arborist (Merlin Szabo, Trinidad Tree Service), a tree service (Graham Charleston, Charleston Tree), and city staff to determine the best course of action to address an overgrown and tangled mess of coastal shore pines on her property at the foot of the Underwood Trail. The trees had reached over the trail into the neighbor’s yard, were covered in English ivy, and posed a threat to trail users and neighboring property structures. Sharon graciously invested in improving not only the safety of the public easement passage, but also the vista experienced as you approach the bluff while traversing the trail from Underwood Drive. Her family has cared for and maintained the vegetation growing along their Underwood Trail property line for many years, and remains mindful of the public’s experience utilizing this local asset.
- PUBLIC SAFETY
o HSCO Reports/Statistics: A full list of calls/stats for October are included in the meeting packet. o The call ratio based on all stats is approximately 3:1 County/City for the “Trinidad Coverage Area” included.
There also appeared to be an increase in call volume that correlates to the first considerable rainfall events of the season.
- CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS UNDERWAY
o Town Hall Window Replacement and Rot Repair: The majority of Construction by ACGC crew took place between October 29- November 07. There is a small punch-list of remaining items to-do, but the project is mostly complete and will come in just slightly under the $75k budgeted. Staff will reach out to Hamanaka Painting next to coordinate paint scheduling. Public Works removed most of the vegetation in front of the building that was overgrown and would impede access to the facility for prepping and painting.
TVFD Aaron Hakenen
escorting the Trinidad School
Halloween parade safely
through town on Friday,
October 31. Photos courtesy
of resident Anita Thompson.
STAFF REPORT SUPPLEMENTAL
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2025
Background Info: The City of Trinidad is responding to the Governor’s Order calling on all Californians to do their part by reducing consumption.
Luffenholtz Creek flow readings are presented to the Council on an as-needed basis - during drought events or when requested. As we enter into the summer low-flow months, the focus of these reports (during the dry season) will be to share and put into perspective how Trinidad’s water consumption metrics compare to those of recent years.
The amounts represent the total water sold, captured by 323 customer meters, measured in cubic feet (7.48 gallons = 1 cubic foot).
July 2021 251,168 cuft January 2021 161,379
July 2022 198,081 January 2022 189,201
July 2023 223,806 January 2023 154,543
July 2024 264,491 January 2024 148,407
July 2025 292,315 (17.37% Water Loss) January 2025 131,229 (16.59% Water Loss) August 2021 269,771 February 2021 178,545
August 2022 227,681 February 2022 154,634
August 2023 265,808 February 2023 136,626
August 2024 233,215 February 2024 132,690
August 2025 218,593 (19.53% Water Loss) February 2025 131,537 (20.66% Water Loss) September 2021 227,831 March 2021 187,607
September 2022 216,470 March 2022 184,103
September 2023 200,348 March 2023 152,813
September 2024 200,050 March 2024 125,188
September 2025 208,873 (19.32% Water Loss) March 2025 136,579 (22.52% Water Loss) October 2021 203,176 April 2021 192,287
October 2022 180,065 April 2022 173,115
October 2023 188,335 April 2023 145,504
October 2024 206,875 April 2024 176,413
October 2025 206,839 (23.22% Water Loss) April 2025 171,808 (17.31% Water Loss) November 2020 198,813 May 2021 242,529
November 2021 204,438 May 2022 154,634
November 2022 169,144 May 2023 211,380
November 2023 151,914 May 2024 182,738
November 2024 159,316 (26.54% Water Loss) May 2025 216,497 (10.83% Water Loss) December 2020 185,860 June 2021 269,087
December 2021 201,160 June 2022 233,692
December 2022 170,419 June 2023 209,336
December 2023 122,937 June 2024 229,339
December 2024 159,299 (23% Water Loss) June 2025 203,350 (23.71% Water Loss)
Water sold (consumed) in October nearly the same as last year’s use, which is average for this time of year especially with the mid-month rain event that occurred. We will continue to monitor consumption each month and report this information (along with summary trends and analysis) to the Council for review, comparison, and questions at each meeting.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
TO: Trinidad City Council
FROM: Trever Parker, City Planer
AGENDA ITEM: Staff Activities Report: Preliminary Staff Findings on Potential Growth Inducing Impacts from Connection to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD)
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The following information is provided as a supplement to the staff activities report related to subsequent research based on direction given to staff at the July 8, 2025 meeting regarding consideration of connecting to HBMWD. No further discussion or action is required or requested from the Council at this time. However, staff wanted to make this information available to the Council and the public sooner rather than later in order to help stop the spread of misinformation.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
One of the main concerns about a possible HBMWD connection has been the potential for it to lead to growth in the Trinidad area. That is a critical issue, and it is likely that there are circumstances where a parcel may not be developable now but could be developed if connected to municipal water. However, growth and development can and will be controlled in a variety of ways. Many of the comments made about growth have overstated the potential impact and/or are inaccurate. The following information is intended to correct some of the assumptions and misinformation that has been presented at past meetings. This is not meant to be a comprehensive analysis, but an overview of some of the steps in the process and land use considerations that will be made in planning for a potential connection to HBMWD and for controlling growth.
Fact: Bringing HBMWD water to Trinidad will not result in rampant, uncontrolled growth.
Connections to HBMWD water can and will be controlled and restricted in a variety of ways.
There are numerous ways to control growth that are more orderly and equitable than by limiting the overall water supply. These are a few of the primary ones:
• Land use designations and zoning are the primary method of planning for and regulating growth over large areas and long time spans. This is done through general plans and zoning ordinances.
• Much of the developed area is in the Coastal Zone where either the City or County Local Coastal Program (LCP) applies. LCPs include policies and standards that limit and control growth based on the Coastal Act.
• The Coastal Act includes limitations on growth and growth inducing development such as service extensions (e.g. §§ 30250, 30254) and the Coastal Commission will enforce those limits through LCP amendments and the Coastal Development Permit process. • There are and will continue to be specific planned service area boundaries for water providers, and extensions of service outside those boundaries are limited in a variety of ways, including State laws.
• Development density will also continue to be limited based on wastewater treatment (septic) capacity. Current county standards require new lots to be a minimum of 1-acre if using onsite wastewater treatment, even if the property is served by public water.
The water service area(s) can and will be crafted to control growth. • The HBMWD will need to apply to the SWRCB for a change in the place of use for their water right. The new place of use can be narrowly drawn, and water service cannot be provided outside of that area without a new application to the SWRCB. • Similarly, HBMWD will likely need to annex Trinidad and the Rancheria into its service area (if just the Rancheria is being served, it could be an Outside Agency Service Connection without annexation). The service area does not have to be contiguous with other HBMWD service areas, and therefore, does not have to include the pipeline corridor or other areas outside of Trinidad’s existing water service area. Water cannot be provided outside of the service area(s) without additional annexation, review, and approvals, including LCP update(s) and CEQA compliance.
• One of the primary purposes of LAFCo is to ensure that service area boundaries are orderly and well thought out and that services are not extended beyond those boundaries except under specific circumstances.
• LAFCo is required to analyze growth over the next 10 years when reviewing changes of boundaries.
• The environmental review process will analyze growth as well as alternatives to minimize impacts.
The pipeline will not be constructed to serve individual connections; it will feed into existing water system(s).
• HBMWD is not a retail water service provider; they do not provide individual connections. They will wholesale water to Trinidad and/or the Rancheria, and it will generally be Trinidad and the Rancheria, along with LAFCo and other agencies (e.g.
Humboldt County, Coastal Commission), that decide how, where, and when to extend future services.
If the City is a participant in the connection planning, then it will have a significantly greater say in how the process is implemented, how the service area maps are drawn, and how water is distributed in the future.
• As noted above, approval by various agencies is required for both the initial pipeline construction and the future extensions of services. Planning for the water line should be done on a regional scale with a long-term view of community water needs. The City is a stakeholder and should be an active participant throughout the process. • The City’s General Plan / LCP already contains policies related to growth and extension of services that should be considered and amended as needed. • Annexation by HBMWD should include the City’s service area, and then the City would have authority over when and where to extend individual connections via the same LAFCo process as is currently required for connections outside City limits. • The City can choose to not connect to HBMWD at this time and still be an active participant and plan for potential future connection.
• Growth (annexation) may be beneficial to the City now or in the future, and having adequate water supply will allow the City more flexibility to consider if and when that should occur.
Fact: Not participating in the HBMWD planning process will not stop the Rancheria’s hotel • There is no reason to believe that the Rancheria won’t eventually get a connection to HBMWD regardless of whether the City is a participant. And if the City is not a participant, it will have much less say in the process and the final result. • The Rancheria, as a Tribe and a disadvantaged community, has access to a variety of funding sources, and there are currently active funding sources for water supply and consolidation projects.
Fact: Trinidad will not be forced to consolidate with or absorb nearby water service providers • The SWRCB does have some authority to require systems to consolidate:
o https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/programs/compliance/docs/202 1/rfaq-mandatory-consolidation.pdf
• However, in practice, this is not something they do. I spoke with Barry Sutter, District Engineer of District 1 of the Division of Drinking Water of the SWRCB, who oversees more than 400 small water systems throughout Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, and Siskiyou Counties. In his almost 10-year tenure, there has never been a mandatory consolidation, even for systems that have been out of compliance (e.g. under boil water orders) for years.
• In the last 10 years, there have only been two mandatory consolidation orders in the entire state, both in the same location.
• SWRCB will encourage, support, and facilitate voluntary consolidations. • Barry would be in support of Trinidad connecting to HBMWD, because he considers Trinidad’s system to be vulnerable, because it is a single water plant with a single source.
Fact: Connection to HBMWD is not expected result in increased septic pollution. • Based on the growth controls discussed above, a connection to HBMWD is not expected to result in significant growth, and therefore, would not contribute to significant additional wastewater.
• Pollution is not expected to occur from modern, permitted septic systems. So even if some growth occurs, that growth will be subject to current standards and requirements for septic systems. Resulting upgrades could benefit water quality. • Although people who go from individual water supplies to a municipal supply tend to use more water, the same level of increase would not be expected from those already connected to the City’s system.
• The City can implement water conservation policies and rate structures for those connected to its system.
• Additional water supply could allow the City to annex some areas thereby expanding the jurisdiction of its OWTS Management Program.
Other considerations
Another important consideration is the current funding landscape. Initial research indicates there are currently grant funds available for this type of project, particularly considering that the Rancheria is classified as a disadvantaged community and the City’s water system is classified as being at-risk. If the City does not participate and the pipe is sized to only serve the Rancheria, there will be fewer options for the City should the existing water supply and/or plant become compromised or too difficult (or expensive) to treat in the future. There would not be a huge difference in the costs for physically installing a pipe sized just for the Rancheria verses a larger one that could also accommodate the City and its water service area. But once a smaller pipe is installed, the feasibility of the City ever connecting to HBMWD in the future would be significantly curtailed, if not eliminated.
Summary
It should be understood that any connection to HBMWD will be a significant undertaking and a complex process that includes many agencies and several checks and balances with opportunities to control growth in various ways. This is a project that should be viewed in the very long term (50+ years) as well as shorter terms. The decisions made now are going to have repercussions for the City’s water supply for decades. This is a regionally important process, and the City is a stakeholder, so should be a part of it. It is to the City’s benefit to be proactive in working with all the various agencies, decision-makers, and stakeholders to plan this regionally important project. Staff’s recommendation would be that the City should be a participant in the process, even if electing not to connect at this time, in order to have some control over the outcome and to preserve a key water supply option for the future.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Angela Cather, Grants Department
AGENDA ITEM: Staff Activities Report - Grant Opportunities for a Comparative Analysis and Feasibility Study in Connection with Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
The following information is provided as supplemental information for the staff activities report based on City Council’s direction at the July 8, 2025, meeting regarding a consideration of connecting to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND:
Staff sought out grant funding opportunities in response to the City Council’s motion to: “Proceed with a comparative analysis and feasibility study that evaluates the two options for water provisioning in the City of Trinidad: 1) connection to HBMWD in partnership with the Trinidad Rancheria or independently; 2) continuing to operate its own independent municipal water plant. The study should include comparative long-term costs, developmental (growth) impacts, environmental factors, regulatory/legal guidelines, technical/engineering and operational requirements. Staff will bring the RFP for the study back to the Council for final review and seek grant money to fund. Passed 3-2. Yes – Kelly, Breckenridge, Varela. No – Kenny, Tuttle,” and found two promising funding opportunities: the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program and the SAFER (Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience) Program. Both programs are funded by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).
*To ensure full eligibility, City staff sent the full City Council motion to the SWRCB, who confirmed that all items we are seeking to fund are eligible.*
More about the programs:
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program: The program is in place to assist public water systems in financing the cost of drinking water infrastructure and planning projects needed to achieve or maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements.
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) – Division of Finance Assistance, confirmed that a comparative analysis and feasibility study are funding eligible items. The SWRCB also confirmed that the City of Trinidad qualifies for up to 100% grant forgiveness for a planning project.
SAFER Program: The program was established from the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water (SADW) Fund that provides yearly funding to aim to reach sustainable operations for all the State’s drinking water systems and is a critical element for achieving the goals of safe, accessible, and affordable water for all Californians. As the City of Trinidad is listed as a small, at-risk water system, we are eligible for up to 100% of planning costs being covered by consolidation and drought resiliency.
Technical Assistance: Additionally, while the City is eligible for grant funding, eligibility does not equal approval of an application. With that in mind, it would be in the City’s interest to submit a Request for Technical Assistance (TA) application. If submitted, a TA provider may be assigned to the City to assist in submitting a planning application and navigating the application portal.
Why are we eligible for both programs?
The City of Trinidad is listed as a small, At-Risk water system (see attachment).
Why are we considered At-Risk?
We fall under all four categories for the “Drivers of Risk” per the State Water Resources Control Board:
• Water Quality (Medium Risk)
• Accessibility (High Risk)
• Affordability (High Risk)
• Technical Managerial Financial Capacity (TMFC) (Medium Risk).
To note, while having an intertie with Westhaven Community Services District in place may decrease our Accessibility Risk Factor, we need to remember that the intertie is only to be used in an emergency. The intertie is not in place to serve as an indefinite replacement to our water system if it fails.
What is the application deadline?
The SWRCB is always accepting applications for both programs, so there is no hard deadline to apply.
Other funding options available:
• USDA – The Water and Environmental Programs – Rural Development. The chance of getting 100% funding is much lower, if at all possible. Additionally, in many cases, funding would be via a loan or require a 25% match. • FEMA – First there would have to be a declared disaster in the area, and then the City would have to explain how our project reduces risk from natural disasters, including a benefit-cost analysis. Clarity of what type of funding is available (a loan or grant) is unclear currently for planning projects. • Department of Water Resources (DWR) – While we did not have a match for either DWR projects, there usually is a required match, and at this time there are no available grants.
ATTACHMENTS
• SAFER Dashboard – City of Trinidad Risk Status
Home Drinking Water Certlic Drinkingwater Saferdashboard SAFER Dashboard
This dashboard contains data for the 2025 Drinking Water Needs Assessment. The Failing list of systems is updated daily using the State Water Board's Failing criteria. The other SAFER statuses of water systems are based on the results of the Risk Assessment, which is refreshed quarterly as new data becomes available. More information about the dashboard is available in the user guide. Public feedback should be submitted to [email protected] and water systems may submit a data change request if information in the dashboard is inaccurate.
.
Failing At-Risk Potentially At-Risk Not At-Risk Not Assessed Number of Systems Exceeding Risk Indicator Thresholds
Water Quality
Accessibility
Affordability
Technical
Managerial
Financial
Capacity
Percentage of Sources Exceeding an MCL
Number of Water Sources
Absence of Interties
Percent of Median Household Income (%MHI)
Household Socioeconomic Burden
Total Net Annual Income
Operating Ratio
Days Cash on Hand
Drivers of Risk
Total Count of Systems: 1. Total Population: 1,072
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