The Oxnard City Public Works and Transportation Committee on Oct. 14 recommended that the City Council approve an agreement with BKF Engineers to develop a citywide master plan of storm drainage. The recommended contract amount is not to exceed $629,950 for a one-year term from Nov. 4, 2025, to Nov. 3, 2026, with an option to extend to Nov. 3, 2027.

Morgan Kessler, city engineer, described the master plan as a comprehensive mapping and hydrologic analysis of the city’s storm-drain system. “It takes a very granular look. It identifies…where perhaps weak points are in the city's drainage system where future work is needed,” Kessler said. He said the plan will map culverts, storm-drain inlets and main conveyance lines, identify basins and drainage paths, and produce a hydrologic model to inform capital improvement project prioritization.

Staff and committee members discussed how the plan would be used for project identification, future development review and eventual development impact fee analysis. Kessler and project staff said the scope includes general-plan buildout assumptions; staff specifically referenced the city’s general-plan horizon (2030) to guide future-condition analysis. Committee members noted the last master drainage plan was completed in 2003 and welcomed the update.

The committee voted 3-0 to forward the contract recommendation to the full City Council.