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Ukiah council approves continuation of emergency contract for Western Hills mudslide repair
Summary
The City of Ukiah voted to continue work under an emergency contract with Diamond D Construction LLC to stabilize a mudslide near a city water tank in the Western Hills; council also voted to add the item to tonight’s agenda under urgency rules after staff said the matter had been omitted from prior agendas due to administrative error.
The City of Ukiah City Council on April 21 approved continuing emergency work under a contract with Diamond D Construction LLC to address a mudslide at the Western Hills site near the city water tank in pressure zone 1 North.
Council approved adding the item to tonight’s agenda by a 4/5 vote and then approved the recommended action to continue the emergency contract. Council members in attendance voted unanimously in favor; one council member, Bridal, was recorded as absent.
The matter was presented as an urgency item because staff said the slide poses an immediate risk to city infrastructure and because the emergency-related item had been omitted from previous agendas by administrative error. Mayor Douglas F. Crane said the urgency item needed to appear on every agenda "until the work is complete or the emergency ceases." Council discussion noted the procedural requirement that placing an urgency item on the agenda requires a four-fifths vote.
City staff described the current condition of the site as secured with a tarp in place and said the next steps depend on weather. One council speaker explained that the cover must come off so the soils can dry sufficiently to be compacted to a stable density before permanent repair work proceeds. Staff said once soils have dried and been evaluated, the city will pursue additional analysis and proposed repair work.
The council did not provide a timeline for completion beyond staff’s statement that crews will remove the cover and evaluate conditions "once the rain stops." The council also did not provide a dollar amount for the emergency work in the public discussion at this meeting.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to place emergency item on tonight’s agenda (4/5 required): approved (4 yes, 0 no, 1 absent). - Motion to continue work under emergency contract with Diamond D Construction LLC for repair of the Western Hills mudslide at the city water tank (pressure zone 1 North): approved (4 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).
Why it matters: The affected site is adjacent to a city water tank; until soil stability is restored the city may face service impacts or greater repair costs. The emergency designation requires recurring reporting to the council until the emergency ends.
What’s next: Staff said they will remove the tarp to allow soils to dry, perform further evaluation, and return with analysis and recommended next steps when conditions permit. The council also directed staff to keep the item on future agendas while emergency work continues.
