Council approves contract amendment for operations-center decant facility that includes above-ground fueling tanks; debate over aquifer proximity

The Gig Harbor City Council on April 28 approved professional services contract amendment No. 1 with Gray & Osborne Inc. for design of the City's decant facility at the Operations Center, a package that includes plans for above‑ground fueling tanks for city vehicles. The motion passed 6 to 1.

Council members debated the site selection and safety features at length. Council member Coronado asked that the contract item be removed from the consent agenda for additional discussion, saying the proposed fueling tanks would sit “on top of our drinking water” and noting the site is adjacent to a wetland. Council member Coronado said she was concerned about storing “2,500 gallons of gasoline on top of our drinking water,” and suggested exploring interlocal sharing agreements with other agencies instead of building a new fueling pad.

Public works staff and Director Langham responded that the tanks are above‑ground, double‑lined with secondary containment, fitted with monitoring and alarm systems, and sited so leaks would be visible before product could reach soil or groundwater. “These are above ground storage tanks. They are, lined double lined. They have containment, they have roofs over them, so if they do leak, then they can hold the entire capacity of the tank within the containment system,” Langham said. Staff also described an oil/water separator and a pump system that will route any runoff from the fueling pad into the decant facility and into the sewer system rather than into adjacent wetlands or storm drains.

Council members pressed staff on several technical and operational points. Council member Storstedt asked whether the tanks and dispensing area had secondary containment and monitoring; Langham said yes and added that because the Operations Center is visited routinely it would be observed regularly. Council member Wook asked whether a redundant well exists for the same water service area; staff said Well 11 is currently the only well in the 450 zone and that the City is pursuing approvals to drill Well 9 as a redundant source. Wook also asked how leaks would be detected at night or during an earthquake; staff said alarms would tie into the City’s on‑call system.

Staff explained that part of the rationale for the Operations Center location is that the site already has much of the needed infrastructure — frontage improvements, stormwater, a sewer pump station able to accept decant flows — and that the above‑ground tanks planned would allow the city to purchase R99 renewable diesel for parts of its fleet. Staff said other local agencies (Peninsula Light Co., Pierce County Fire District 5) were contacted about sharing facilities but had not been willing or able to host Gig Harbor operations or the required capacity for emergencies.

Council member Coronado also raised security concerns, noting the human element of theft or vandalism. Staff said the tanks and alarms are designed to reduce that risk and that the site’s visibility and routine use would help with monitoring. Coronado questioned project cost estimates: she cited an amendment amount of roughly $350,000 and a total construction budget of about $1.4 million, and compared it to a larger Port Angeles facility that she said cost about $3.6 million; staff responded that Port Angeles built on an undeveloped site while the Operations Center location has existing infrastructure, and said the City will return with refined cost estimates once consultants complete design.

After discussion, Council member Rodenberg moved to approve the contract amendment; Council member Storstedt seconded. The motion to approve professional services contract amendment No. 1 with Gray & Osborne Inc. for the City of Gig Harbor decant facility passed 6 to 1.

What the council approved was limited to the contract amendment for design work; staff said scope and final cost estimates will come back to council for review. No interlocal agreement was authorized and no new permits were granted at the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The consent agenda (as amended to remove item 4) was approved earlier in the meeting; the contract amendment for Gray & Osborne was then approved by a 6–1 vote.

Why this matters: The Operations Center decant and fueling facilities are meant to serve city fleet operations and emergency response, and the decision commits the city to detailed design of infrastructure sited near an active municipal well and wetlands. Council members emphasized both environmental and fiscal tradeoffs and asked staff for further cost detail and assurances on containment, monitoring and alternatives.

Next steps: Staff said consultants will finish design options and cost estimates and return to council for further authorization and for any required permitting or land‑use approvals.