Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works Engineering topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town Engineer presents draft updates to Truckee public improvement engineering standards
Summary
Town staff presented a first comprehensive update to the Public Improvement and Engineering Standards (PIES), opened a public review period through July 15 and invited feedback on modernization, user interface, and codifying current engineering practices.
The Town of Truckee presented a draft update to its Public Improvement and Engineering Standards, known as PIES, on June 24 and opened a public review period that closes July 15, town staff said.
Slater Stewart, an assistant engineer with the Town of Truckee, described the PIES as the document and drawings that set minimum design, construction and improvement standards for public and certain private improvements affecting public infrastructure or the public right-of-way. Stewart said the version before the council is the first comprehensive update since the standards were adopted in 2003.
Staff reported the update focuses on three major goals: improving document navigation and clarity; incorporating current Engineering Division practices into written standards; and modernizing outdated requirements. Examples cited in the presentation include formally incorporating the town’s wet-season construction guidance into the PIES and documenting a long-standing practice of requiring 6-foot sidewalks as frontage improvements in downtown and commercial areas. The draft also allows alternative driveway materials in the right-of-way (concrete and pavers) where previously only asphalt was permitted.
Stewart said the draft aligns the PIES with the development code and state laws, but also intentionally preserves “town engineer discretion” in many standards to allow tailored solutions where unique circumstances arise. He invited public feedback via email and said staff aim to receive comments through July 15, review them, and return to council later to ask for adoption.
The presentation drew a brief public commendation from Edward Bento, executive director of the Contractors Association, who praised the clarity and flexibility of the update. Council members asked no substantive follow-up questions at the end of the presentation but were given the opportunity to provide comments during the meeting’s Q&A segment.
No vote or formal action was required or taken at the meeting; staff said they will collect comments, update the draft as appropriate and return to the council with an adoption request later.
