Oakdale approves traffic-safety grant, park repairs, road rehab, solar permitting software and affirms police training compliance

The Oakdale City Council on July 7 unanimously approved five separate actions including a $38,900 state traffic‑safety grant for the police department, repairs at two city parks, a nearly $784,000 pavement rehabilitation contract for Albers Road, the purchase of online solar plan‑check software using state grant funds, and the council—s formal response to a Stanislaus County civil grand jury report on police training.

The approvals were presented as individual resolutions and contract awards and were adopted 4–0 in roll-call votes, with council members Gilbert, Potassie, Kettering and Mayor Barrios voting yes on each item.

City officials said the items together keep scheduled infrastructure work and software improvements on track while documenting continued compliance by the Oakdale Police Department with statewide training mandates.

The most substantial contract approved is the Albers Road pavement rehabilitation project. City staff recommended and the council authorized an agreement with United Pavement Maintenance for $783,503.64, plus a 10% construction contingency of $78,350 and a construction engineering contingency of $39,000, for a total project budget of $900,853.64 to be funded from Surface Transportation Fund 316. Staff said the project—funded through a competitive Surface Transportation Block Grant awarded by the Stanislaus Council of Governments (STANCOG)—includes about 87,000 square feet of milling, installation of a fiberglass (glass grid) reinforcement system, and 150,000 square feet of rubberized chip and slurry seal; work was scheduled to begin the Monday after the meeting and to take approximately 39 days.

Karina, a city staff member presenting park items, asked the council to authorize two park purchases to restore and extend existing equipment. The council approved a $13,257.91 purchase from Miracle Play Systems for replacement playground parts at Kerr Park (capital project 2603), funded from the Parks Replacement Fund (Fund 549). City staff said the 15‑year‑old playground requires five replacement components (including a missing crawl tube and a cracked landing step) and indicated parts would be installed by city crews; staff estimated installation would be complete within about two weeks after procurement.

The council also authorized an agreement with Vintage Contractors Inc. for $24,350 to resurface and stripe the Community Park basketball court (capital project 2602), funded from the Parks Replacement Fund (Fund 549). Staff said the work would close the court for seven to 10 days and planned the project for around Aug. 4 to avoid school breaks.

On permitting, Jenny Thompson, management analyst for public services, recommended the council allocate up to $17,000 of previously awarded CalAPP grant funds to implement Symbium—s automatic solar permit compliance review software and to execute an agreement with Symbium Corporation for configuration and integration. Thompson said the state requirement under Senate Bill 379 requires the city to offer an automated review option for solar permits and that use of Symbium would be optional for contractors. "It is not a mandatory system for contractors to utilize Symbium," Thompson said, and contractors who use the portal would pay Symbium a $25 plan‑check fee; the city would not charge for software use and would draw the $17,000 from existing grant funds.

The council also adopted a resolution ratifying the city—s response to the Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury report evaluating mandated training for the Oakdale Police Department (report 25‑19 GJ). The police chief told the council the department agreed with the grand jury—s findings, provided requested training logs and rosters promptly, and is in compliance with POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) cycle requirements. "Leadership at the Oakdale Police Department was fully cooperative and transparent in their participation in this implementation review process," the chief said, quoting the grand jury—s commendation included in the report.

Smaller procedural items were handled during the same meeting. The council noted recusals recorded on the consent agenda for specific assessment/LLMD items and closed the public comment period after one speaker raised concerns about a proposed Walmart grocery store.

The city manager and staff provided schedule details and community notifications: the Albers Road contractor will post traffic control messages, the Kerr Park parts will be installed by staff within weeks, and the Community Park basketball court resurfacing is planned for early August. The council also reminded the public of the city—s Concerts in the Park series starting Friday, July 11.

Votes at a glance: each of the five listed items passed on unanimous 4–0 roll call votes.

Further details about each item (project limits for Albers Road, the OTS grant term and scope, the CalAPP grant balance, and the full civil grand jury packet) appear in the official agenda packet posted by the city and cited in staff presentations.