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Soledad approves consultant work to pursue $11.6M federal grant to protect wastewater plant
Summary
The Soledad City Council unanimously approved a consultant task order (Resolution 6,133) up to $239,213 to prepare engineering and a FEMA BRIC grant application to fund an estimated $11.6 million permanent levee/guide-bank fix, with a possible city share of 10–20% depending on funding and disadvantaged-community status.
The Soledad City Council on July 17 approved a consultant task order to develop engineering analyses and a FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant application aimed at a long-term fix for river scouring that repeatedly damages the levee protecting the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Public Works Director Don Wilcox told the council the treatment plant is a $60 million asset and nationwide river-course changes have caused persistent scour at the levee. Army Corps repairs have been performed under an 80/20 split in the past; the most recent repair work was valued at about $3,000,000 with a 20% city share of roughly $611,000. Wilcox said the permanent solution under study — a guiding bank — carries a current construction estimate of $11.6 million.
Recognizing the complexity FEMA requires, staff recommended a consultant contract not to exceed $239,213 to produce updated hydraulics and hydrology studies and to prepare a competitive BRIC application. Wilcox said about $210,000 of that task order would fund engineering work and approximately $20,000 would cover grant application preparation. He told council the additional technical work is intended to make the application materially stronger after a prior BRIC submittal was declined for insufficient hydraulic analysis.
Council members pressed on funding sources and budget impact. Wilcox said the wastewater enterprise fund would cover the city’s share if required, but noted the fund maintains a contingency balance and undertaking the project could require deferral of other capital projects. He emphasized that, as a designated disadvantaged community, Soledad would qualify for reduced local matches (potentially 10% rather than 20%) and that Cal OES match funds might further reduce the local share if awarded.
The council voted to approve Resolution 6,133 and authorized staff to proceed with the task order. Wilcox said the application will be submitted in October with supplemental information in December and award decisions expected by spring.
