Public Works Director Matt Fabry told the San Mateo City Council during its Dec. 15 special meeting that the city has hired a consultant to build a physical hydraulic model of the Marina Lagoon pump station to evaluate whether it is safe to operate below the manufacturer’s recommended 95‑foot limit. Fabry said the physical modeling — needed because the pumps are larger than what standard computer models reliably simulate — should produce recommendations around the end of the fiscal year, roughly July.

"If we have the ability to pump lower, it gives us different operational capacity ... and potentially gives us additional storage capacity that can help us with larger storm events or future climate change scenarios," Fabry told the council.

Fabry also outlined progress on a long‑overdue storm‑drain master‑plan update. The consultant has completed a condition assessment (including televised pipeline inspections and manhole reviews) and updated a hydraulic model of the entire storm system. Fabry said staff expects a draft report for public review in spring and anticipates returning to council for adoption in June or July.

On spot dredging at the lagoon, Fabry said the city put work out to bid in June but received only a single response at about 30% over the engineer’s estimate. After attempts to value‑engineer the scope, staff will re‑advertise the work in late January 2026 and hopes to complete permitted dredging work by October, consistent with permit windows. Engineering manager Jimmy (speaking during questions) said the anticipated construction period would run roughly 60–80 working days, about three to four months.

Fabry warned that larger‑scale lagoon dredging presents additional challenges and costs, especially disposal. "We have some levels of pollutants in the dredged material that don't allow it necessarily to be used for certain types of beneficial reuse," he said, adding that material often must be trucked to landfill unless a cost‑effective reuse (for example, wetland restoration by barge) can be found for a larger project.

The director reported operational maintenance gains: staff have cleaned more than 1,400 of roughly 6,000 catch basins and about 19 miles — about 15% — of the city's ~130‑mile storm‑drain pipeline network. He also said the city has deployed multiple flood‑monitoring cameras at lagoon discharge points and other flood‑prone locations and keeps three sandbag stations available for public use.

Fabry described a multi‑year effort to secure a citywide creek‑maintenance permit to streamline recurring maintenance across city‑owned creeks and channels. The permit process involves coordination with several regulatory agencies and could take one to two years; staff is pursuing expedited permits for problem channels such as the 16th Avenue channel to allow maintenance before next rainy season.

To augment the master‑plan update, staff will soon launch a multilingual website for residents to report flooding, upload photos and video, and help validate the consultant’s model and identify maintenance needs that may not appear in data alone. Fabry said the tool will be available for several months to collect public input and that staff will promote it through city channels.

Council members pressed staff on where capital projects are likely to be prioritized, how the city will improve contractor outreach to attract competitive dredging bids, and disposal plans for dredged material. Fabry said staff will increase outreach, consult with other nearby cities that perform dredging, and explore beneficial reuse opportunities as part of longer‑term planning.

The council did not take formal action on this informational item; staff will bring draft master‑plan materials and subsequent procurement notices back to the council for action when ready.