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Wasco council approves CDBG application for 1.5 million‑gallon water tank to boost short‑term housing capacity
Summary
The Wasco City Council voted 4‑0 Feb. 3 to adopt a resolution to apply for state Community Development Block Grant funds to pursue a 1.5 million‑gallon water tank intended to add near‑term water throughput that staff says could support roughly 400 homes; staff said drilling a new well would cost far more and the tank is a shovel‑ready option.
The Wasco City Council voted 4‑0 Feb. 3 to adopt a resolution authorizing staff to submit Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for water‑infrastructure projects and related public services.
City staff told council members the application seeks up to $300,000 for a public‑service activity and up to $3,300,000 for a project activity to fund a 1.5 million‑gallon water storage tank sited adjacent to a replacement well the city already controls. "This tank would bring in an additional, hopefully, 400 houses," said Missus Lara, the presenting staff member, summarizing engineering analysis on storage and managed pumping that underpins the estimate.
Staff said drilling a new well would require site control and roughly "a little over $5,000,000," and that the CDBG cap and project timing made a new well infeasible under this grant. The grant program has a maximum application cap staff described as $3,600,000 for certain funding paths, leaving a multi‑million dollar gap to build a new well. The proposed tank, staff said, can be implemented within the program timeline if awarded: the city would have about 2 years and 9 months to spend the funds and deliver the project.
Council members pressed staff on sustainability and implementation details. Council member Medina asked how the tank ties to earlier well‑replacement work; staff responded that the wells being drilled are replacements and that the tank would augment daily throughput through managed pumping. A staff representative said the engineer estimated an additional 1,000 gallons per minute of manageable throughput tied to the tanks and that with pumps and refill cycles the system could sustainably serve the incremental demand.
The council adopted the resolution by roll call vote (Mayor Saldana, Mayor Pro Tem Reina, Council member Martinez and Council member Medina voting aye; Council member Raya absent). Staff said they expect notice of selection from HCD toward the end of the year and would return with implementation details if the grant is awarded.
The vote directs staff to pursue the CDBG funding and execute standard agreements and amendments if the award is made; council did not adopt final construction contracts at this meeting.
Outcome and next step: Resolution to apply approved; staff will await HCD selection, return with implementation planning and seek necessary additional funding or site control if a new well becomes feasible.
