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Council approves two 10‑year dam‑design contracts after heated Lake Hodges discussion
Summary
City Council approved two 10‑year as‑needed dam design contracts (HDR and Stantec), each not to exceed $75 million, to provide design and regulatory support for critical dam safety work after months of public concern focused on Lake Hodges; the vote passed 7‑1 (Councilmember Foster opposed).
San Diego City Council on March 2 approved two 10‑year as‑needed dam design services agreements, each not to exceed $75 million, to support a multi‑decade dam safety program overseen by the Public Utilities Department (PUD). The agreements, with HDR Engineering Inc. (H2426347M) and Stantec Consulting Services Inc. (H2426348M), were approved on a 7‑1 vote; Councilmember Foster voted no and Councilmember Campillo was absent.
PUD staff told the council the department manages 11 DSOD‑regulated dams and two potable water tanks and needs long‑term design capacity to advance near‑term repairs and long‑term rehabilitation. Staff described the programmatic approach required after the Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) imposed reservoir level restrictions on five reservoirs and said roughly $3 billion will be needed over coming decades to complete all long‑term improvements across the system.
Staff said the proposed as‑needed design agreements are qualifications‑based, will operate on a task‑order basis, and do not obligate the city to use the full contract amounts; the agreements were described as necessary to move projects from planning into design and construction and to meet regulatory deadlines.
Public comment focused heavily on Lake Hodges Dam, which several speakers and local organizations characterized as the highest‑priority and most unsafe dam in the state. Rhonda Farrar, president of Friends of Lake Hodges, urged the council to expedite design and construction so the city meets the state’s 2029 construction expectations; others warned that continued low reservoir levels have environmental and wildfire‑fuel implications. PUD said GEI is conducting an alternatives analysis for Hodges and that staff expect a recommendation by December 2026 after addressing technical reviews.
Council members asked about the San Diego County Water Authority’s (CWA) participation. PUD said the CWA generally covers 50% of the cost of certain maintenance activities at Hodges but has indicated it may not be responsible for full replacement costs; staff said that change materially affected replacement funding assumptions. Staff also said the city has applied for roughly $322 million in external funding and has secured about $1.7 million to date for specific investigations and seismic work.
Council debate touched on near‑term regulatory consequences (including the possibility DSOD could order an emptied reservoir), fire‑response implications of lower reservoir levels, the mayoral authority over task orders within the contract ceiling, and the timeline for GEI’s Hodges alternatives analysis. Several council members and public speakers stressed urgency for Hodges while staff emphasized the need to balance safety actions with affordability for ratepayers.
Campbell moved and Council President LaCava seconded the motion to approve the contracts; the clerk recorded the motion as passing 7‑1 with Foster voting no and Campillo absent. Staff said construction contracts will return to council for additional approvals when required.
