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Council unanimously authorizes owner's-adviser for Camarillo Water Reclamation Plant upgrades, authorizing Jacobs for phase 1A
Summary
The council voted unanimously to authorize a professional-services agreement for Jacobs to serve as owner's-adviser and program manager for phase 1A of the Water Reclamation Plant upgrades (phase 1A scoped at roughly $3.9 million); staff said full upgrades could be in the hundreds of millions and the phase will refine options, procurement methods and affordability analyses.
The Camarillo City Council, sitting as the Camarillo Sanitary District Board, unanimously authorized an owner's-adviser and program-management agreement with Jacobs for phase 1A of a multi-year Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) upgrades program on April 8.
Staff described the WRP as a near-70-year-old facility rated at 7.25 million gallons per day (MGD) that currently treats about 3.5 MGD to tertiary standards and reuses effluent for agriculture and irrigation. The upgrades program will evaluate alternatives, procurement methods and affordability; phase 1A is scoped as a 20-month technical and affordability analysis and is budgeted in the proposed agreement at about $3.9 million for Jacobs' initial work.
Project staff and the mayor's ad hoc committee (Mayor Tennyson and Councilmember Trembley, plus staff members) said an independent owner's-adviser is necessary to reduce risk, identify optimal project sequencing and to represent the district's interests through design, procurement and construction. The scope presented to the board includes program management, technical and environmental studies, financial and economic analysis, and procurement strategy evaluation.
Council discussion emphasized the program's scale and risk-management goals. Councilmember Kildy recalled an earlier, unsatisfactory upgrade attempt and asked whether an adviser would reduce the chance of repeat problems; staff said the proposed approach is intended to minimize such risks. Councilmember Trembley, an ad hoc committee member, said the owner-adviser model is appropriate for complex, multiyear projects and called the phase 1A work "money well spent." The cost to complete full upgrades is uncertain; staff referenced prior planning-level estimates in the roughly $200 million range and said phase 1A will refine cost estimates and procurement options.
Public commenters asked for transparency and for clarity on total project cost. Doug Boyce asked whether $3.9 million covers only phase 1A; staff confirmed that it does and that subsequent phases would be scoped and budgeted after phase 1A results.
Councilmember Trembley made the motion to authorize the agreement; Councilmember Santangelo seconded. A roll call vote recorded yes from Santangelo, Vice Mayor Martinez Bravo, Kildy, Trembley and Mayor Tennyson. The motion passed unanimously.
Staff said the next steps will include a kickoff workshop, continued coordination with financing and rate consultants, and public workshops as phase 1A progresses.
