Soledad council seeks 3-month extension, resists forced-main sewer connection for Hacienda Apartments consolidation

Soledad — The Soledad City Council on July 14 directed staff to request a three-month extension from the regional water board on the Hacienda Apartments forced-consolidation outcome report and approved, if an extension is denied, submitting a conditional outcome report that narrows viable consolidation options and protects the city from assuming high-risk liabilities.

City Manager Megan Hunter said staff and outside engineers continue to receive incomplete technical information — notably a still-unfinished analysis of potential connections to state facilities — and that the July 29 deadline left insufficient time for a full feasibility review. "Our recommendation is a 3 month extension," Hunter told the council, adding that staff may seek a slightly longer extension if necessary once RCAC provides a schedule for the engineering firm to complete its outreach to state prison contacts.

Key technical and policy points: staff outlined five alternatives considered in the feasibility study, including (a) a no-project or on-site alternative; (b) connection to the adjacent Camfora pump station; (c) a connection to the city's force main (which staff do not support because of liability); (d) connection to a CDCR pump station; and (e) another city force-main alignment. City staff and the engineer advised the council that tapping a high-pressure CDCR force main carries a significant risk: an engineer described the state facility pipeline as an 18-inch, high-pressure line that, if breached, could discharge thousands of gallons per minute, a failure scenario the city wants to avoid.

Council members and residents also raised longstanding concerns about housing conditions at Hacienda and asked whether the county or state would assume responsibilities for building-code violations. Staff said the sewer overflow and surfacing violations prompted the state's involvement and that the property owner has not yet provided a purchase price for acquisition options discussed earlier.

Vote and direction: the council authorized staff to submit the extension request and directed that, if the regional water board does not grant an extension by July 28, staff should file the drafted outcome report on July 28 at the end of the day. That outcome report would express conditional willingness to participate in voluntary consolidation but only under specific, lower-risk connection options and with explicit protections that the city will not assume liability for risky force-main connections. The motion carried by voice vote.

Next steps: staff will file the extension request immediately, await a regional board response, and — if necessary — submit the outcome report before the July 29 deadline. The city attorney will help draft language that limits the city’s liability should the board select high-risk alternatives.