Piedmont officials give detailed update on community pool; transformer from PG&E remains critical path

City staff on Sept. 16 told the Piedmont City Council the community pool project is substantially built but still hinges on utility and commissioning milestones. Public works staff reported the building envelope, heat pump chillers, two rooftop AC units and photovoltaic panels are installed and that crews are progressing on tile, glazing and interior finishes; the smaller pool excavation and final deck pours remain on the near horizon.

Project manager George Sanon said the project is "about 76 to 78% of the project" and that, because there are roughly 198 critical-path activities, the schedule has little float. "As of right now, the revised substantial completion of the project is on, 02/11/2025," he told the council, adding that the schedule would materially improve if PG&E installs the transformer this month or next so staff can energize systems and begin testing and commissioning.

Council members pressed staff on risks and contingency plans. Staff described workarounds already in use, including on-site generators to keep equipment powered and a plan to sequence interior finishes while waiting for energization. They also outlined coordination with East Bay MUD on Magnolia street work and efforts to resolve a shallow gas-line relocation and contamination remediation in a bioswale area; staff said cleanup costs tied to the bioswale are expected to be recoverable through a state program once Alameda County Health signs off.

Members repeatedly raised Mountain View's recent commissioning issues as a cautionary example: staff said Mountain View discovered undersized piping that required major change orders, and Piedmont has been applying those lessons by engaging manufacturers and engineers earlier, resizing pumps where appropriate and scheduling manufacturer representatives for earlier oversight. Council asked staff to produce a short, written risk-management summary for the next monthly report showing best-case, likely and worst-case schedule scenarios, the contractual implications of delays (including the Whitman general-conditions extension), and the dollar exposure tied to continued on-site general conditions.

Staff emphasized that many activities can proceed in parallel — grading, glazing, tile work and some interior finishes — but that some tests and pump/chiller commissioning cannot occur until PG&E permits and schedule the transformer installation. Council asked whether letters, constituent outreach or elected-official contacts at PG&E could accelerate scheduling; the city attorney advised that there is generally no legal recourse against PG&E for schedule slippage but that persistent escalation and personal contacts often move work sooner.

The update was informational; no action was required. Council requested an executive summary of schedule scenarios (dates rather than seasons), risk mitigations, and a clear statement of contract and cost exposure if PG&E misses the key October window tied to the current contractor extension.