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City reports takeover of sanitary district, warns residents may see more reported spills during transition
Summary
City Manager Melvin Gaines announced that San Mateo LAFCO finalized making the East Palo Alto Sanitary District a city subsidiary on 09/15/2024; staff outlined audits, a transition to West Bay Sanitary District operations, and a roadmap for repairs while noting increased spill reporting is possible as oversight improves.
City Manager Melvin Gaines briefed the council on the city's newly established role as governing board of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District after San Mateo LAFCO approved the change on "09/15/2024." Gaines described the takeover as the end of a multi-year process and said the city will audit the district’s finances and source-system operations and work with West Bay Sanitary District and consultants on operations and repairs.
Gaines said the district currently employs 10 contract staff and a general manager who is on leave; the city has begun discussions about staffing and potential employment transitions. He warned the public that more spills may be reported initially: "we're going to be forthcoming about any spills and report those spills to the state regulatory agencies," and that increased reporting should not be interpreted as a worsening service but as improved transparency while the city implements a roadmap to fix long-standing infrastructure issues.
Council members praised staff coordination, emphasized the need to be "not penny wise and pound foolish" in resourcing repairs, and asked staff to report back with recommendations on staffing, operations, and audits at upcoming meetings.
