Staff member lays out tight timeline for sewer collection project; officials warned of funding gap

A staff presenter walked the Grama subcommittee through a Microsoft Project-style schedule for a proposed sewer/collection project and said the plan was tighter than it appears on paper. "I don't think it's legitimately possible to achieve this timeline," the presenter told the committee, calling the graphic an "optimistic picture" and urging the board to focus on sequencing and funding needs.

The timeline outlined key milestones: 50% design to the full board, 90% design before procurement, communications and polling ahead of a Prop 218 assessment vote, and a construction procurement window that could extend into 2027. The presenter identified a $1,100,000 line item tied to continuing design work with the Wallace Group and said the district lacks funds for larger construction scenarios.

Board members pressed on near-term constraints. The presenter emphasized the importance of the July cutoff to get any assessment onto the next year's property tax roll and warned that missing that annual window would effectively delay placing an assessment on the tax bill for another year. Members discussed whether to defer some consulting work or fund the assessment engineering sooner to keep the schedule viable.

The committee agreed to continue refining the schedule, adjust near-term budget priorities if needed and bring a more detailed set of numbers back to the board before any final decision on going to a Prop 218 vote. Staff said it would circulate the timeline and a one-page funding summary for the next meeting.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 031; topfinish SEG 431