Santa Rosa council outlines $12.2 million dam work and multi‑million park, trail projects

Santa Rosa City Council on Nov. 12 heard a detailed briefing from city staff on several major capital projects and funding awards, including a $12.2 million budget for Power Lake dam reconstruction and multimillion-dollar requests for water and recreation work.

The City Administrator reported the Power Lake Dam reconstruction budget at $12.2 million, with construction estimated at $7.8 million plus dredging and a projected completion in late 2026. He also said the Water Trust Board has approved a preliminary engineering report for citywide water and wastewater improvements totaling $600,000 and that a larger seven‑year plan for replacing water and sewer infrastructure is under development. "Projected completion date December 15, 2025," the administrator stated regarding the pump‑track phase currently under construction.

Staff described several awarded and pending grants: $660,000 in congressional direct spending for Blue Hole Access Trails Phase 1; a $1.2 million federal grant for a citywide lighting project covering Route 66, school corridors and downtown; a $650,000 award for four EV charging stations north of the Blue Hole Convention Center; and capital outlay awards including $1.9 million for Park Lake/Blue Hole recreation improvements and $230,000 for three police vehicles. A Water Trust and EPA request of $2.3 million was cited for Dog Valley design and construction, with a split of about $1.2 million and $1.1 million noted in staff materials.

City staff said pre‑construction meetings are scheduled with contractors, and several projects (Ilfeld parking improvements, pump track/skate park and 5th Street paving) are moving into construction or final procurement stages. The report also listed timelines and next administrative steps for grant execution and contractual agreements.