Agenda Item Wording:
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Approve a Basin Excavation Agreement - Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Granite Construction for the excavation and enlargement of Basin 3 and Basin 4 at the Water Reclamation Facility in coordination with the Caltrans Caldwell Avenue and Highway 99 Widening Project.
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Prepared by: Rehana Cale, Senior Project Manager (559) 713-4176, rehana.cale@visalia.gov; Ben Litwack, Public Works Manager (559) 713-4671, ben.litwack@visalia.gov; Nick Bartsch, Public Works Director (559) 713-4428, nick.bartsch@visalia.gov
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Granite Construction to allow for the deepening of Basin 3 and Basin 4 at the Water Reclamation Facility, in coordination with the Caltrans Caldwell Avenue and Highway 99 Widening Project (Contract No. 06-487404), subject to all terms and conditions contained in the agreement.
Summary:
The City of Visalia owns Basin 3, located at the Visalia Water Reclamation Facility, and Basin 4, located near the intersections of Avenue 280 (Caldwell Avenue) and Roads 44 and 48 in Tulare County. These basins are critical components of the City’s wastewater management system and are periodically evaluated for capacity and maintenance needs.
Granite Construction, under contract with Caltrans for the Caldwell Avenue and Highway 99 widening project, has requested authorization to excavate and remove soil material from Basins 3 and 4 for use as engineered fill on the Caltrans project. The City will benefit from the deepening and capacity expansion of these basins at no cost to the City, while ensuring that the final grading, slopes, and basin bottom elevations meet City design standards and infiltration requirements.
Staff recommends Council approval of the attached agreement, which allows Granite Construction to excavate an estimated 495,000 cubic yards of soil across both basins, with all excavation, hauling, and grading costs borne entirely by the Contractor.
Background Discussion:
In 2025, Granite Construction, the contractor for the California Department of Transportation’s Caldwell Avenue and Highway 99 Widening Project (Caltrans Contract No. 06-487404), approached the City with a proposal to excavate soil material from Basins 3 and 4 for use as engineered fill on the Caltrans project. City staff evaluated the proposal and determined that the excavation and basin enlargement would result in significant benefits to the City, including increased basin capacity, improved infiltration rates, and reduced long-term maintenance costs.
Under the terms of the Basin Construction and Excavation Agreement, Granite Construction will excavate approximately 115,000 cubic yards of soil from Basin 3, 270,000 cubic yards from the northwest quadrant of Basin 4, and 110,000 cubic yards from the northeast quadrant of Basin 4. The Contractor will perform all excavation, hauling, and grading activities at its sole cost and expense, in accordance with City-approved grading plans. No fee will be charged by the City for the removal of material, recognizing the substantial public benefit of the basin enlargement and grading improvements.
The Agreement requires the Contractor to provide both a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each in the amount of $300,000, to ensure completion of the work and protection for laborers and material suppliers. Granite Construction will also comply with all prevailing wage requirements, obtain all necessary environmental and encroachment permits, and coordinate with affected public agencies and utilities prior to commencing work. The City retains the right to utilize either basin during emergency conditions or significant storm events, with 48-hour notice to the Contractor. Excavation work is anticipated to begin in May 2026 and continue for approximately fourteen months, subject to weather conditions and Caltrans scheduling.
City Staff have determined that allowing Granite Construction to complete the excavation under these conditions will advance the City’s wastewater management goals, enhance operational flexibility and capacity, improve basin performance, and provide a cost-free infrastructure improvement consistent with City standards. Additionally, with this gained capacity, it provides the ability for the City to accept additional flood release water into Basin 4 when available, which can be utilized for groundwater recharge.
Fiscal Impact: There is no direct fiscal impact to the City of Visalia. Granite Construction will perform all excavation, hauling, and grading work at its sole cost and expense. The City’s only costs will consist of limited staff time for project oversight, funded within existing operational budgeted allocations.
Prior Council Action: N/A
Other: The proposed excavation will not constitute surface mining under the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA), as the work is exempt under Public Resources Code Section 2714(f) for on-site construction projects. If the State Department of Conservation disagrees with this interpretation, work will cease pending resolution as stated in the Agreement.
Alternatives: Not approve the Basin Construction and Excavation Agreement with Granite Construction; this would forgo the opportunity to expand basin capacity at no cost to the City and could require future City-funded improvements.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Granite Construction for excavation of Basin 3 and Basin 4, subject to all terms and conditions contained in the Agreement.
Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: An addendum to Initial Study/ Negative Declaration Document No. 2009-88 originally prepared for the Detention Basin Borrow Sites Project (a request to increase the freeboard capacity of two City-owned wastewater treatment plant detention basins and transporting the materials to two off-site construction sites) has been prepared to include the Basin 3 and Basin 4 Excavation Project into the project description. The decision to prepare an addendum was based on the original document’s adequate analysis with regard to the proposed excavation project. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15164(a), none of the conditions described in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, which would require the preparation of a Subsequent EIR, Negative Declaration, or Supplemental EIR, have been met. This addendum shall be attached to and considered with Initial Study / Negative Declaration No. 2009-88, which was prepared for the Detention Basin Borrow Sites Project, and was approved on November 9, 2009.
Deadline for Action: 10/20/2025
Attachments: Attachment 1 Basin Construction and Excavation Agreement - Granite Construction
Attachment 2 Exhibit A - Basin 3 Excavation and Grading Plan
Attachment 3 Exhibit B - Basin 4 Excavation and Grading Plan
Attachment 4 CEQA Addendum to Initial Study - Negative Declaration Document