Agenda Item Wording:
title
Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update - Receive a presentation on the Sanitary Sewer System Master Plan.
body
Prepared by:
Katherine Woodhull-Fuget, Associate Engineer, Katherine.Woodhull-Fuget@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4447
Eric Bons, Senior Civil Engineer, Eric.Bons@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4350
Chris Crawford, City Engineer, Chris.Crawford@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4331
Jason Huckleberry, Engineering & Building Director, Jason.Huckleberry@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4495
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends that Council receive an update presentation on the Sanitary Sewer System Master Plan.
Summary:
The Sanitary Sewer System Master Plan document has been completed by the consultant, Carollo Engineers, Inc. and is ready for public review and adoption. This staff report and presentation will provide an overview of the Sewer Master Plan and provide an opportunity for Council and public comment. Staff intends to return December 2, 2025 for Council approval and adoption of the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan.
Background Discussion:
The City of Visalia entered into a contract with Carollo Engineers, Inc to update the City’s public facility master plans for stormwater and sanitary sewer collection and conduct a nexus study in September 2018.
The main purpose of updating these master plans is to adequately size storm water and sewer system facilities for the future growth in accordance with the 2014 General Plan update, also known as the 2030 General Plan. The 2014 General Plan update contains new policies and changes to land use types and land use densities that have a direct impact on the sizing of these facilities. The current master plans were updated in 1994. These master plans provide necessary guidance to City staff for capital projects planning and to private developers as to the City’s requirements for storm water and sewer system facilities. Additionally, these master plans will include nexus studies that will provide an equitable distribution of development costs through updated development impacts fees for storm water and sanitary sewer collection.
While staff intended to return to Council to present the proposed impact fees and service charges in spring 2023, the finalization of the master plans and development of fees has proved more complicated than anticipated. The previous timeline brought to Council in December 2022 incorporated insufficient time for internal review by Engineering and other impacted divisions and did not account for the CEQA process. After further discussion with legal counsel, it was determined that the CEQA process for the master plans must be complete before the impact fees can be considered for adoption.
In 2023, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional environmental services to complete the CEQA process for both the sewer and storm water master plans. Given that the current (1994) master plans were adopted with Programmatic Environmental Impact Reports (PEIRS), the scope of the RFP assumed the same level of CEQA document would be required for the adoption of the updated plans. The professional environmental services contract to complete the CEQA for both master plans was awarded to Dudek in December 2023.
Dudek started working on the initial studies for the storm and sewer master plans in February 2024 but quickly reached the limits of what they could complete without finalized master plans. Both the storm and sewer master plans were still in draft form and undergoing revision. The focus of this staff report and presentation is the master plan for the sanitary sewer collection system.
In August of 2024, Public Works staff identified sewer trunkline deficiencies based on field observations that were missing from the draft sewer master plan, leading to additional model review and document revision. After months of work, the sewer master plan was finalized in June of 2025, allowing the CEQA process to resume.
After meeting with Dudek to resume the CEQA process for the sewer master plan, City staff concluded that a simplified CEQA process utilizing a finding of consistency with the current general plan was the appropriate method to complete the environmental process. Given that the primary function of the sewer master plan will be to provide direction to incoming development and provide a basis for the sewer development impact fee, the Planning Division recommended pursuing a CEQA Notice of Exemption based on consistency with the 2030 General Plan. Staff has elected to move forward with the Notice of Exemption approach with the understanding that individual sewer projects recommended by the master plan will need to undergo additional environmental review prior to construction. Given that the sewer projects recommended by the master plan are only preliminary alignments and pipe sizes, many of which will be installed by development, providing detailed environmental review for each project in advance could lead to significant wasted effort.
The presentation accompanying this staff report will provide an overview of the final sewer master plan, which is included as an attachment and will also be made available on the City website for public review and comment prior to adoption in December.
Once the sewer master plan is adopted in December, staff will work with Carollo to resume work on the Wastewater Trunkline (fund 231) portion of the Nexus Study. Nexus Study work will include financial analysis, development of draft impact fees, and meetings with development stakeholders. Staff anticipates returning to Council for impact fee adoption in summer 2026.
Fiscal Impact:
The Sewer Master Plan identifies near and long-term capital improvement projects to serve buildout of the 2030 General Plan Area. It includes proposed project phasing and the estimated cost of each project, as well as whether costs should be considered operational (funded by 431 Wastewater Operations) or development-related (funded by 231 Wastewater Trunkline). Projects were identified in five phases:
|
|
Timeframe |
Fund 431 Estimated Cost |
Fund 231 Estimated Cost |
|
Phase 1 |
2026-2030 |
$ 9,054,000 |
$ 17,749,000 |
|
Phase 2 |
2031-2035 |
$ 155,000 |
$ 16,147,000 |
|
Phase 3 |
2036-2040 |
$ 155,000 |
$ 26,001,000 |
|
Phase 4 |
2041-2045 |
$ 155,000 |
$ 23,582,000 |
|
Phase 5 |
2046-Beyond |
$ - |
$ 152,315,000 |
|
|
Total |
$ 9,519,000 |
$ 235,794,000 |
Staff intend to incorporate the Fund 231 Wastewater Trunkline estimated costs of projects in phases 1 through 4 (total cost approximately $83.5 million) into the Nexus Study and the update to the 231 Wastewater Trunkline Impact Fee. Fund 431 Wastewater Operations estimated costs of projects will be incorporated into the ongoing wastewater rate study.
Once the sewer master plan is adopted, the Notice of Exemption is recorded, and the public comment period is passed, staff intend to go to the Change Order Committee to reduce Dudek’s scope of work for the sewer master plan CEQA.
Prior Council Action:
June 16, 2025 - Council authorized Storm Amendment 3 with Carollo Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $115,700 for additional storm master plan services and authorize the appropriation of $103,000 from fund 222 (Storm Sewer Deficiency).
February 18, 2025 - Council authorized Carollo Engineers, Inc. Sewer Amendment 1 in the amount of $238,900 for additional nexus study services, authorized the transfer of $150,000 from CP0728 Wastewater Rate Study to CP0015 Sewer Master Plan and Nexus Study, and authorized the appropriation of $24,000 from Fund 231 Wastewater Trunkline, $4,000 from Fund 431 Wastewater Operations, and $91,000 from Fund 232 Treatment Plant Expansion to CP0015.
August 19, 2024 - Council approved and adopted the Master Plan for the Water Reclamation Facility.
June 17, 2024 - Council received a report and presentation on the Final Master Plan for the Water Reclamation Facility.
February 20, 2024 - Council received a report and presentation on the Condition Assessment, Facility Plan, and Master Plan Update for the Water Reclamation Facility.
December 18, 2023 - Council authorized contract award to Dudek for the preparation of the Storm and Sewer Master Plan Environmental Impact Reports in the amount of $654,085 and the appropriation of $365,000 from Fund 231, $247,000 from Fund 221, $166,000 from Fund 222, and $3,000 from Fund 481.
April 3, 2023 - Council authorized award of an emergency contract to Carollo Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $515,400 for the Condition Assessment, Facility Plan, and Master Plan Update for the Water Reclamation Facility and the appropriation of $550,000 from Fund 431.
December 19, 2022 - Council received a presentation on the Status of the Storm and Sewer Master Plan Updates and Introduction to the Nexus Study.
December 5, 2022 - Council authorized Carollo Engineers, Inc. Contract Amendment #2 for the Update to the Stormwater Master Plan in the amount of $97,070 and the appropriation of $100,000 from the Storm Sewer Construction Fund (221) to CP9067.
August 16, 2021 - Council authorized Carollo Engineers, Inc. Contract Amendment #1 for the Update to the Stormwater Master Plan in the amount of $132,543 and the appropriation of $140,000 from Storm Sewer Construction Fund (221) to CP9067.
September 4, 2018 - Council authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement for RFP 17-18-29 to Update the City’s Public Facility Master Plans for Storm Water and Sanitary Sewer Collection with Carollo Engineers, Inc. in the amounts of $326,700 (CP9067) and $279,200 (CP0015), authorized the appropriation of $155,285 from Fund 221 to CP9067, and authorized the appropriation of $12,000 from Fund 231 to CP0015.
June 6, 2016 - Work session to review key topics related to the City’s sewer system and storm water master plans and receive Council feedback for incorporation into the scope of work and authorize the advertising of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to update these master plans.
Alternatives: None
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to receive the update presentation on the Sanitary Sewer System Master Plan.
Environmental Assessment Status: NEPA Environmental Assessment does not apply to this project.
CEQA Review: Dudek of Bakersfield, CA is under contract to prepare CEQA documents for the Sanitary Sewer and Storm Master Plans, but staff now intend to pursue a categorical exemption for consistency with the 2030 General Plan for the Sewer Master Plan. The Notice of Exemption will be recorded within five days of Council adoption of the Sewer Master Plan.
Deadline for Action: 11/3/2025
Attachments:
1. Sewer Master Plan Presentation
2. Sanitary Sewer System Master Plan Final Report