Agenda Item Wording:
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Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 2025-07 Regarding Easements - Adopt Ordinance 2025-07 authorizing the grant of easements to Southern California Edison Company to construct and maintain electrical facilities on a portion of city-owned property and authorizing the City Manager to execute the grant of easements.
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Prepared by:
Eric Bons, Senior Civil Engineer, eric.bons@visalia.city, 559-713-4350
Chris Crawford, City Engineer, chris.crawford@visalia.city, 559-713-4331
Jason Huckleberry, Eng. & Bldg. Dir., Jason.huckleberry@visalia.city, 559-713-4495
Nick Bartsch, Public Works Director, nick.bartsch@visalia.city, 559-713-4052
Department Recommendation:
Approve the second reading and adopt Ordinance 2025-07 authorizing the grant of easements and temporary construction easements to Southern California Edison Company to construct and maintain electrical facilities and authorizing the City Manager to execute the grant of easements.
Summary:
Southern California Edison Company (SCE) is requesting easements for the relocation of overhead transmission power lines, easements for the undergrounding of distribution power lines, and temporary construction easements that encroach into the farmland that is owned and operated by the City of Visalia’s Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). The transmission easements are located along the southerly and easterly property lines of the WRF boundary and total approximately 33,327± square feet. The distribution easements are located along the easterly property line of the WRF boundary and total approximately 3,373± square feet. The temporary construction easements vary in shape and total approximately 58,748± square feet. The City is to be compensated $12,100 for the easements based on the appraisal report.
These easements are being granted to SCE for the benefit of the Caltrans Highway 99 and Caldwell Interchange project. These easements are required to accommodate the new interchange improvements.
Background Discussion:
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will be starting a construction project to improve the Highway 99 Interchange at Avenue 280 (Caldwell Avenue) in August 2025. The project will have a duration of approximately 28 months with the project completion in early 2028. The project will be removing the existing bridge crossings over Highway 99 and the existing railroad tracks. New bridges will be constructed to accommodate the future traffic demands and meet current design standards. This involves widening the approaches on the east and west side of the railroad tracks and Highway 99.
Caltrans has acquired the additional right of way for the widening of the approaches from the City of Visalia. The easements requested by SCE for the relocation of the transmission poles, the undergrounding of the distribution power lines, and the temporary construction easements are located at the southeast corner of the Water Reclamation Facility which is also the northwest corner of the project limits (see Exhibit A). The SCE transmission poles are to be relocated to the north of the existing location due to the widening of the interchange approaches and along the easterly edge of the City owned property adjacent to the railroad right of way. The undergrounding of the distribution power lines is located along the easterly boundary of the WTP property which is also adjacent to the railroad right of way.
City staff has worked with Caltrans to explore options to limit the City’s liability for future projects that would widen Ave 280 (Caldwell Avenue) which could require the relocation of the SCE transmission poles. This relocation of transmission poles would be a future cost to the City since the transmission poles are located within an SCE easement rather than public right of way. Caltrans explored the following options and associated impacts.
• Dedicating the SCE transmission easement adjacent to Avenue 280 in fee title as road right of way.
o This additional road right of way dedication would need to be accepted by the County of Tulare which could result in a 3-to-5-month delay to the project.
• Realign the transmission pole alignment so an easement would not be required from the City of Visalia.
o The option to redesign the transmission pole alignment had been asked of SCE on two occasions and SCE rejected the proposal. SCE stated that any redesign of the current plans could add up to 5-months for the redesign. A 5-month construction delay could result in a significant amount of extra contractor overhead cost that would need to be paid for by the project.
The State certified this project without the SCE easements, as they were unknown at the time of certification, to save a $16 million grant for construction and $20 million in programming. If the State was not able to advertise the project for construction, the cost of the construction project was anticipated to increase significantly over the engineer’s estimate. The winning construction bid came in approximately $4 million below the engineer’s estimate.
Caltrans will need to do a construction change order by August 1, 2025, to accommodate additional grubbing and clearing for the SCE easements as this activity is set to begin in mid-August to allow SCE to relocate beginning October 1, 2025.
Each option explored resulted in a possible delay of 3 to 5 months. If Caltrans has to delay the construction project start date this could result in significant overhead and extra cost claims from the contractor.
Acceptance of the SCE easements by the City would keep the overall project moving forward on the current construction schedule without incurring delay costs. SCE will not proceed with the relocation of the transmission poles without the executed easements. SCE will be relocating transmission and distribution power lines on the east and west side of Hwy 99 and SCE wants to complete all the work as one operation because SCE will need to coordinate the rerouting of power within its network to perform the work. The relocation of the transmission poles is needed so the new approaches to the overcrossings can be constructed, this work is part of the first phase of construction
Fiscal Impact: The easements for the relocation of the SCE transmission poles and other distribution lines is to be granted to SCE and SCE will pay the City for the permanent easements and temporary construction easements. The City will be compensated in the amount of $12,100 for the SCE easements based on the appraised values.
Prior Council Action:
July 21, 2025. First Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 2025-07 authorizing the grant of easements to Southern California Edison Company to construct and maintain electrical facilities on a portion of city-owned property and authorizing the City Manager to execute the grant of easements
December 19, 2022. A presentation of Caltran’s Caldwell Avenue and SR-99 Project was presented to City Council for information and authorized the Mayor to sign a letter of concurrence for the full closure of Caldwell Avenue during portions of the construction process at the interchange.
Other: None.
Alternatives: None recommended.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to adopt Ordinance 2025-07 authorizing the grant of easements and temporary construction easements to Southern California Edison Company to construct and maintain electrical facilities and authorizing the City Manager to execute the grant of easements.
Environmental Assessment Status: Completed by Caltrans.
CEQA Review: Completed by Caltrans.
Deadline for Action: 8/4/2025
Attachments:
1. Project Location Map
2. Ordinance 2025-07
3. Exhibit A - Easement Display
4. Grant of Easements (Attachment 1)