REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: PAUL AMICO, PE, Assistant Director
Department of Public Utilities - Administration
DEBBIE KHOUNSAVATH, Planner II
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Orange and Central Avenues Homes Community Sewer Consolidation Project (Unincorporated Fresno County):
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff determination pursuant to Class 1, Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. ***RESOLUTION - Authorizing the Director of Public Utilities or designee(s) to prepare and submit grant applications, accept funds, and execute any financial assistance agreements and amendments with the California State Water Resources Control Board on behalf of the City of Fresno for the planning, design, and construction of the Orange and Central Avenues Homes Community Sewer Consolidation Project. (Subject to Mayor’s veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Class 1, Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, and adopt the resolution authorizing the Director of Public Utilities or designee(s) to prepare and submit applications, accept funds, and execute the financial assistance agreements and any amendments thereto with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) on behalf of the City of Fresno (City) for the planning, design, and construction of the Orange and Central Avenue Homes Community Sewer Consolidation Project.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Community of Orange and Central Avenue Homes (Community) is a small, disadvantaged community (DAC) outside City limits but within the City’s Sphere of Influence. The Community is currently served by aging residential septic systems that are at or near the point of failing. The Community desires to connect to the City’s sewer collection system and has been found eligible for grant funding under the SWRCB’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. The application process requires the adoption of this resolution that will authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee(s), to prepare and submit the necessary applications, accept funds, and execute the financial assistance agreements and any amendments thereto on behalf of the City.
BACKGROUND
The Community is located along a frontage road parallel to E. Central Avenue, between S. Orange Avenue and S. Cedar Avenue, outside City limits but within the City’s Sphere of Influence. There are 12 residential houses in the Community.
Residents of the Community are presently relying upon individual septic systems and leach fields for sewage disposal that are at or near the point of failing. Maintaining individual septic systems is also more costly per capita than connection to a regional sewer collection system. Due to the higher per capita cost to maintain the systems and their current age and condition, the Community desires to connect to the City’s sewer collection system. Connection to a regional sewer collection system also reduces the chances a leaking septic system may contaminate groundwater and nearby wells.
The Community is part of the South Fresno Community Alliance and is party to the Northpointe Settlement Agreement, in which the City committed to seeking appropriate state and/or federal funding to pay 100 percent of costs for the extensions and connections of City water and sewer services.
The Community is identified as a DAC per SWRCB Division of Financial Assistance Criteria, which allows them to be eligible for 100 percent grant funding through the SWRCB CWSRF program. The Department of Public Utilities intends to apply for CWSRF funding to fund the installation of sewer extensions to serve the Community.
The City will construct a new sewer main that will extend approximately 0.5 mile east from S. Orange Avenue within the E. Central Avenue frontage road. The CWSRF will also fund the safe abandonment of the septic systems and connection of each property to the sewer collection system (Project).
Pursuant to California Government Code section 56133(c), Fresno Local Area Formation (LAFCo) has the authority to authorize a city or special district to provide new or extended services outside of its jurisdictional boundaries to respond to an existing or impending threat to the health or safety of the public or residents of the affected territory. The City initiated the process of obtaining approval from LAFCo to extend services to the Community and received approval on November 5, 2024.
As part of the application process, and prior to any potential award, the SWRCB requires that the governing body of the applicant submit a resolution that designates an authorized representative or their designee(s) to prepare and submit applications, accept funds, and execute the financial assistance agreements and any amendments thereto.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the resolution and approved as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Staff have performed an environmental assessment for the Project and have determined it is consistent with Categorical Exemption pursuant to Class I, set forth in the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Sections 15301(b). Under Section 15301/Class 1, projects are exempt from CEQA requirements when they consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. This exemption includes work on existing facilities of both investor and publicly owned utilities used to provide electric power, natural gas, sewerage, or other public utility services.
The Project will connect the Community to the City’s sewer system so that the City can provide sewer service to the 12 single family homes within the Community. Once the connection is complete, the City will provide service pursuant to extraterritorial agreements executed with each of the individual property owners.
Connection of the Community to the City’s sewer system will be accomplished through the extension of approximately 2,480 feet of an 8-inch sewer line along E. Central Avenue, between S. Orange Avenue and S. Cedar Avenue, connecting to an existing stub-out off the sewer main within Orange Avenue. The extension will include the addition of laterals to serve the adjacent properties. The addition of 2,840 feet of 8-inch sewer line is a negligible expansion of the City’s overall sewer collection system which consists of 8,617,568 linear feet of sewer mains.
Further, the connection of the 12 single family residences will also include:
1. Along the proposed E. Central Avenue section:
a. The proper abandonment of the existing septic system by pumping out sewage, filling in the septic system with sand or another approved fill material.
b. Rerouting resident plumbing to the street to connect to the sewer main in the right-of-way.
2. Along the existing 30-in sewer main in Orange Avenue, between Central Avenue and 500 feet south of Central Avenue:
a. Construction of a sewer lateral in the right-of-way if one doesn’t exist already.
b. The proper abandonment of the existing septic system by pumping out sewage, filling in the septic system with sand or another approved fill material.
c. Rerouting resident plumbing to the street to connect to the sewer main in the right-of-way.
Once the 12 single family homes are connected to the City’s sewer system, their connections will not increase the capacity of the City’s sewer system and therefore constitutes a negligible expansion of use. The maximum increase of flow to the City’s collection system from these 12 homes would be approximately 0.0005 percent of the current total collection system flow, and the system is capable of accommodating this negligible increase without any modifications. No modifications are needed downstream of the Project to increase capacity (i.e. through the replacement of sewer mains with larger diameter sewer mains).
The streets disturbed by the construction of the sewer main in Central Avenue and the laterals in Orange Avenue needed to serve existing properties are existing facilities and would be restored in kind to their current conditions. The construction would not disturb previously undisturbed land. The existing properties would need proper abandonment of existing septic systems, and minor exterior alterations in plumbing, which would redirect their onsite sewer plumbing to the sewer laterals in the existing street. The entirety of the Project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines.
Furthermore, none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply to this Project.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
The local preference was not implemented because adoption of this resolution does not involve the bid or award of a construction or services agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund or other City debt service obligations. No matching funds are required under this financial assistance agreement. Should the grants be awarded, the funds will be accounted for in a separate fund within the Water Enterprise Fund and designated specifically for this Project. The Project is in unincorporated Fresno County, bordering Council District 3.
Attachments:
Environmental Assessment Orange Central Sewer
Notice of Exemption Orange Central Sewer
Authorizing Resolution Orange Central Sewer
LAFCo Resolution No. OS-24-14
Vicinity Map & Sewer Plan