San Juan Bautista avoided a possible state fine last week by
instituting an emergency sewer management plan detailing what city
staff are to do in case of a sewer emergency or pipe break.
San Juan Bautista – San Juan Bautista avoided a possible state fine last week by instituting an emergency sewer management plan detailing what city staff are to do in case of a sewer emergency or pipe break.
The City Council adopted the plan, which Vice-Mayor Chuck Geiger said saved the city from a possible fine of up to thousands of dollars a day from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Geiger said the state board requested the city adopt a plan months ago, but it wasn’t taken care of during the tenure of former City Manager Larry Cain. Council members voted to fire Cain in March, saying he wasn’t taking care of his basic duties as city manager. New City Manager Jennifer Coile was hired in July.
“This is an important piece. We’ve got to get our things in order and follow the rules,” Geiger said. “San Juan has been behind the eight ball too much in the last 10 years. We need to line up our ducks and be in compliance with state regulations.”
Geiger stressed the importance of showing city residents that their government officials are working to comply with any regulation concerning the city’s water and sewer systems. A $3.8 million federal grant to revamp San Juan’s water and sewer systems is in limbo while the city resolves a dispute with the county water district over how the grant is administered.
The new emergency management plan details exactly what city staff are required to do on a daily, semi-annually and annual basis. It includes requirements that city staff inspect manholes throughout the city on a daily basis, and if a blockage or backup is observed, to clean the sewer line immediately.
It also requires that the sewer pipe near downtown on Fourth Street, which causes chronic problems with blockage, be cleaned every six months or more if need be.
Finally, the plan details the responsibilities of individual city workers. Geiger said in the past the city manager would be called out in the middle of the night if a water pipe broke, because there was nothing in place that named a specific person to deal with a specific issue.
“This is one of those things that just wasn’t done,” he said. “It says who’s accountable for what, and we never had it put into that kind of (package) before.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
em*******@fr***********.com
