The proposed plan for a wetlands in Hollister is evaporating and
all but dried up.
”
It’s not going to happen,
”
Councilman Tony Bruscia said Monday.
The proposed plan for a wetlands in Hollister is evaporating and all but dried up.
“It’s not going to happen,” Councilman Tony Bruscia said Monday.
A phase of the city’s Long Term Wastewater Management Plan included construction of 88 acres of wetlands habitat west of the Highway 156 bypass by 2005. City officials viewed a wetlands as an inexpensive alternative to percolation beds, which demand more intensive management, and also as a showing of environmental awareness.
However, a number of outside agencies expressed concern about possible problems incurred by a wetlands, including water discharge into the San Benito River adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant.
City Manager George Lewis said the Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Benito Water District, SBC Farm Bureau and Monterey Bay Sanctuary were among the concerned parties.
Now, signs indicate city priorities have shifted to an alternative plan.
“There are places for wetlands,” said John Gregg, executive director of the San Benito County Water District. “Is this the right project for this place?”
Water would discharge into the river year-round, according to Gregg, and during low-flow periods wastewater would percolate into the groundwater.
“It would be an irreversible commitment to groundwater,” Gregg said.
The wetlands were planned as freshwater surroundings with environmental benefits, including a habitat for wetland organisms, surplus recycled water, restoration of previously disturbed land, a visibly aesthetic buffer along Highway 156 and recreational opportunities for the community.
City officials said the wetlands would theoretically demand less management and cost less than additional percolation beds. The estimated cost of the wetlands project is $3 million, which included $500,000 for engineering and permitting.
In the meantime, Gregg, Lewis and Public Works Director Clint Quilter developed “planning criteria” to guide city staff in fulfilling the LTWWMP, including evaluation of a potential replacement for a wetlands.
Quilter presented the items previously to the Wastewater Subcommittee – Bruscia and Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia – and then Monday night to City Council.
“These criteria are intended to provide a clear statement of the expectations of the city…” according to the report.
Several topics were included among the criteria, including flow projections, cost and wastewater reuse.
Bruscia said a wetlands was a “nice, creative option,” but there were too many obstacles.
Regarding the wastewater operations, Bruscia said two issues remained primary – treating water, then figuring out a rational method to reuse it.
Bruscia said agricultural irrigation was a logical direction for the treated wastewater. He also mentioned area golf courses as another avenue for wastewater reuse.
Lewis said irrigation should receive first priority.
Mayor Tony LoBue asked, “Is 100 percent reuse possible?
“Ultimately, we would hope…” Quilter said.
Gregg called meetings on planning criteria between the water district, county and city an “overall, significant cooperative effort.”
“The key is to have a path laid out so that you don’t work against yourself in achieving long-term objectives,” Gregg said.
On the issue of a wetlands alternative, Gregg said the most important objectives remain a high quality of minerals and a lowered salt level in wastewater.
In other business:
Hollister Police Chief Bill Pierpoint briefed Council on the department’s search for new software to store its records.
The now favored software – TracNet – includes electronic storage, crime analysis, evidence management and other reporting.
“It’s to manage all of our criminal activity within the department,” Pierpoint said.
Twenty-seven staff members from the department evaluated two competing vendors – TracNet from Pacifica and another from Morgan Hill. The department also invited the systems vendors for all-day demonstrations. The cost of TracNet, if adopted at next week’s meeting, would be $109,405 and may be spread over two fiscal year budgets.
Pierpoint said other jurisdictions spend much more than TracNet will cost. Gilroy, for instance, spent more than $1 million on its current software, he said.
Department employees expressed a high level of dissatisfaction with the current system, Crossroads RMS – which missed a series of milestones set forth by the HPD. That network included 36 laptops and 15 PCs.
“It was not a stable platform,” Pierpoint said. “Officers would lose reports and have to go back and write reports.”
Pierpoint said his staff was overwhelmingly in favor of TracNet.
“Officers were very impressed with ease of use and speed,” he said.
Pierpoint will return next Monday to request funding for the software.
Quilter briefed Council on a citywide traffic calming project contracted to Higgins and Associates. Initiated in February, the project has lagged behind schedule.
“It’s substantially behind,” Quilter said.
LoBue showed frustration toward Keith Higgins for the delay.
“I’m pretty disappointed…” Lobue said.
LoBue said he receives calls about once a week with complaints about traffic.
“I keep telling them, ‘We’ve got a traffic study coming,'” Lobue said.
Higgins said the policy document should be ready Dec. 20. The goal of the study is to examine general traffic conditions throughout the city as a backbone for more detailed analysis in the future.
