Infrastructure Committee Meeting - September 26, 2018
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Infrastructure Committee Meeting - September 26, 2018
The Infrastructure Committee met on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, at 2:00 PM. Vice Chair Alvarez and Councilmember Ward were present, with condolences extended to Councilmember Zap for the loss of her father. The meeting included public comments, discussion and approval of multiple award design-build contracts for pipeline projects, and a presentation on utility vegetation management.
Consent Calendar
- No consent agenda items were presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Robert Buck, a retired plumber and resident of American Park, expressed concern that the city is being scammed by unnecessary sewer pipe replacement. He stated that the pipes he examined were in good condition and could function for 2,000 years, and urged the committee to reconsider the project.
- Martha Welch, a resident of Park Boulevard and University, complained about a three-year construction delay, saying the work is broken and causing bus detours. She also referenced a prior approval and expressed frustration with the project's duration.
- Renee Smith spoke in support of revising Council Policy 814, related to the Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP). She recommended bundling projects to achieve economies of scale and criticized the current piecemeal approach.
Discussion Items
- Approval of Five Multiple Award Design-Build (MAC) Contracts for Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Pipeline Projects
- Mark Nassar, Deputy Director of Public Works, and Jim Shamlefard, Senior Civil Engineer, presented the item. The MAC contracts are for up to $100 million; individual projects under $30 million can be awarded by mayoral action, while those over $30 million require City Council approval. Six firms were shortlisted, and five were selected; three of the five are new to the program, as three previous contractors chose not to participate. Councilmember Ward expressed concern about the threshold and requested additional information on the reasons previous firms opted out. Vice Chair Alvarez seconded a recommendation to approve the contracts with the condition that staff provide further details before the full council vote. The committee approved the motion.
- Presentation on Utility Vegetation Management for Wildfire Mitigation
- A representative from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) presented on the company's vegetation management plan and collaboration with the city and county to reduce wildfire risk. Councilmember Ward praised the proactive approach and preventive measures. No action was taken; the item was informational only.
Key Outcomes
- The committee approved the five MAC contracts for pipeline projects, contingent on staff providing additional information about the firms' reasons for not participating in the new round.
- No formal action was taken on the utility vegetation management presentation.
- The next regularly scheduled committee meeting was set for October 24, 2018, at 2:00 PM. The meeting was adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you for joining us for today's meeting of the infrastructure committee. Today is Wednesday, September 26, 2018. Let the record reflect that we have uh quorum of our committee present with Vice Chair Alvarez and Councilmember Ward. Our condolences uh continue for Councilmember Zap and the loss of her father. Uh we also have our City Attorney Representative Mark Mercer, our IBA representative, Jillian Cassie. Uh we do not have Mirrell representative today, so he'll get lashings, and our infrastructure committee consultant Justin Garver. I'd like to thank the members of the public who are with us today. Those are watching on TV. We'll start as always with non-agenda public comment, starting with Robert Buck, followed by Martha Welch, followed by Renee Smith. And please come forward. You'll each have two minutes. Mr. Buck. Hi, my my name is Robert Buck. I'm a native of San Diego and a retiree plumbers and pie fitters, local 230. Recently has been brought to my attention that the city of taxpayers, the city taxpayers of San Diego are being scammed. I first noticed this when segments of my sidewalks in the area of town that I live called American Park were being ripped up. So I asked, why are you doing this? They said we are relining the sewer pipes. This piqued my curiosity. After all, I'm a second generation plumber and been living in this area for 60 years. So I started my informal investigation after, after all, I'm a retiree with lots of time on my hands. I inquired to a number of different city employees, engineers, contractors that were associated with the rehabilitation project, and I got quite a few different replies as uh the existing pipe is old, it's not working, the roots and etc. etc. Um. What they didn't realize, however, is that they were talking to a craftsman with decades of experience and training in the plumbing industry. Every time I talk to someone involved in the project, it just set off red flags for me because I've lived here for the past 60 years. I knew the sewers were functioning fine, and so my investigation moves forward. I find a piece of the VC pipe, vitrous clay pipe, that they took out and washed it off, and it was brand new, looked brand new. Um FYI, this pipe will function adequately for about 2,000 years. Now I have a solid piece of evidence. I thought with the piece of evidence and my knowledge of plumbing, I should be able to convince somebody to rethink this because what they're doing is insanity. I was wrong. I talked to uh many people, mayor, council members, engineers. Oh. Thank you, sir. That that that is your time, but if you'd like, we could follow up with you after the meeting if you're still gonna be here. Okay. Thank you. Ms. Welch. Martha Welch, that interestation in Park Boulevard and University taking about three years. Why? It's not only working right now. It's it's broken up and the bus can't turn the right now. They have to go up our detour. That's not right. It's taking so long. You yesterday you um um um um approved this paper, and it's on your um face on Facebook. Um I saw it today.
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