City officials learned at their most recent meeting that the funds budgeted for the long-awaited overhaul of its College Park north pumping station would not be nearly enough to finish the project.
Hints at the cost escalation first came when, earlier in the meeting, council member Dean Grose refused to approve warrants (expenditures) for the month, citing remaining questions about unnamed expenditures.
Interim city manager Les Johnson said engineers discovered that the initial estimate of $100,000 wouldn’t be enough after the work was underway after council member Mark Chirco later in the meeting asked staff for an explanation.
Johnson explained that the city “cannot find the parts” to fix either the pumps or the engines, all of which were installed way back in 1964.
The city had to spend more than $20,000 last winter alone to install temporary pumps and other maintenance after rains threatened residents.
Mayor Warren Kusumoto, who noted that he lived in the general area, said while his personal home was never threatened, he knew of many neighbors whose homes saw water creep up to their doorsteps. Those affected “really appreciate” the city fixing the pumps.
Given the new pumps, engines and other changes required, Johnson said the city must now budget more than $220,000 to completely update the pumping station.
Add to that administrative and other one-time cost, Johnson said the city was more likely looking at a total expenditure of $235,000 to retrofit the city’s pumping station.
The discussion prompted Grose to ask staff to begin considering the “lifecycle” of all city assets so that funds could “be set aside” so that funding would be available when the lifecycle of critical infrastructure is met.
In other action, the council;
- Presented Certificates of Appreciation to Kusumoto, Chirco, Randy Hill and others no present for their “many months” of work on updating the city’s General Sustainability Plan.
- Recognized the Los Alamitos American Legion Post 716 in commemoration of the organization’s 100th Commander Woody Collins thanked the city on behalf of the Legion and its family of organizations, the Legion Auxiliary, Son of the Legion, Junior Auxiliary and Riders.
- Congratulated the Sunburst Academy 2019 graduating class, citing a 95 percent graduation rate.