Soledad council approves Front Street work, ladder‑truck bay, WRF building, crack‑seal and public‑art agreement

The Soledad City Council approved a package of construction contracts and policy actions at its May 15 meeting, clearing the way for downtown repairs, public‑safety infrastructure and a public‑art program.

Council voted to award the Front Street maintenance contract to Monterey Peninsula Engineering for $3,729,757, with a 5% contingency for a total not to exceed $3,916,245. Assistant Engineer Alex Ramos said the work will address pavement repair, sidewalks and curb‑ramp accessibility while also improving sight‑distance safety at intersections. Ramos told council the city received four bids and recommended the low responsive bidder.

On public safety, the council approved a contract for an apparatus‑bay building to house a recently ordered ladder truck funded in part by a $2 million state earmark sponsored by Sen. Anna Caballero. Public Works Director Don Wilcox said the truck cost is about $1.715 million and the building bid returned higher than the remaining earmark, prompting the council to use previously allocated ARPA funds to cover the shortfall.

Council also approved a metal building for the Water Reclamation Facility (contract with Plumber Built Inc., not to exceed $603,750) and the 2024 crack‑seal project (contract with Pavement Coating Company, approximately $423,865 plus contingency) as short‑term pavement‑preservation measures tied to the city’s Pavement Management Program.

The council adopted a series of preliminary engineers’ reports and intent resolutions for multiple assessment districts (resolutions 6082–6086) to set the public‑hearing process for levying FY24–25 assessments. City staff and DTA managing director Kudo Wekware explained that recommended annual assessments are typically less than the districts’ CPI‑adjusted maximums. Staff noted councilmember conflicts of interest required one member to step out for certain votes; those absences were recorded in the minutes.

The council also authorized a professional‑services agreement with the Arts Council for Monterey County not to exceed $70,400 to implement a phase‑1 mural project on Front Street (restroom container, storage unit and a gateway wall). Economic development staff said they plan to prioritize local artists and complete the work within the ARPA funding timeline.

Actions were taken by roll call; staff said items with remaining design (site work for the apparatus bay) will return to council for separate award. The council set public‑hearing dates where required and directed staff to continue outreach on projects that affect parking and access.

Next procedural steps include design and bidding for remaining site improvements for the apparatus bay, contract administration for Front Street construction, final assessment hearings for the districts, and artists’ selection and community engagement for the mural work.