By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members have given City Manager Shawna Burkhart the green light to take
the next step toward completing one of the city’s top three water infrastructure projects.
The council during its most recent meeting on May 27 voted 7-0 to authorize Burkhart to
approve a work order for engineering services for the reconstruction of a critical
containment wall around the East Springs pool, one of the sources of the city’s drinking
water.
City Secretary Maria Acosta read the heading of the agenda item: “A resolution to
authorize and direct the city manager to approve work order authorization No. 1 in the
amount of $241,965 from Jimenez Engineering LLC (doing business as) International
Consulting Engineers (ICE) for professional engineering services for the East Springs
containment wall project.”
Mayor Al Arreola called for a motion on the resolution. Councilman J.P. Sanchez made
the motion, and Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez gave the second.
Arreola asked if there were any concerns or questions about the agenda item, and, hearing
none, called for the vote. The council unanimously approved Sanchez’s motion.
In a memo to the council providing background information on the resolution, City
Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca reminded council members in March they approved a
resolution authorizing Burkhart to sign a five-year contract with ICE “for professional
engineering services related to water projects.”
Menchaca wrote, “Council approved the award of the contract. . . after ICE gave the city
council a presentation on issues at the East Springs wall. During the presentation, ICE
mentioned that the East Springs concrete pond enclosure has significant structural
deterioration due to water erosion, with water now flowing underneath parts of the
structure.
“ICE noted major areas of concern, including the southwest corner structural integrity
being compromised with significant voids present, cracks propagating along the west
wall from south to north, ending at the connection of the structural trellis which supports
the catwalk (across the spring pool) and the south retaining wall voids underneath with
sluice gates closing but not sealing completely, causing water to escape,” Menchaca
noted.
Mechaca’s memo to the council also notes ICE has submitted a work order to provide the
city “with engineering, design and construction documents for a new wall as the
recommended solution to the issues being faced at the East Springs.”
“Given the significant age of the existing wall system and the extensive repairs needed,
particularly near the southwest corner, the proposed new wall system will provide a more
durable, long-term solution and, more importantly, will provide the operational functional
capacity needed for the submersible pumps (in the spring pool) to operate efficiently at
the East Springs.
“This option will ensure that the minimum required water depth for pumping operations
is maintained, which is critical for operational efficiency and safety,” Menchaca wrote.
In additional information provided to the council, Menchaca said the funding for the
engineering services will be paid from reallocating funds for the painting of the water
storage tanks and from water treatment plant upgrades, with monies taken from a 2019
series of certificates of obligation previously obtained by the city.
Burkhart previously had identified reconstruction of the East Springs wall as one of the
city’s top three water infrastructure priorities.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
