Highlights from "The Week in Review"

Here are some excerpts from this week's "The Week in Review" (TWIR). To read the entire TWIR, click on the link on the right side of this page.

Public Works:
Atherton Drive Landscaping: Work on replacing the turf along Atherton Drive across from the Promenade Center will begin this week, and should be complete in another two weeks.

Stimulus Funding for Street Improvements: On June 18, the City received authorization from Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration to proceed with construction of a street rehabilitation project that City staff had proposed for the first round of ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) stimulus funding. This is one of the first ARRA projects approved in San Joaquin County. The project includes pavement repair and asphalt overlay on various City streets, including portions of Union Road, Alameda Avenue and North Street, among others. The authorized funding amount is in excess of $1.3 million, and will cover 100% of the construction costs. Staff anticipates recommending the City Council approve a call for bids at the July 7 Council meeting, with construction on the project occurring during August or September.

Union Road Improvements: Work on Union Road south of the Highway 120 Bypass will resume as soon as Verizon completes the relocation of its facilities at the intersection of Union and Woodward. Once that work is complete, the contractor will remove the crash cushions, install median islands and landscaping, and then complete the paving and striping. Once the striping is complete, the signals at the Highway 120 ramps will be energized.

Louise Avenue Closure: Louise Avenue, west of Airport Way, will remain closed for another two weeks, due to the extension of a Lathrop construction project, which is improving Louise Avenue through the City of Lathrop. The extension will also allow the joint SSJID/City project some extra time to replace a culvert at the French Camp Outlet Canal before reopening the road.

Parks and Recreation:
Aerial Lift Truck: At the June 16 City Council meeting, some questions were raised by the public regarding the replacement of the 1988 lift truck. The 1988 Altec truck was purchased new, arriving in the Parks Division on November 30, 1988. That truck has 20,461 miles on it, as well as 5,115 hours. The number of hours is equivalent to approximately 307,000 miles. The actual mileage to the working sites may not be much, but these trucks idle for long periods of time while the aerial lift is in place. The old truck was a gasoline truck, which is far less efficient for idling purposes. The new truck will be diesel – better designed for the amount of idling it will require. The Council did take action to approve the purchase of a new truck.

Golf Course – Vandals recently damaged four ball washers, seven tee signs, 17 irrigation heads, and one green. Labor and material costs to make all repairs were $1,360.

Woodward Park – Vandals recently destroyed five young trees in the park. Labor and materials to replace the trees will cost approximately $500.

Parks staff has trained part-time personnel to prepare infields for play and to perform basic swimming pool maintenance tasks on weekends. Utilizing part-time staff will reduce overtime pay and will free up time for regular maintenance personnel to focus on more technical tasks.

Fire Department:
Emergency Incidents: We had a total of 89 incidents this week, which included 5 that were fire related: 4-Structure Fires and 1-Outside Rubbish Fire. Dollar loss for the week was estimated at $24,500. The remaining calls this week were: EMS-54, Vehicle Accidents-2, Service Calls-13, and Other Emergencies-15.

Significant Incidents:
Structure Fire – 450 E. Yosemite Ave., June 10
Noticing visible smoke in the area, firefighters at Fire Station #1 were preparing to investigate as the alarm came in for a structure fire at Manteca High School. Engine Company 244 was the first to arrive on scene to find smoke and flames coming from an outdoor storage building and a portable classroom. Fire suppression operations were immediately started and the fire was brought under control. The fire completely destroyed the storage shed. The portable classroom had fire damage to the west wall, and under the flooring. The fire appears to have started in or near the storage building, which contained hay bales. Crews were on scene for approximately three hours. Engine companies from all three fire stations responded, along with the aerial ladder truck and an engine from Lathrop-Manteca Fire District responded.

Vehicle Accident – South Manteca Road, June 13
Engine Company 242 responded on automatic aid with the Lathrop-Manteca Fire District, Engine Company 32, to a single vehicle rollover on South Manteca Road near Sedan Avenue in the early morning hours of June 13. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a four-wheel drive truck on its wheels, facing northbound on South Manteca Road. It had sustained major damage. Three patients required medical attention and were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.