Highlights from "The Week in Review" (TWIR)

You can access the entire TWIR by clicking on the link on the right side of this page.

Fire
Reorganization: The Fire Department Reorganization became effective September 16, 2009. This move eliminated three Division Chief positions and named three Shift Commanders to oversee suppression activity. Those now serving in the position of Shift Commander are Randy May, Kyle Shipherd, and Bob Davis. This reorganization was part of the department’s cost savings plan to eliminate $1.7 million from the City’s General Fund.

Emergency Incidents: We had a total of 105 incidents this week which included 4 that were fire related: 1-Structure Fire, 2-Vehicle Fires, and 1-Grass Fire. Dollar loss for the week was estimated at $2,200. The remaining calls this week were: EMS-58, Vehicle Accidents-11, Service Calls-13, and Other Emergencies-19.

Public Works
Cost Savings at the WQCF: Over 18 million gallons of treated effluent water was reused on city farmland this week. This land is leased to a farmer who grows forage crops. Land application of the effluent provides significant savings to the city because this water does not require tertiary filtration or ultraviolet disinfection. This saves significant amounts of energy and costs to the City. In addition to this, staff have been working to reduce the cost of disposing of bio-solids or sludge.

Typically the City disposes of an average of 14-bins of centrifuge dried sludge to the landfill each week. Over the summer, staff has been experimenting with placing the centrifuge dried sludge into drying beds to further reduce the moisture and weight before shipping to the landfill. This "enhanced" on-site drying operation reduced the moisture content during this week sufficiently to reduce the off haul down to two sludge bins. While this does mean some additional handling of the sludge, this is more than offset in the reduced hauling and disposal costs. A substantial landfill cost savings will be realized due to the additional efforts employed to reduce moisture content from the centrifuge sludge.

Landscape Funding: Staff received word this week that SJCOG was successful in obtaining the funding for the landscape of the two 99/120 interchanges. This means that the City will be able to proceed with the irrigation project that was already bid, and has been awaiting award since July. City staff will then work with SJCOG and Caltrans to deliver the second project which will install all the landscaping at both interchanges.

Community Development
San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone: Community Development has received notification from the State that the expanded San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone (including the City of Manteca) has been approved. This approval is retroactive to June 22, 2008. We are still awaiting word on our application for the Targeted Employment Area designation.

B.R. Funsten: Major construction for the B.R. Funsten industrial warehouse/office expansion at South Main and Industrial Park Drive is underway. The project is on schedule, with a completion date of December 1.