WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s Downtown Specific Plan can officially move ahead.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) endowed the City of Watsonville with a $500,625 Sustainable Communities Planning Grant that will fund the majority of the project’s planning efforts over the next year and change.
The City Council accepted the grant in its consent agenda Tuesday.
The City will need to provide $64,861 as a local match to receive the grant.
Watsonville City Manager Matt Huffaker during the initial Downtown Specific Plan Committee meeting in October said the total cost for the plan is roughly $800,000.
Other items on the Council’s consent agenda:
• Council approved a revised salary list for a slew of employees including: Service Employees International Union Local 521, Mid-Management, Confidential, Management, Executive, Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 (OE3), Police Officers Association (POA), Public Safety Mid-Management and International Association of Firefighters Local 1272. The new salary list is available on the City of Watsonville website.
• Council approved the $50,000 purchase of Airport Fund receivables.
• Council accepted a $37,500 grant from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to be used for Census outreach efforts and activities. The grant money will be used to fund the Watsonville Complete County Committee, events and outreach at schools and in businesses, as well as the creation of flyers and merchandise.
• Council approved the establishment of a yearly $80,286 reserve in the Sewer Enterprise for the Mañana Lane Sewer Replacement Project. Since being approved in 2016, the $1.48 million project has seen five additional charges totaling $428,362.04. The reserve is required by the Clean Water Slate Revolving Fund Loan Agreement. The reserve is equal to the amount of one year’s loan payment. The reserve will be in place for the 20-year term of the loan agreement.
• Council accepted written reports from Mayor Francisco Estrada, Mayor Pro-Tem Rebecca Garcia and councilmen Felipe Hernandez and Aurelio Gonzalez regarding their attendance at the League of California Cities Conference and Expo.
• Council approved the use of $1,629 to send Hernandez to National League of Cities City Summit conference in San Antonio, Texas later this month.
