To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
SUBJECT:
title
Appropriation Transfer to Create a Fixed Asset Line in the Amount of $86,608 for the Public Works Solid Waste Budget 3691438 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 (4/5 Vote Required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors
1. Approve the Appropriation Transfer (Attachment 1) to create a fixed asset line in the amount of $86,608 for the Public Works Solid Waste budget, 3691438, for FY 2024-25. (4/5 Vote Required)
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1009 - Expand county infrastructure resilience
DISCUSSION:
In Dec. 2024, ponded water was observed on the ground surface of the leach field, indicating that the capacity of the leach field was not sufficient for absorbing the volume of inflow. Immediate repair efforts were made to identify and remove blockages in the leach field’s piping lines; however, water continued to back up and pond on the ground surface before infiltrating into the soil. When conditions were drier in the Spring, a mini-excavator was used to expose portions of the distribution system for inspection. One of the lateral lines was observed to be severely clogged with sediment and iron deposits and this condition is presumed to exist within all the lateral lines. The Department of Public Works retained SHN Engineers & Geologists to prepare a design study report to recommend repairs to the leach field, in consultation with the Division of Environmental Health of the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services. The report dated July 31, 2025 recommended new subsurface disposal trenches to restore the absorption capacity of the leach field along with new storage tanks and piping that improve the system’s resilience to damage and provide features that facilitate ongoing operation and maintenance, including periodic removal of sediment and iron. These repairs can be made within the existing footprint of the leach field. The Department of Public Works intends to retain a construction contractor to implement the leach field repair work prior to the winter wet season.
In parallel with the leach field repair work, Public Works has been coordinating with the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (“CalRecycle”) to implement repairs on the landfill cap. The landfill cap repair work includes re-grading the cap to eliminate flattened slopes that have developed due to waste settlement, replacing the subsurface drainage system, and making localized surface drainage improvements. Collectively, these repairs are intended to reduce the volume of water contacting buried waste, restore the capture of leachate generated from the buried waste, and reduce the net volume of leachate entering the leach field. CalRecycle has retained a construction contractor to implement the cap repair work and will pay them directly with State funds.
Implementing the leach field repair and landfill cap repair work before the winter wet season is urgent to prevent discharges of leachate, avoid environmental impacts, and maintain compliance with the Regional Water Board’s order. The project involves immediate necessary actions needed to repair a publicly owned facility, maintain service essential to environmental health, and prevent loss or damage to environmental resources.
For purposes of complying with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and the Humboldt County Coastal Zoning Regulations, the leach field repair and landfill cap repair work are considered one project. The project is statutorily exempt from environmental review pursuant to the emergency project exemption of Section 15269(b) of the CEQA Guidelines and also categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to the existing facilities exemption of Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines. On July 29, 2025, Public Works filed a CEQA Notice of Exemption with the Humboldt County Clerk/Recorder and the State Clearinghouse. On Aug. 13, 2025, the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department approved an Emergency Coastal Development Permit for the project.
Roads crews have been bringing in truckloads of fill for the project working overtime to have material on hand for the project along with Natural resources staff managing the project. This appropriation transfers to create a fixed asset line is needed to cover the costs for the emergency work for Table Bluff Landfill.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Solid Waste 3691438
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (3691438) |
FY24-25 |
|
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$3,763,177 |
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
|
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
|
Funding Sources (3691438) |
FY24-25 |
|
|
Solid Waste Franchise |
$3,763,177 |
|
|
Total Funding Sources |
$3,763,177 |
|
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
This item recommends transferring funds to the line item where expenses were incurred in FY 2024-25 for the Solid Waste Budget, 3691438.
The overall total expenditure for the Solid Waste Fund will not increase. The appropriation transfers are moving funds to cover the emergency expenditures that are budgeted in the Solid Waste fixed asset line.
STAFFING IMPACT:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
N/A
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
CalRecycle
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Board could choose not to approve the appropriation transfers. However, this is not recommended as it would result in expenditures in excess of appropriations.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Appropriation Transfer 3691438
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: 8/26/25
File No.: 25-967