The new dog park in Live Oak will have its grand opening event on Aug. 22. Photo by Matthias_Koll_leverkusen via Pixabay

LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - At the Aug. 7 Live Oak City Council meeting, councilmembers considered an agreement with Graham Backflow Services (GBS) for Cross-Connection Control in their water system, which is mandated by the State Water Resources Control Board to protect the public health from water contamination.

New regulations went into effect in July that require public water systems to have policies for the testing, maintenance and repair of their water system backflow preventers as well as the creation of a Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook. The City of Live Oak has until next July to comply with these regulations but there is not currently any employee in the city’s Public Works Department with the necessary licenses, certifications and expertise to complete this work.

The city has been hiring Graham Backflow Services to perform backflow testing and maintenance activities as needed. The Water Department now wants to establish a formal contract with Graham Backflow Services to continue these services and to develop the city’s Cross-Connection Ordinance and Cross-Connection Control Plan, as required by the state.

“Backflow is the unwanted reversal of flow after the water leaves your distribution system and passes through the meter,” John Graham of Graham Backflow Services said. “The water purveyor loses all control over the quality of the water.”

This can lead to water contamination, which is a serious public health issue. So, Graham said, ensuring the city is meeting the prevention requirements will both protect public health and ensure compliance with the state regulations.

Graham said part of the process will also involve educating residents to ensure any repairs they perform at their homes don’t create unintentional contamination issues for their household.

Councilmember Bob Woten asked if households in Live Oak would be monitored to ensure they are meeting the requirements. Graham said that it could be included in the policy plan or the city can put backflow prevention measures in place at the meters to ensure any household contamination doesn’t reach the larger water supply.

Interim City Manager Mark Scott explained that this contract will authorize Graham to begin the preliminary work of establishing the policy but it will be up to City Council to provide direction throughout the process and to ultimately approve and implement the plan.

Graham Backflow Services submitted a proposal for a three-year contract with services including assembly testing, hazard assessments and administrative costs at $46,575 per year. The first year will also include an additional fee for the ordinance development and Cross-Connection Control Plan, with $58,075 as the first-year total. These costs are not included in the budget, so a budget amendment would need to be approved by City Council before the contract could be executed.

City Council voted unanimously to approve the contract with Graham Backflow Services.

Parks and Recreation director Luis Cibrian updated City Council about the progress on the new dog park, which first broke ground in January. Staff initially said the park would open in the early summer but Cibrian said that weather issues delayed project completion. But he was “happy” to report that staff are now completing the final work and the park will be ready for a grand opening this month.

Cibrian suggested either Aug. 22 or 29 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Staff will plan for an early night event to avoid the heat of the day and when residents are off work.

Vice-Mayor Nancy Santana said she wants to ensure the dog park looks nice, because she recently drove by and saw it was full of star thistle. She suggested staff could start a schedule of irrigating and mowing the grounds.

The previous City Council direction for the dog park was to maintain the natural landscape, Cibrian said, so irrigation was not built into the project plans nor accounted for in the project budget. If City Council directs it, Cibrian said, staff could seed the park over the winter and run an irrigation line.

Santana said she was worried about dogs having to deal with foxtails and thistles on the natural landscape.

“I want to make sure we do it right,” Santana said.

Interim City Manager Scott said that City Council might want to bring in a consultant with expertise in designing and managing a dog park to ensure it’s done right.

The council’s consensus was to hold the ribbon cutting as early as possible, since residents have been eagerly awaiting the opening, so Aug. 22 was selected for the grand opening event.

The next meeting of the Live Oak City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 21 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 9955 Live Oak Blvd.