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Capital Project Management

The Division manages capital and grant funded contracts for the City and the Redevelopment Agency. A capital project involves the construction of infrastructure for the community that adds long term-value, and improves the quality of life. The primary source of funding is usually through public grants, taxes, revenues, or bonds. Management of the grants and public revenues requires very stringent procedures. The following as an outline of common activities for a capital project management:

• Planning and project visioning
• Applying for grant funds
• Preliminary budget, design, and schedule
• Final budget and project design
• Environmental review and permitting
• Property acquisition
• Competitive construction bidding
• Construction

Private Land Development

The Division reviews plans and maps for new land development activities. These projects often involve the construction of capital infrastructure to serve the development, although funding is most often through private sources. Unlike public capital management projects, private construction is not subject to the same stringent procedures. However, because much of the infrastructure will be turned over to the City for long-term ownership and maintenance, the Division must ensure that the design and construction meets the City’s standards for function and quality. The following is general list of submittal activities:

• Topographic surveying
• Engineering reports and studies
• Tentative map submittal
• Site plan submittal
• Civil drawing submittal
• Review of environmental permits
• Issuance of grading permit
• Final map submittal

Assessment Districts

In 1978 Californians enacted Proposition 13, which limited the ability of local public agencies to increase property taxes based on a property’s assessed value. Since that time, Assessment Districts, which have been in existence since the early 1900’s, have been used on a widespread basis as an alternative method for financing public improvements. Currently, about one in three properties in California is part of an Assessment District.

There are two primary acts which authorize the establishment of assessment districts:

• The Improvement Act of 1911 (Streets Highways Code §5000 et seq.), which can be used by cities, counties and other municipal governments to fund a wide range of public infrastructure projects. The 1911 Act can also fund maintenance of improvements.
• The Municipal Improvement Act of 1913 (Streets Highways Code §10000 et seq.), which can be used by cities, counties, joint powers authorities and other special districts to fund water, electrical, gas and lighting infrastructure, public transit facilities, as well as other basic infrastructure needs.

The Improvement Bond Act of 1915 (Streets & Highways Code §8500 et seq.) is normally used in combination with one of these acts to issue bonds to finance the improvements. The vast majority of assessment district projects are paid for with 1915 Act Improvement Bonds.

The City of Oroville has established a city-wide Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance Assessment district (LLMAD), and a city-wide Benefit Assessment District (BAD) for maintenance of capital infrastructure constructed as part of a new land development projects. New developments are annexed into the existing districts, and become a new tax zone boundary. The development within this boundary then pays their assessment through annual installments on the county property tax bill.

By law (Prop. 13), the assessment cannot be directly based on the value of the property.

Instead, the assessments are based on mathematical formulas that take into account how much each property will benefit from the maintenance of the improvements. Each parcel in the assessment district becomes responsible for a percentage of the total district debt.

Community Facility Districts (CFD)

Community Facility Districts (CFD), or more commonly known as Mello-Roos districts provide a form of financing through special property taxes. At the present time, the City has created two districts for new land development projects located west of Highway 70. These districts are for public safety, including police and fire services. One district includes bonding provisions for construction of a new fire and police facility at the municipal airport, and the other include provisions for ongoing maintenance and operation of the facility once constructed.

Encroachment Permits

Encroachment permit are necessary when anyone is performing work in the city’s right-of-way, city-controlled utility easement, or on city-owned property. This includes residents, business owners, contractors, and utility workers. Examples of work requiring an encroachment permit:

• Installation of utility, sewer, or storm drain lines
• Placing a dumpster in the street
• Blocking or crossing sidewalks for construction purposes
• Making repairs to the street, curbs, gutters, or sidewalks

Grading and Erosion Control Permits

Grading and erosion control permits are required by anyone moving soil on a site, importing or exporting soil to or from a site, or performing a land disturbance activity such as stockpiling, clearing or grubbing. Permit categories are as follows:

• Small grading project
• Medium grading project
• Large grading project

All grading and land disturbance activities must be done using Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are consistent with the City design standards, and consistent with the latest version of the California Storm Water Quality Construction Handbook, published by the California Storm Water Quality Association. Certain grading projects require the preparation of an environmental review through the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Projects over 1 acre in size require a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Permit (SWPPP) issued by the State Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). Financial securities are required for large grading projects.

Transportation Permits

Transportation Permits are necessary to operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles or special mobile equipment of a size or weight of load exceeding the maximums specified in the California Vehicle Code.

Boundary Line Modifications

Boundary line modifications make substantive changes in the boundary line location, and boundaries can be modified for purposes other than rectifying an error. A Boundary Line Modification may not:

• Create any additional lot, tract, parcel, site, or division.
• Affect access, easements or drainfields without the consent of the affected party.
• Amend the conditions of approval for previously platted property.
• Violate "California Fire Code" or "Building Code" requirements on developed commercial and multi-family property.
• Adversely affect the public health, safety, and general welfare.
• Establish a lot line that causes an existing structure to violate setback or other standards of this Code.

Certificates of Compliance

Any person owning real property or a person buying real property in connection with a contract of sale may request a determination from the city that the property complies with state law (Section 66499.35(a) of the Subdivision Map Act) and local ordinance. This provision of the Map Act is most often used when a prospective buyer wants assurance that the parcel they wish to buy was created legally. It is also used to validate parcels created as non-valid building sites through the Minor Land Division process.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program

Each year the City of Oroville is required to develop, adopt and submit to Caltrans an updated Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Overall Annual Participation Goal for U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) assisted contracts, as a condition of federal financial assistance, pursuant to Title 49 CFR Part 26; Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in DOT Programs. In accordance with Federal and State regulations, the City of Oroville developed a proposed Overall Annual DBE Goal of 8% for Federal Fiscal Year 2004/2005. Public participation and adoption by the Oroville City Council is required to ensure full compliance with Federal Department of Transportation funding requirements, provisions and financial responsibilities.

Solid Waste and Recycling

In 1989, Assembly Bill 939, known as the Integrated Waste Management Act, was passed because of the increase in waste stream and the decrease in landfill capacity. As a result, the current California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) was established. A disposal reporting system with CIWMB oversight was established, and facility and program planning was required. AB 939 mandates a reduction of waste being disposed: jurisdictions were required to meet diversion goals of 25% by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000. AB 939 also established an integrated framework for program implementation, solid waste planning, and solid waste facility and landfill compliance. The Department is responsible for ensuring that the City meets the requirements of AB 939, and is responsible for annual reporting on the City’s progress to the CIWMB.

Overview of Engineering Manager Responsibilities

1. Reports to the Director of Community Development and Public Works.
2. Provides general customer service, including maps, traffic counts, and utility locations.
3. Assists in resolving street lighting, traffic signal, pavement, sewer, flood zone, and drainage issues.
4. Performs engineering studies for speeding, traffic signal warrants, stop sign control, traffic calming, and parking.
5. Performs engineering design on small capital projects.
6. Provides consultant and construction contract management for the City and the Redevelopment Agency in the following areas: streets, sidewalks, sewer, storm drainage, parks, airport, and other public facilities.
7. Sets conditions for and reviews construction plans for new development and city-funded capital projects.
8. Generates and process agreements including subdivision improvement, deferred improvement, and outside sewer service agreements.
9. Oversees annexation to citywide lighting and landscaping, benefit assessment, and Community Facility Districts.
10. Processes final maps and other survey actions, including mergers, lot line adjustments, certificates of compliance, and parcel maps.
11. Processes and issues encroachment, grading, construction, and transportation permits.
12. Applies for and administers state and federal grants.
13. Provides construction inspection for private development and city-funded capital projects.
14. Oversees industrial storm water permit compliance and the Phase II EPA storm water regulations.
15. Administers the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.
16. Develops and maintains the Geographic Information System.
17. Reports to the State on solid waste and recycling activities.
18. Provides engineering support to other City departments.
19. Acts as a liaison with outside agencies, such as Butte County, Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG), and Caltrans.