Los Banos District 1’s vacancy will be filled by a special election on March 2, 2027, the Los Banos City Council decided at its Sept. 2 meeting.
The council also learned that it could cost the city $42 million to bring hexavalent chromium below the new state standard. The council then spent $1.8 million on two new fire engines, $2.2 million in the consent agenda and heard reports.
After Councilmember Mitzy Perez resigned from District 1 at the start of the month, City Attorney Mary Lerner explained it to the council. “Our hands are tied by state law,” Mayor Michael Amabile summarized.
Normally, the city could choose to appoint or elect. But as two seats are already appointed, another appointment would create a majority unelected council. California law does not allow that.
The decision must be made within 60 days of the vacancy, Lerner said. If Perez had resigned just one month later, then the two appointed council seats would be elected within that time limit, and the council could have appointed her successor.
Now, Lerner said, they must go out for a special election as they are too late to get the race on the November general election ballot.
Lerner reported that the filing period will be from Nov. 7 to Dec. 2. Lerner estimates the cost of the election will be $65,590. “It’s unfortunate that the situation is this. (It) is not anyone’s fault. It’s just what happened,” Councilmember Refugio Llamas said.
“This is gonna cost a lot of money. And I just (want to say), we need to really encourage people to get out and vote,” Amabile said, calling back to the only 488 votes cast in the last District 1 election.
Kevin Berryhill of Provost & Pritchard told the council that it will take an estimated $42 million to get the city wells below 10 parts per billion (PPB) of hexavalent chromium (chromium-6). He also estimated that city-wide yearly operating costs would be $1.25 million.
Berryhill explained that reduction-coagulation filtration (RCF) was the “last best option” for the city. City Manager Nirorn Than explained that every other alternative had been ruled out before RCF.
Chromium-6 is very tricky, Than explained. Even just testing for the current concentration requires 24-hour lab testing for a single sample.
RCF is relatively simple: well water is blended with a chemical (ferrous chloride) that converts chromium-6 into a chromium form that conventional pressure filters can filter.
The problem is that the pressure filters need to be frequently backwashed with use, creating backwash waste that has to be discharged to the sewer.
Many filters and/or storage tanks are needed per well to avoid losing too much of a well’s output. The pilot well chosen to pioneer RCF is Well 9, just east of Toscano Court on Willmott Avenue. It will cost $4.5 million.
Than explained, “We’re quite a bit of a pioneer in this system.” Many numbers are currently just estimates until Well 9 can show exactly what to expect.
He reiterated that the water is safe to drink, as national chromium-6 standards are 100 PPB. Only California has dropped the standard this low.
Groundwater receives the chromium-6 naturally from the Coastal Mountain Range along the entire Westside. Other cities, Than said, are watching to see how Los Banos performs.
. . . $1.839,615.39 was spent to purchase two new fire engines at a discount. Fire Chief Brandon Dorenbush said they got the rare opportunity to buy them at a “significant” discount. They will replace two 20-year-old engines. About $1.25 million will be paid via Measure P funds.
. . . A $1,574,016 bid by Katch Environmental to build a new 18-inch water main along Mercey Springs Road between Pacheco Boulevard and Pioneer Road was approved in the consent agenda.
. . . Hensley’s Paving and General Engineering Inc. was awarded $69,937 to repave downtown alleyways between Fifth, H, Seventh and K streets.
. . . Three fire command vehicles cost $191,828.03, and $44,301.91 was spent on a BMW police motorcycle.
. . . At the beginning of the meeting, Joe Sousa, a former city council member, parks and recreation director and public services director, was recognized by the council.
. . . The council elected Llamas as its voting delegate to the League of California Cities, with Mayor Pro Tem Deborah Lewis as his alternate.
