To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Julie Lucido, Public Works Director
Prepared By: Dwight Bray, Assistant Engineer
TITLE:
Title
Emergency Repair of Browns Valley Creek at Tall Grass Drive Bridge
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution determining that: (1) there is no longer a need to take emergency actions for the emergency repair of Browns Valley Creek at Tall Grass Drive Bridge; (2) the authorization to perform emergency work is terminated; and (3) the actions authorized by this resolution are exempt from CEQA.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Pursuant to City of Napa Municipal Code 2.91.040, City staff is providing the final report to the City Council and recommending the emergency action be terminated by the City Council.
Inspections of the Tall Grass Drive Bridge showed that erosion to the Browns Valley Creek banks beneath the Tall Grass Drive bridge progressed. Public Works engaged professional structural and civil engineers, along with an environmental specialist, who determined that, to prevent further damage, ensure public safety, and maintain vehicle and emergency access, immediate action was required to stabilize the creek bank before sustained heavy winter rains. On December 3, 2024, the City Manager declared an emergency and authorized the Public Works Director to execute emergency contracts.
Initial work to stabilize the creek bank was completed using hand tools and manual labor. Additional intermediate stabilization as emergency work - including armoring the banks - was required to be completed while the banks were not saturated, until a permanent repair can be designed and constructed.
A contract for intermediate design was executed with BKF Engineers. Topographic survey, geotechnical analysis, and a hydrologic and hydraulic study were performed to account for both normal creek flows and storm events. This work was required to ensure the emergency repair would adequately address the erosion that caused the public safety concern and that the repair would not negatively impact creek flow.
A contract to complete the emergency repair was signed on October 7, 2025, with Hanford ARC, a contractor specializing in ecological restoration and heavy civil construction in environmentally sensitive areas. Construction began on October 9, 2025, and concluded on November 12, 2025. The slopes and banks have been stabilized with armoring to protect the banks from further erosion.
Staff recommend ending the emergency declaration as intermediate repairs have been completed.
Staff will continue to work with the design engineer, BKF, to determine what long-term repairs or modifications are needed. Any additional work or required permitting will be completed through the normal City processes.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Emergency work has been completed, and no additional funding is needed for that phase. There were adequate funds available in the Tall Grass Bridge Repair project (33BR25PW01) for the design and construction of intermediate repair. Additional funding will be required for any necessary long-term bridge repairs and permitting.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine the Recommended Action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to: CEQA Guidelines Section 15269 (Statutory exemption for emergency repairs, in accordance with California Public Resources Code Section 21080(b)(2)); and CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Categorical exemption Class 1 Existing Facilities), which exempts repair, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing facilities involving negligible or no expansion of use.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1- Resolution
NOTIFICATION:
None.