Pleasant Hill Cuts Morello Speed Limit, Advances City Hall Pond Repairs

Pleasant Hill renewed the legal basis for police speed enforcement on Nov. 2, 2026, cutting Morello Avenue to 30 mph and holding limits steady on eight roads instead of raising them. The City Council also approved, on unanimous roll calls, two contracts that move the long-stalled City Hall pond project forward. A county supervisor warned that federal cuts could strip health coverage from more than 90,000 county residents.

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• Morello Avenue drops to 30 mph as 2026 speed surveys pass 5-0
• $201,397.59 Republic Services deal to drain City Hall pond, approved without competitive bidding
• All About Building wins pond and fountain rehab, with $175,000 in sidewalk and ADA funds shifted
• Supervisor Ken Carlson warns 90,000+ could lose health coverage under federal HR 1
• Education Commission asks for occasional remote participation, while council presses for school links on traffic

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Morello Avenue Slows Down

The basics: A citywide speed survey measures the 85th percentile speed, the speed at or below which 85% of drivers travel. It also weighs crash data and road conditions drivers may not notice. The survey is the legal basis for police speed enforcement.

Why it matters: “We're required to update these every 7 years as routine maintenance,” said Anthony Nudy, Associate Engineer. Without a current survey, the city's posted limits lose their enforcement footing.

Where things stand: Nudy and consultant DKS Associates updated the 2019 surveys across 40 study segments, one more than last time. On eight roadways, including Boyd and Viking and several roads on the city's high-injury network, staff used rounding options in California Vehicle Code sections 22358.6 and 22358.8 to keep the current limits. Without those options, the limits would have gone up.

On Morello Avenue, now posted at 35 mph, the data pointed the other way. “We actually found that we could reduce the speed limit to 30 miles per hour,” Nudy said. The Traffic Safety Commission recommended bringing the surveys forward on Oct. 6.

Councilmember Amanda Szakats asked about public notice and enforcement. The police chief said the data supports enforcement. He named Morello, Contra Costa Boulevard, Pleasant Hill Road, Boyd and Taylor as the top locations for speeding citations.

The other side: No one opposed the surveys. The debate was about what comes next. Councilmember Belle La asked about collision rates, school-zone warning signs and the state's new safety-corridor tool. Staff said that designation can cover only one-fifth of the road network and would require a separate citywide study. “We do approve this because we're moving forward with having a baseline,” La said.

Councilmember Sue Noack urged the council to tackle the most dangerous roads first: “We don't want to do the safety network before we do the potential changes based on the high injury network.”

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The resolution passed on a Szakats motion and a Noack second. The vote was For: 5 (Shess, Obolenskiy, La, Noack, Szakats), Against: 0, Absent: 0. No one spoke during public comment. Morello drivers face a lower limit. Police keep enforceable limits on their busiest citation corridors. Neighbors along high-injury roads avoided speed-limit increases.

What's next: Public Works Director Ann James agreed to look at swapping existing 25 mph signs for school-zone signs. Any safety-corridor designation would need a separate citywide study. No timeline was set.

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Two Contracts Restart the City Hall Pond

Why it matters: The council cleared the two biggest obstacles to rehabilitating the City Hall pond: getting rid of the sludge and hiring a builder. The project also fixes a trip hazard under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at the city's civic hub.

Where things stand: Danny Urrutia, Assistant Engineer, said the pond dates to 1991 and was last fully cleaned in 2011. Since then it has built up waste from koi, turtles and algae. Republic Services will drain the pond and haul away the sludge for $201,397.59 in Measure K funds already in the project budget. Crews will work in phases, moving wildlife between sections. Wire mesh will be added to six connecting pipes.

The other side: “Why couldn't we go out for a bid with multiple companies?” Szakats asked. La raised the same issue and asked about overtime line items. James said informal bidding was allowed: “It's $200,000 for the informal bid with a 10% buffer. So we were within our threshold.” She said staff brought the contract to council anyway for transparency.

James said the market offered no alternatives. East Bay MUD's digester is closed to outside users, and Livermore limits tonnage. Republic, referred by the city of Hercules, was the only willing one-stop provider. “There's literally no one that wants our sludge,” she said. The material tested as non-hazardous. Staff added a disposal clause with the city attorney, and overtime is capped as do-not-exceed.

On construction, staff chose design option 1 after two earlier bid rounds for the costlier design option 2 were rejected. Option 1 retiles the fountain, improves piping and aeration, refreshes the equipment room and replaces the hazardous plaza tile with continuous non-slip concrete. Two bids came in. All About Building was the lowest responsive bidder. Cutting bid item 8, the wood skimmer-box decking, saved $200,000.

Funding draws on several sources:
- Measure J Fund 306
- Measure K money obligated in prior years
- Fund 308
- General fund money that originated as federal ARPA dollars
- A $166,072 contingency
- $100,000 from sidewalk maintenance and $75,000 from ADA program funds

Donor tiles can be returned to donors. Staff said an interactive map will let residents search tile names, and a live camera feed is planned.

Szakats noted that both bidders came from the Sacramento area. “I would like to keep that second design in the back of our heads for the future,” she said, along with a possible public-private partnership. Mayor Zac Shess called the package, which taps sidewalk money in a tight fiscal year, “also an exercise in compromise.”

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The Republic agreement passed on a Noack motion and an Obolenskiy second. The construction contract passed on a Noack motion and a Szakats second. Both votes were For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0. The trade-off: $175,000 shifts away from sidewalk and ADA programs elsewhere in the city.

What's next: Construction is expected to finish in May 2027.

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County Warns of Federal Health Cuts

Why it matters: Ken Carlson, Contra Costa County Supervisor, District IV, said federal HR 1 changes could push residents off health and food programs. That would put more pressure on local safety-net and homelessness services.

Where things stand: Carlson walked through the county's $7.25 billion budget, expanded Basic Health Care coverage, results from the A3 crisis response program, SAFE Center funding and $1 million in district community impact funds. He also covered the Oak Grove campus and unleaded aviation fuel at Buchanan Field.

He then turned to the risks. “We're looking at over 90,000 people potentially falling out of healthcare,” Carlson said. He also projected:
- More than 17,000 residents losing CalFresh food aid
- A $730 million county health system deficit through 2031
- Shorter terms for housing vouchers

Szakats asked whether lost funds might be restored. Carlson said recovery would take years: “What it takes a minute to destroy can take significant time to repair.”

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was taken. Councilmembers asked about clawbacks, Medi-Cal recertification every six months, and how residents reach crisis help through CORE, 211, 988 and A3. They also asked about hazmat and tire inspection coordination, voucher changes, a county sustainability partnership, the Air District's vote on its water heater rule and the share of unleaded fuel at Buchanan Field.

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Education Commission Seeks Closer School Ties

Where things stand: Jeff Guido, Chair, Education Commission, reported on several efforts:
- Neighbor Nights
- A gun violence education plan
- United Against Hate events with the Diversity Commission
- Art displays, new commissioners and new subcommittees
- A principal survey, with 3 of 11 returned

He asked the council to consider “if we could allow certain commissioners from time to time to be able to participate remotely.” The council took no action on the request.

Why it matters: Councilmembers tied the commission's work to traffic. “We get tons of emails from constituents about traffic,” said Vice Mayor Andrei Obolenskiy. He proposed inviting commissioners to the mayor's annual principal safety meetings. Members also raised:
- Links to PTSAs
- Reaching school-based commissioners who lack city email addresses
- Enrollment growth and traffic at Fair Oaks Elementary
- Vaping education

Noack said the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is working on countywide school transportation.

Commissioner Jeanne Donovan said relationships come before programs: “We gotta make friends with our principals first.”

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar: The council approved the Oct. 19 minutes and checks dated Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, 5-0. An earlier closed session on labor negotiations produced nothing to report.
• Housing comment: Residents Annette Golinus and Bruce Arian criticized single-family rezonings. Arian said about 1,100 parcels and 142 acres were rezoned and urged plain-language education on the 650-page General Plan and Housing Element.
• Diwali proclamation: Shess proclaimed Nov. 8, 2026, as Diwali. “May we become the light we wish to see in our community,” said Sharon Jacob, Commissioner, Diversity Commission.
• City manager notes: City Manager Ethan Bindernagel said sandbag stations are open at City Hall, the community center and a new old schoolhouse site. He also announced a caregiver workshop on Nov. 4 and a Diwali event at the Pleasant Hill Night Market on Nov. 6.
• Council reports: Noack flagged the Plan Bay Area 2060 workshop by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and upcoming closures on Route 24 and Appian Way. Obolenskiy described an exchange with a Ukrainian mayor hosted by Orinda.

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Looking Ahead

The council adjourned in memory of former Pittsburg council member Merle Craft. Its next regular meeting is Monday, Nov. 16.