Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 12

71 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 PATTERSON, CAL I FORNI A tanks.” These initiatives have been complicated somewhat by the state of California adding new restrictions to its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). However, Patterson was fortunate that it was able to modify its proposals to ensure they remained compliant. “We have a really good water portfolio,” Irwin adds. “Luckily, we also don’t depend on surface water, so the droughts that are becoming such a huge issue for many parts of California aren’t as significant a problem for Patterson.” With respect to water infrastructure and sewer needs, water infrastructure engineering firm LEE + RO has also been an integral part of the city’s developments in terms of its wastewater treatment. As McCord attests, “LEE + RO provided design and construction phase engineering services on a $2 million biosolids dewatering facility to improve Patterson’s sludge management practices. The design incorporates “There is a substantial amount of retail that we could attract,” says James. “To that end, we contracted with a consultant to conduct a retail leakage analysis where they evaluated every retail category and we were able to quantify that a substantial amount of retail leakage in all retail categories with only two exceptions. Armed with the empirical data from the report, we are now in a better position to tell retailers, restaurants, and the like that Patterson is a good investment and that we meet or exceed their siting criteria. An increase in retail sales provides the city with the revenue to expand and enhance city services.” Aside from retail, another focus for city staff is water management. “We have a lot going on with our water here, fixing infrastructure, making sure we locate water for the future,” City of Patterson Mayor Dennis McCord acknowledges. “The new growth that we spoke about earlier is paying for a water recharge program to replenish our aquifer, new wells, and new water