Jennifer Gomez takes over city in time to oversee $17 million expansion of waste water treatment facility
By Crystal Havner
Special to the Sun-Gazette
FARMERSVILLE – Farmersville hired a new city manager just in time to start the largest public works project in city history.
At its April 23 meeting, the Farmersville City Council appointed Jennifer Gomez to serve as city manager. The announcement was made following two closed session items regarding discussion of the appointment as well as an employment contract. “I am really excited to get to work,” Gomez said.
Gomez will be formally sworn in at the May 14 council meeting. The city manager position has been vacant since October when John Jansons announced he was leaving to take the city manager job with the City of Windsor, Calif. in Sonoma County. During his two years in Farmersville, Jansons saw the completion of the roundabout on the north side of Farmersville Boulevard nearest the Highway 198 overpass, the location of a brand new Rite-Aid, the connection of nearby Cameron Creek to the city water system and the beginning phases of the Visalia Road project on the east side of town. In addition he walked the City through the Proposition 218 process just last week to bring the water fund back to projected solvency while bringing the City’s water meters into the 21st century.
Mayor Paul Boyer added, “I hope you have many good years here in Farmersville helping us out.”
Gomez was hired in time to oversee the critical expansion of its wastewater treatment facility. The council accepted a bid of about $17 million from Fresno-based Clark Bros. Inc. to construct the Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion and Upgrades Project. The bid came in $4 million lower than the next lowest bid.
“We had a discussion with Clark Bros. regarding their bid price in relation to other bids. They confirmed their confidence in the bid price provided,” stated the staff report on the item. “We have performed a due-diligence review of Clark Bros. Inc.’s bid documentation, verifying the contractor’s submittal, contractor’s license status, bonding company license status.”
The project is funded by local wastewater funds, the State Water Board’s Revolving Fund and a low-interest loan from the United States Department of Agriculture.
“We have been waiting for this for a long time,” said Mayor Paul Boyer. “This is the biggest construction project for the city. I am excited to finally get this project started.”
