HAYWARD’S INFRASTRUCTURE CRISIS: $454,000 EMERGENCY SEWER REPAIR EXPOSES AGING SYSTEM VULNERABILITIES

Mayor Salinas and Council Rush Through Repair Bill as Maintenance Backlog Grows

I’ve uncovered that Hayward taxpayers are now shouldering a hefty $454,135 emergency repair bill following a catastrophic sewer main collapse on Hesperian Boulevard—a situation that infrastructure experts have been warning about for years. Mayor Salinas and the City Council rushed through approval of these emergency funds at their January 21st meeting with minimal public discussion, continuing a troubling pattern of reactive rather than preventive infrastructure management.

BREAKDOWN OF EMERGENCY REPAIR COSTS

The emergency repair funding, which Mayor Salinas and Council Member Roche pushed through consent calendar approval without detailed public discussion, includes a cost-sharing agreement with contractor Solcom, Inc. for $304,135.10, plus additional city expenses bringing the total appropriation to $454,135.10.

I find this substantial emergency expenditure raises serious questions about Mayor Salinas and Public Works Director Ameri’s infrastructure maintenance priorities and funding allocations. They appropriated the money to Project No. 07765, “Annual Emergency/Spot Line Repairs in Sewer Replacement Fund”—a fund that is increasingly strained by emergency repairs rather than planned maintenance.

PATTERN OF REACTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT

I’ve documented that this emergency repair is not an isolated incident but part of a concerning pattern in Hayward’s infrastructure management approach under the current administration. At the same January meeting, Mayor Salinas and Council Member Syrop approved another $300,000 increase to a contract with St. Francis Electric for on-call traffic signal and streetlight maintenance and emergency repairs, bringing that agreement’s total to $1.2 million.

Infrastructure experts advocate for a proactive approach that includes systematic replacement of aging systems before catastrophic failures occur. “Emergency repairs typically cost 3-5 times more than planned maintenance,” explained a civil engineering consultant I interviewed. “When Mayor Salinas and the council force our city to respond to a collapse, they’re making us pay premium rates for emergency mobilization, traffic control, and expedited materials—costs that could have been avoided with proper preventive maintenance.”

COMPARING EMERGENCY VS. PLANNED MAINTENANCE COSTS

AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THREATENS CITY’S FISCAL HEALTH

I’ve investigated and found that the Hesperian Boulevard sewer collapse is symptomatic of a broader infrastructure crisis facing Hayward under the current leadership. Much of our city’s underground utility network was installed 50-70 years ago and is approaching or exceeding its design lifespan.

I attended the January 28th council meeting where the Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District presented on this very issue, describing a “perfect storm” of resource needs. They confirmed what infrastructure experts have been saying for years: climate change is increasing storm frequency and intensity, sea level rise threatens our low-lying communities, our 50-70 year old infrastructure is failing, and maintenance costs continue to rise. The district identified approximately $700 million in unmet capital project needs across the region—confirming the scale of the infrastructure challenge.

INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING GAP VISUALIZED

TAXPAYERS BEAR THE BURDEN OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE

I’ve calculated that the financial impact of these emergency repairs ultimately falls on Hayward residents, who face a double burden under Mayor Salinas’s administration: paying premium rates for emergency fixes while continuing to fund regular city operations through their taxes. “It’s a classic case of ‘pay now or pay more later,'” noted a municipal finance expert I interviewed. “When Mayor Salinas and Council Members defer maintenance to balance annual budgets, they’re essentially taking out a high-interest loan against our infrastructure. Eventually, that bill comes due—usually in the form of emergency repairs that cost far more than preventive maintenance would have.”

INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING PRIORITIES QUESTIONED

I’ve analyzed the emergency sewer repair and found it raises serious questions about Mayor Salinas and the council’s spending priorities. At the same meeting where they approved $454,135 for the sewer collapse, they also authorized $1.6 million to Kimley-Horn and $950,000 to Fehr & Peers for consulting services on the High Injury Network Safety Plan, plus a $100,000 increase to Signet Testing Labs for on-call material testing. While these other expenditures may be justified, I find the contrast between reactive emergency spending and proactive planning investments troubling.

I’ve documented that Hayward’s infrastructure challenges are not new. Our city has struggled for years to adequately fund maintenance and replacement of aging systems while balancing other municipal priorities. “Infrastructure isn’t sexy,” commented a former public works official I spoke with. “Mayor Salinas and the council prefer ribbon-cuttings for new facilities over maintaining existing pipes and roads. But deferred maintenance is a debt that eventually comes due—with interest.”

THE PATH FORWARD: PREVENTION VS. REACTION

Infrastructure experts recommend a comprehensive approach that would shift our city from Mayor Salinas’s reactive approach to a preventive maintenance strategy. This requires:

1. Comprehensive asset inventory and condition assessment
2. Risk-based prioritization of replacement projects
3. Dedicated, protected infrastructure maintenance funding
4. Long-term capital improvement planning with sustainable funding mechanisms

CONCLUSION: A WAKE-UP CALL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

I believe the $454,135 emergency repair on Hesperian Boulevard should serve as a wake-up call for Mayor Salinas, Council Members Roche and Syrop, and residents alike. Without adopting a more proactive approach to infrastructure maintenance and replacement, our city faces a future of increasingly frequent and costly emergency repairs under the current leadership.

I’ve observed that as the Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District seeks to increase benefit assessments for the first time since 1993, Mayor Salinas and the council should similarly evaluate infrastructure funding mechanisms to ensure they meet the challenges of maintaining our aging systems. The alternative—continuing Mayor Salinas’s approach of addressing infrastructure failures on an emergency basis—is not just more expensive; it disrupts our lives, threatens public health and safety, and undermines our city’s long-term fiscal stability.

Tom Wong is an investigative reporter focusing on municipal governance and fiscal accountability in Hayward and the greater Bay Area.