Hemet Project Planning and Engineering

Challenge: The City of Hemet, located in Riverside County, California, needed assistance to respond to growing housing and development needs throughout the City. The engineering department was short on staff, causing a backlog of projects and a lull in updating its Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Plan reviews and development projects also lagged.

Solution: In 2019, HR Green began providing engineering services, including serving as the City Engineer, and was responsible for delivering capital projects and enhancing the plan check delivery process. HR Green’s role with the City rapidly expanded to include all engineering duties, including CIP planning, plan review, and design. It also included serving as the CIP Manager responsible for managing the City’s Capital Improvement budget and overseeing the design and construction of all capital projects and grant writing/administration.

As part of the City engineering responsibilities, HR Green staff are involved with the projects from conception and budgeting through construction management and closeout. They manage a wide array of projects for both engineering and public works, including the City’s water/sewer system. To date, HR Green has helped the City manage the following updates:

• Implemented $15 million worth of CIP projects in the first two years after starting with the City
• Assisted Public Works with developing projects and delivering long overdue water and sewer projects identified in the CIP or otherwise needed
• Addressed the backlog of pavement management needs, including the design and construction management for slurry seal, overlay, or reconstruction projects citywide
• The development review and plan check process were streamlined by routing plans through HR Green’s electronic review process.
• Developed the first five-year CIP (in FY 21/22) incorporating all City Departments (including Public Works, Fire, Parks, Administrative, etc.)
• Collaborated with Community Development to prepare entitlement reviews for over 3,500 residential units over the past several years and conducted engineering plan reviews on the residential units, commercial and industrial projects throughout the city
• Represented the City at the regional COG and MPO and coordinated efforts to obtain state and federal funding for various safety-enhancing projects

HR Green delivered the experience of a large and diverse company to the community of Hemet to provide engineering solutions for CIP and development-related activities. The City Council is pleased with the improvements throughout the city and has encouraged staff to continue to develop and implement additional CIP projects.