Toby Wells, who starts Sept. 16 as Manteca’s city manager, is no stranger to the Family City.
Before he started his public works career in Ceres where he eventually served as city manager for six years, Wells worked for Pulte Homes putting together the 1,407 home Del Webb at Woodbridge neighborhood as well as serving for more than a year as executive director of the age-restricted community.
After the council officially his three-year contract on Tuesday, Wells shared how working in the executive director position led to his decision to pursue a career in city management due to the satisfaction he derived from working with residents to solve problems.
When at Ceres that is right around the 50,000 population mark, Wells oversaw endeavors similar to challenges Manteca is dealing with and has faced such as an orderly and smooth opening of regulated storefront cannabis sales and work on the Hatch Road/Highway 99 interchange destined to become the second diverging diamond in California. The first is in Manteca at Union Road and the 120 Bypass. Wells also played an instrumental role in the makeover of downtown Ceres.
Turlock hired Wells in March 2020 as city manager. Eight months later after a new council was elected he was placed on administrative leave by a new council majority. In May of 2021 the Turlock City Council approved a settlement agreement with Wells.
Since leaving Turlock, Wells has been working as an engineer with the City of Modesto.
He was an associate civil engineer for the city of Turlock from 1998 to 2000. Wells then became Ceres City Engineer in July 2011 and also served as public works director.
Manteca is paying Wells $230,000 a year.
Manteca has buyer interested
in 9 acres they have interest in
at Airport Way & Woodward
Manteca City Council met in closed session this week to discuss an offer for 9.08 acres the city has an ownership interest in on the northeast corner of Airport Way and Woodward Avenue.
Sale of the land kitty-corner from where 827 homes that are part of the Lumina project has been proposed, could give Manteca’s long-term plan to address growing homeless issues a big financial push.
That’s because the council has discussed using their share of the proceeds to buy 8.04 acres along South Main Street to develop a combination homeless navigation center and mixed use project that could possibly include affordable housing.
It would also get the initial infrastructure in place for a homeless navigation center without using general fund money needed to pay for day-to-day services such as police and fire protection.
In May the council voted to remove regulatory restrictions on the land they purchased in 2005 in a partnership with MidPen for an affordable housing project similar to Juniper Apartments on Atherton Drive that no longer is financially viable. They also agreed to the sale.
MidPen only wants their $1.52 million investment back.
Manteca would get back their $2.5 million put up to help buy the land. They also will realize anything beyond $4.2 million the land sells for.
It has an appraised market value of $6.43 million based on its zoning for commercial mixed use that allows high density housing and commercial uses.
If the land sells for that much, Manteca could realize $4.5 million.
The city can buy the site can buy the South Main Street redevelopment property for $1.58 million. Just over $220,000 of that would go to the city with the rest distributed to nine other taxing agencies such as the Manteca Unified School District, San Joaquin County, Delta College, and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District.
That would reduce the net sales price to Manteca to $1.36 million. With the sale of the MidPen property the city will be able to cover the balance of the land purchase plus cover infrastructure costs and the acquisition of Sprung Structures for a homeless navigation center.
The council has made it clear they want the homeless navigation center portion at the back of the property with a masonry wall isolating it from the proposed adjoining affordable housing use and South Main Street.
The navigation center would only be accessible from Carnegie Court.
Raising Cane’s paid
for police manpower
Manteca Police officers used to untangle the traffic issues the grand opening of Raising Cane’s created on Yosemite Avenue were paid for by the fast food restaurant, according to Interim City Manager Mike Harden.
The restaurant also worked with the city to switch to a temporary drive thru entrance from Cottage Court when the queue in line creates issues with traffic movements on Yosemite Avenue.
It is why Raising Cane’s didn’t lay an egg as big as Chick-fil-A did during their grand opening and in the following months especially on Saturdays when traffic is heaviest on Yosemite Avenue.
To contact with Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
