The Fullerton City Council is poised to make a significant decision at its upcoming meeting on April 7, 2026, regarding easements from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). On the agenda in the consent items ($4) is an approval for an annual administrative fee of $2,500 for each of the five easements, totaling $12,500 annually. The funding for these payments will be drawn from the city’s Sewer Enterprise Funds (Fund 47) for sewer operations and Sanitation/Debris Capital Outlay Funds (Funds 23 and 36) for drainage facilities, with current budget provisions deemed adequate to cover these costs.
The City of Fullerton has previously secured multiple easements from USACE, which grant rights-of-way for a range of essential facilities, including roadway access to Bastanchury Road, recreational sites, and critical sewer and drainage systems. However, five recently expired easements—three related to sewer facilities and two to drainage—require renewal to prevent disruption.
City staff confirmed that all facilities linked to the expired easements are still operational, with no plans to replace or abandon them. The renewed easements would extend for a new 50-year term, set to expire in 2075. Initially, USACE suggested a higher annual fee of $3,500 per easement, but after negotiations, the fee was lowered to the current proposal of $2,500…