To say that Moraga Public Works Director/Town Engineer Shawn Knapp will leave behind a legacy of improvements during his tenure would be an understatement.  The fact that he was a master at acquiring outside grants and funding, thereby saving the Town millions of dollars, points to his dedication to the job and all that it entailed. It speaks to the commitment he gave to Moraga and its residents from the minute he walked through the Town Offices door on his first day here.

    From the moment Knapp showed up to begin initially serving as the town’s senior civil engineer in April 2017, his skills were put to the test.  “I was supposed to get a lot of filing done and get accustomed to Moraga’s files and projects,” he recalled.  “Before I’d even reached my desk, I was tasked with reopening a bridge that had been closed the night before.” He had to begin designing the new Canyon Road Bridge and secure funding for it. The entire cost of the project was nearly $15 million of which the Town paid only $873,245 thanks to $14,118,755 in grants acquired by Knapp.

    Another massive emergency project that Knapp had to tackle within his first months with the Town was the Rheem Boulevard Sinkhole Repair and Storm Drain Replacement. Within seven months of his arrival, the entire project was completed at a total cost of $2.884 million of which the Town was responsible for only $243,813 thanks to the $2,640,187 in grants received due to Knapp’s diligence.

    In the spring of 2020, Knapp took over the reins of the Public Works Department as its director, and the Town improvements kept rolling in.  Between 2023-2025, the Street Rehabilitation “Worst First Residential Program” Projects used Measure K funding to repair Moraga’s crumbling streets beginning with the worst.  More than half of the Town’s streets had a Pavement Condition Index ranking of 26 – 50 or Poor. Currently, the Town boasts a PCI of 78 or Good. “These exceedingly high street PCIs ranks the Town’s streets in the 86th percentile of all streets in the San Francisco Bay Area, up from the Town’s 75th percentile in 2020,” stated Knapp.

    Knapp’s storm drain projects have included the 2021-23 Town-wide repairs, Storm Drain Addendum of Measure K funding for the program, annual completion of storm drain repairs, the Center Street Sinkhole Abatement Project, maintenance inspection and cleaning, and Moraga Road and Hacienda Drainage Project.

    The Traffic Safety Program and Capital Improvement Projects were a big focus of Knapp’s tenure in Moraga. He devoted his energies to:  Annual Street Rehabilitation and Repair Projects; Annual Minor Traffic Safety Projects; Traffic Speed Studies; Moraga Road and Alta Mesa Intersection Improvements; Moraga Way and Canyon Road/Camino Pablo Improvements; Moraga Road Safety Improvements and Utility Undergrounding Project; three separate Town-wide Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects; Rheem Boulevard at Chalda Way Pedestrian Crossing Project; Local Roadway Safety Plan; St. Mary’s Roundabout Studies; Rheem Boulevard Slide Repair Project; Annual Traffic Signal Equipment Replacement Program; Corliss Drive Sidewalk to School Project; and Pedestrian Push Button Upgrades.

    Knapp has begun several additional projects for the Town, many of which will be completed between 2026 – 2027, including the Moraga Road and Canyon Road Complete Streets project to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety; the Moraga Community Smart Signals Project to reduce transit delays, increase safety for multimodal users, coordinate evacuation routes, and reduce emergency response times; and the Mulholland Ridge Slide Rehabilitation Project to reinforce protection from heavy rain, flooding and landslides.

    Projected for completion between 2030-2031, is the St. Mary’s Road Multimodal Safety Improvements Project that will create a traffic signal-controlled intersection at St. Mary’s Road/Rheem Boulevard and a stop sign-controlled intersection at St. Mary’s Road/Bollinger Canyon Road. Knapp was successful in obtaining a nearly $10 million State Transportation Improvement Program fund for the project.

    In early conceptual stages is Knapp’s Moraga Way Safety and Connectivity Planning Study. “I am immensely proud of myself for originating the concept of developing a separated multi-use pathway/trail along Moraga Way to improve safety for school children, families, and recreational pedestrians and cyclists,” said Knapp.  “The dual use of the separated pathway/trail would be for facilitating evacuations during an emergency.”  Both Orinda and Contra Costa Transportation Authority are working with Moraga to obtain grant funding.

    When asked for comments about Knapp, Mayor Steve Woehleke said, “Shawn’s ability to expertly apply his broad range of technical skills has been critical for a small town like Moraga.  Shawn’s success in obtaining grant funding also demonstrates his very positive impact. For example, almost 50% of this year’s budget for facilities projects is sourced from grant funding. We will miss Shawn’s leadership and unique skill set.”
    Council Member Lisa Maglio added that Knapp’s “dedication, expertise and skillfulness have made Shawn an exceptional Public Works Director/Town Engineer.  Shawn’s graciousness, integrity, and humility show in everything he has done for our community.  He has helped to make my work as a council member a joy and I will miss his steady presence and guidance.”

    Council Member Brian Dolan felt that Shawn was “a perfect fit” for Moraga, noting how he “was able to accomplish a lot with a very small effective team.” Administrative Services Director Katie Bruner, Planning Director Sonia Urzua, and Senior Engineer Nate Levine expressed their appreciation for Knapp’s deep knowledge and all he has done for Moraga.
    
    MOFD Chief Jeff Isaacs said, “It’s been an honor collaborating with someone so committed, thoughtful, and genuinely invested in making our community better,” and MPD Chief Jon King described how he met Knapp on his first day “when he walked into Town Hall, only to be met by the town manager who swooped him up and drove him to the Canyon Road Bridge to look at the slide damage.
 
    “This began a non-stop adventure for Shawn as he led the bridge project, repair of sinkholes, the continuation of Measure K road improvements, and the development of our storm drain repair and replacement program, among other ‘duties as assigned.’  He is the consummate professional and has been dedicated to our Town. Aside from being a solid engineer and a true professional, Shawn has become a good friend, and I have enjoyed working with him,” adding, “We have been fortunate to have him as part of our team and will definitely miss him!”  

     “I’ve accomplished what I’ve set out to do with a lot of interesting and amazing projects,” Knapp said.  “I will miss the staff and the teamwork – working for the common goal to help the Town succeed, and I’ll miss the community that gives generously of their time.  I’ve devoted much of my life to public service, and now it’s time to do projects at home.”