Sentinel staff report–
Citrus Heights City Council members on Thursday approved a contract for up to $723,000 to be used for repaving portions of six residential streets, totaling a distance of about 1.3 miles. The project is the first residential repaving to take place in Citrus Heights since 2016 and is also the first time funding from SB 1, the controversial $52 billion “gas tax” facing possible repeal by voters, will be used for repaving in the city.
The contract was approved unanimously as a consent item during the City Council’s Sept. 27 meeting and was awarded to McGuire and Hester, a Bay Area-based construction contractor who was the lowest responsive bidder of seven bids submitted to the City. According to a staff report, SB 1 funds will cover $523,000 of the project’s cost, while the remaining amount will come from Measure A and non-SB 1 gas tax funds.
Which streets are on the list?
- Auburn Frontage, from Cobalt Way to west end.
- Catamaran Drive, from Tupelo Drive to city limit.
- Knisley Court, from Sadro Street to end.
- Tareyton Way, from Ansbrough Drive to Cobalt Way.
- Baranga Drive, from Winlock Avenue to Cobalt Way.
- Capricorn Drive, from Pleides Avenue to Mariposa Avenue.
The staff report says streets are selected for resurfacing on a priority basis through staff inspection of roadways and a computerized pavement management system, which “coordinates and prioritizes various elements of pavement maintenance and types of resurfacing based on various factors including surface and structural condition, traffic volume, costs, and historical repairs.”
Each street is ranked on a “pavement condition index” scale of 1-100, with 100 being the best condition possible. The six streets all had rankings of 25, according to City Operations Manager Regina Cave.
Cave said “pre-construction” work for the repaving project will begin immediately, with field work starting as early as Oct. 8th.
A proposed list with additional streets to be repaved in fiscal year 2018-19 using SB 1 funds was also previously approved by the City Council in April. A total of 13 sections of streets appear on that list, some of which are included in current contract. The streets are as follows:
- Baranga Drive, from Winlock to Cobalt.
- Capricorn Drive, from Pleides to Mariposa
- Cheval Court, from Amsterdam to the cul-de-sac.
- Graham Circle, at Circuit Drive
- Halifax Street, from Auburn to Westbrook
- Daly Avenue, from Birchglade to Tupelo
- Alma Mesa Way, from Dana Butte to San Cosme
- Alma Mesa Way, from San Cosme to the cul-de-sac
- Carrick Court, from Menke to the cul-de-sac
- Coronet Court, from Minuet to the cul-de-sac
- Holm Oak Way, from Garry Oak to Lobata
- Longden Circle, at Argo Drive
- Sunwood Way, from Starflower to Misty Creek
As previously reported by The Sentinel, Cave said more repaving work is planned for spring 2019, but she said the total number of streets “will depend on the results of Prop 6,” referring to the proposition seeking to repeal the gas tax increase.
The City received about $500,000 in “direct allocation” funding through SB 1 for the last fiscal year, which ended June 30 and is being used to fund repaving on the first six streets sections. The City is also projected to get about $1.44 million in direct allocation SB 1 funds for the current fiscal year, which the City has said is intended to go exclusively towards residential repaving.
If the gas tax is repealed by voters, Cave said the City would still get an estimated $600,000 in its direct allocation funds from SB 1 for the current fiscal year, since those funds will continue to come in each month through November. Since the money doesn’t have to be returned in the event of repeal, those funds would still be able to pay for additional repaving in the spring.
Citrus Heights Mayor Steve Miller has said he expects SB 1 will be repealed by voters, but noted at a recent candidate forum that additional funding will be available for road repaving in 2022, when the City’s 25-year “revenue neutrality” agreement with Sacramento County ends and an additional $5-6 million in revenue from property taxes is able to be allocated by the City.
All five candidates running for City Council this year have also said a portion of the property tax revenue should go towards road repair, as well as replenishing reserves.
For more, see article: Q&A: when will the roads be repaved in Citrus Heights?
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