As Santa Cruz County roads suffered another onslaught of mudslides, wind, heavy rain, floods, falling trees and washouts from winter rains, officials were struggling this week to unleash federal and state funds so repairs can begin.
Even before this week’s torrential storms, the price tag for the storm damage soared from earlier estimates.
By Feb. 3, the county had identified 90 storm-related road projects, totaling about $25 million. That’s up from $5 million just two weeks ago. That doesn’t count damage to residences, or water and electric utilities.
“We got hammered,” said Fifth District Supervisor Bruce McPherson. The county is the epicenter of the winter water disaster, he said: Santa Cruz County accounts for 10 percent of statewide damages.
“We don’t have the financial resources.”
McPherson, county Public Works Director John Presleigh and Rep. Anna Eshoo toured some of the hardest hit areas in the Santa Cruz Mountains last week, so the Congresswoman could get a first-hand look at some of the damage.
The county Public Works Department is working feverishly, he said, but right now they are still completing emergency requests for December-January storm damages.
“It’s a lengthy process,” said Presleigh. “We are moving as quickly as possible.”
Presleigh added that he has drafted a number of sanitation engineers to work filling out paperwork for state and federal funding requests.
Part of the problem is that the criterion for federal and state funding is multi-layered. “It’s an ever-moving target,” McPherson said.
McPherson said that aid falls into two categories: emergency repair to open roads, and total repair projects. The former takes about six months to begin work, while repairs take 24 months because of required environmental documents.
“I hope people don’t expect construction crews any time soon,” he said.
While the county waits for a response from the federal and state governments, workers are eyeing Measure D funds, the bond issue approved by voters in November, of which $2.5 million will become available this summer.
Measure D, the 30-year transportation improvement measure, was passed by more than a two-thirds majority of Santa Cruz County voters..
Implementation of Measure D funds is being overseen by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), headquartered in downtown Santa Cruz, the regional transportation planning agency..
“The Regional Transportation Commission has transitioned into implementation of Measure D and is moving full speed ahead,” said George Dondero, Executive Director, in a Feb. 2 report.
Last week, the RTC directed jurisdictions receiving funds to develop a five-year program of projects, identifying how they plan to use Measure D funds in the upcoming five years.
That five-year plan will be updated annually and approved through a public hearing process. Beginning in 2018, agencies will adopt an annual report which includes an updated five-year plan.
Agencies were asked to have their plans completed for the RTC’s April meeting.
