HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08211990 - IO.1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra
FROM:
Internal Operations Committee
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DATE:
August 13, 1990
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Proposed Response to the Report of the 1989-90 Grand Jury:
SUBJECT: "County Road Preventive Maintenance"
SPECIFIC REOUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Adopt this report of our Committee as the Board of Supervisors' response to
the Report of the 1989-90 Grand Jury: "County Road Preventive Maintenance."
2. Direct the Public Works Director to review any and all additional sources of
funding for road maintenance and bring to the Board's attention any
additional sources which appear to be feasible.
3. Remove this item as a referral to our Committee.
BACKGROUND
On May 11, 1990 the 1989-90 Grand Jury submitted the report entitled "County Road
Preventive Maintenance" which was subsequently referred to the Internal Operations
Committee. On August 13, 1990 our Committee met to discuss the recommendations
and review proposed responses. At the conclusion of these discussions we prepared
the attached response utilizing a format suggested by a previous Grand Jury which
requested that responses clearly specify:
A. Whether the recommendation is accepted or adopted;
B. If the recommendation is accepted, a statement as to who will be responsible
for implementation and a definite target date;
C. A delineation of constraints if a recommendation is accepted but cannot be
implemented within the calendar year; and
D. The reason for not adopting a recommendation.
Responses to Grand Jury recommendations coming from our Committee will follow this
format as closely as possible.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: RYES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATIONfOOF//pCOOUUN�TY ADMINISTRATOR -RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMI EE
_APPROVE X_4;
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SIGNATURES: Su ervisor S. W. McPeak Stinervisor T. Powers
ACTION OF BOARD ON August 21, 1990 _ A kPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT III, I V ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Cc: County Administrator ATTESTED e7", /990
Grand Jury Foreman PHIL BAT ELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Public Works Director SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
BY DEPUTY
M382 (10/88)
COUN'T'Y ROAD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Recommendation No. 1
Pursue ways to generate additional revenue for road needs, such as a dedicated
service area parcel tax for road preventive maintenance and priority use of the
County's Measure C allocation.
Response
A. We concur with this recommendation.
B. The Public Works Department is continually seeking and applying for Federal
and State funding for any project that will qualify. Some federally funded
projects will provide for the overlay of a road while other projects may
replace a bridge or install a signal, so the benefit to our pavement
maintenance program varies.
Several years ago there was discussion of a "parcel tax" for local road
maintenance; the idea being that every parcel, regardless of size or value,
would pay a uniform tax towards the maintenance of the local road system in
their area. The idea, however, appeared to be a concept whose time had not
yet come, as it was not well received. We will continue to pursue the idea
of assessment districts in those areas of the County where the concept may be
acceptable to the citizens.
Proposition 111 was recently approved by the voters which will increase gas
tax revenues. The Transportation Committee is preparing a report on this new
revenue source with recommendations on how the revenue should be spent. The
draft report recommends the bulk of Proposition 111 revenue and all of
Measure C return to source monies be expended on our pavement maintenance
program. This report, however, has not been approved by the Transportation
Committee nor submitted to the Board at this time.
C. Implementation of this recommendation is ongoing.
Recommendation No. 2
Fund a program to reduce BACKLOG by at least five percent each year based on a
realistic plan submitted by the Public Works Department.
Response
A. This recommendation is accepted insofar as its intent to reduce the backlog.
B. The Public Works Department is stifled in its ability to reduce road
maintenance backlog by funding constraints and other road priorities.
C. Funding from Proposition 111 and Measure C may enable the County to reduce
the rate of backlog growth but not actually reduce backlog.
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Recommendation No. 3
Report to the public annually on the progress made on road maintenance.
Response
A. We concur with the need for regular reports.
B. The Director of Public Works. will report on the Preventive Maintenance
Program every two years in accordance with requirements of AB 471.
C. AB 471 requires each County and City to have a Preventive Maintenance Program
and report on the program every two years. We feel compliance would satisfy
the intent of the Grand Jury.
r
A REPORT BY Contra Costa County
RECEIVED
THE 1989-90 CONTRA COSTA COUNTY GRAND JURY
1020 ward Street MAY 1 1990
Martinez, CA 94553
(415) 646-2345 Office of
County Adm?r:strator
COUNTY ROAD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
APPROVED BY THE GRAND JURY: Io 4
DATE:
DONALD G. HAYWCK
GRAND FO
ACCEPTED OR ILING:
DATE ( I go 0 ;
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NELLBERG
P NG JUDGE F THE SUPERIOR COURT
J r,r •
SECTION 933 (c) OF THE CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE
• Sec. 933. Findings and recommendations; cam-
meat of governing bodies, elective officers,
or agency heads
(c) No later than-90 days after the&-and jury submits
a final report on the operations of, zny public agency
subject to its reviewing authority, the governing body of
the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of
the superior court on the findings and recommendations
pertaining to matters under the control of the governing
body,and every elective county officer or agency head for
which the grand jury has responsiimlity pursuant to
Section 914.1 shall comment within 60 days to the
presiding judge of the superior court,with an information
copy sent to the board of supervisors,on the findings and
recommendations pertaining to matters under the control
of that county officer or agency head and any agency or
agencies which that officer or agency head supervises or
controls. In any city and county, the mayor shall also
comment on the findings and recommendations. All
such comments and reports shall fortuwith be submitted
to the presiding judge of the superior court who impan-
eled the grand jury. A copy of all rmsperoses to grand
jury reports shall be placed on file winh the clerk of the
public agency and the office of the caounryclerk, or the
mayor when applicable, and shall remain on file in those
offices. One copy shall be placed on file with the
applicable grand jury final report by, and in the control
of the currently impaneled grand jury, where it shall be
maintained for a minimum of five wean. (Added by
Stats 1961, c 1284, §1. Amended by Stats 1963, c 674,
§ I; Sram 1974, c 393, § 6; Stats-1974, c 1396, § 3;
Stats 1977, c 107, § 6; Stats 1977, c 187, § 1; Stats
1980, c 543, § 1; Stats 1981, c 203, a 1; Stant 1982 c
1408, § 5,• Stats 1985, c 221, § 1; Srau 1987, c 690,
§ 1; Sram 1988, c 1297, § 5.)
Former § 933, added by Stats.198Z, c. 118. § 6, amended by
Stats.1985,c-221,§ Z,operative Jan. 1. 1989,was repealed by Stats.1987,
c 690, § 2.
Former § 933, added by Stan.1959, a SOL § 2, was repealed by
Stan 1959. c. 1812, 1 3.
COUNTY ROAD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
SUMMARY
Contra Costa County streets and roads are deteriorating to
the point where the roads are no longer responding to
routine cyclic treatment; significant rehabilitation is
required to return them to an acceptable level of service.
This deterioration is due. to declining maintenance which is
a result of escalating costs and lack of revenue.
Maintenance . cutbacks have led to several consequences: a
backlog of $32.5 million for 1989-90 in required construc-
tion costs, higher user costs and increased liability
exposure for local government. At the current rate of
funding and projected increase in use, it is predicted that
every street in the unincorporated areas of the County will
require major rehabilitation within ten years.
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INTRODUCTION
This report focuses on the condition of Contra Costa
County's streets and roads and the maintenance program
associated with them_ These streets and roads are valued at
approximately 750 million dollars and are vital to the
private and public lives of Contra Costa County residents.
Our inquiry was prcmmpted by County Department of Public
Works reports to the Board of Supervisors in 1985 and 1988
that the road system is _in a state of serious progressive
deterioration.
FINDINGS
1. The basic life of a professionally designed and
constructed roadway pavement is 15-20 years, depending
upon the weight of traffic traversing it (trucks and
cars) , drainage features (water) and compaction ratios
(air) of the base and surface materials used. This
basic life can be extended by periodic applications of
surface seals and spot replacement of missing pavement
components where "pot holes" have developed.
2. A proper pavement preventive maintenance schedule can
extend road life to approximately sixty years - three
to four times the basic life expectancy. Typically, a
maintenance schedule involves interim "seal coats" of
asphalt and gravel to protect the roadway from water
and air intrus_on. After sixty years of use a road
will generally require reconstruction.
3 . The County is currently responsible for approximately
750 miles of road with an estimated value of $750
million.
4. The roads are classified as follows: arterial (253
, miles) , collectar (75 miles) and access (420 miles) .
5. The physical condition of a road is categorized by the
type oftreatment the road would need in order to raise
it to an acceptable level. If the road does not
respond to the mreventive maintenance , technique, it is
placed into BACKLOG (the term used to define roads
beyond repair) . In most cases there will be no further
maintenance except in terms of safety, such as posting
"Rough Road" signs and patching potholes.
6. Eighty-five miles (11.6 percent) of County roads are no
longer responsive to routine cyclic treatment and
require significant rehabilitation or reconstruction in
order to return them to an acceptable level of service
condition.
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7. Currently, the BACKLOG category contains 54 miles of
arterial roads, 5 miles of collector roads and 26 miles
of access roads.
8. As of 1990, the estimated cost of rebuilding BACKLOG
roads is $32.5 million.
9. The County Pavement Management Program predicts that at
the current level of maintenance and the projected
increase in road use, every road in the unincorporated
area of the County .will require major rehabilitation
within ten years.
10. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission using a
computer transportation model, estimates 1.28 million
vehicle trips will be generated in Contra Costa County
each weekday by the year 2005, which represents a 35
percent increase above the 1985 level. This does not
include the inevitable increase in truck travel.
11. The General Road Maintenance Program budget for 1989-90
is $4.96 million, which includes all road maintenance
activities except for pavement maintenance.
12. The Pavement Maintenance Program budget for 1989-90 is
$3.26 million as compared to actual expenditures of
$2.92 million in 1988-89 and $2.24 million in 1987-88.
This: is the program which provides for the patching of
deteriorated pavement .and application of surface seals.
13. Unsafe roads will expose the County to higher potential
losses through liability claims and payments.
14.. The County's road program is funded from four primary
sources: state gasoline tax, developer fees, federal.
grants and County funds. All developer fees and most
of the federal grants are restricted to new road
construction. Property tax funds . are not currently
being used for maintenance purposes.
CCKCLUSrCNS
The 1989-90 Cont,--a Costa County Grand Jury concludes
that:
1. Inadequate funding of maintenance programs over the
past years has allowed County roads to deteriorate to
the extent that more than routine treatment is required
to restore and maintain an acceptable level of service.
2. The condition of the County roads and streets continues
to deteriorate, placing the $750 million investment in
jeopardy and allowing liability exposure to increase.
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' f
3 .. The funding of an adequate preventive maintenance
program is needed to maintain County roads at an
acceptable level of service, eliminate BACKLOG and
reduce the need for major maintenance.
4. Effective preventive maintenance will reduce annual
maintenance costs.
5. Preventive maintenance will limit motor vehicle
operating costs and will reduce the number and
magnitude of potential liability claims against the
County.
RECONMENDATIONS
The 1989-90 Contra Costa County Grand Jury recommends
that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Pursue ways to generate additional revenue for road
needs, such as a dedicated service area parcel tax for
road preventive maintenance and priority use of the
County's Measure C allocation.
.2. Fund a _ program to reduce BACKLOG by at least five
percent each year based on a realistic plan submitted
by the Public Works Department.
3. Report .to the public annually on the progress made on
road maintenance.
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