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DATE: |
February 12, 2025 |
02 |
SUBJECT
Title
ESTABLISH APPROPRIATIONS, ADVERTISE AND AWARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS FOR COUNTYWIDE ASPHALT CONCRETE OVERLAY AND SLURRY SEAL TREATMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-25, APPROVE REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO AND THE CITIES OF EL CAJON AND NATIONAL CITY AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) Department of Public Works (DPW) maintains nearly 2,000 centerline miles of roads in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County. Centerline miles represent the total length of roads regardless of the number of lanes or overall roadway width. The County’s average Pavement Condition Index (PCI), an industry-standard rating system used to rate the condition of roads, dropped from 70 in 2012 to 60 in 2016. The change in PCI occurred because of reduced levels of road maintenance work due to rising construction costs and declining gas tax revenues as vehicles became more fuel efficient and less fuel was purchased.
As a result of the Senate Bill 1 (SB1) initiative and the associated resurfacing projects, the condition of County-maintained roads has improved significantly over the past seven years and the current average PCI is 68. DPW received $61.6 million in SB1 revenue in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 and estimates it will receive $61.9 million in FY 2024-25 to continue expanding the road resurfacing program.
To be eligible to receive SB1 revenue, the Board must adopt a resolution each year approving a list of proposed projects, or road resurfacing locations, and submit the resolution and proposed list to the California Transportation Commission (CTC). On June 5, 2024 (02), the Board adopted the annual resolution and proposed a list of roads to be resurfaced during FY 2024-25 using SB1 revenue. On June 7, 2024, the resolution and proposed list of roads were submitted and accepted by the CTC.
DPW performed a thorough engineering design review of the roads included on the proposed FY 2024-25 list and evaluated projected SB1 funding levels and construction costs. This allowed DPW to confirm the initial designs, coordinate planned activities with stakeholders, and adjust the amount of road resurfacing work in FY 2024-25 based on anticipated SB1 funding levels and the most recent bid prices for similar work. While SB1 funding levels have been relatively consistent, recent resurfacing project bid costs have risen due to price increases for materials, labor shortages, and a surge in similar infrastructure projects throughout the region. This increased cost and surge in similar projects by others resulted in an impact on the original timeline. DPW made adjustments based on the list of roads anticipated to be awarded in the prior fiscal year and changes in priorities associated with updated information and community feedback. As a result of this process, DPW adjusted the FY 2024-25 list after evaluating for increased construction costs and feedback from the community. The updated road resurfacing list includes approximately 96.26 centerline miles of County-maintained roads to be resurfaced with available road resurfacing funding included in DPW’s FY 2024-25 Operational Plan. Actual bid prices will determine how many miles of roads will be resurfaced with the available budget.
Additionally, the County coordinates resurfacing activities with neighboring cities for roads that cross County boundaries, which are largely invisible to the public, to allow for the complete resurfacing of those roads. DPW has identified five County-maintained roads that cross into the City of El Cajon and one County-maintained road that crosses into the City of National City where resurfacing coordination will be mutually beneficial and better serve residents by increasing efficiency and reducing construction impacts to the public.
DPW also provides road maintenance services for almost 100 miles of private roads through the Permanent Road Division (PRD) Program. DPW has identified a combined 3.70 centerline miles of road resurfacing in 12 PRD Zones in FY 2024-25 based on available funding, road segment condition, the road segments with the heaviest use, maintaining egress routes in case of disasters, and community input. Road work was identified through field reviews and coordinated with road committees in each PRD Zone.
This is a request to authorize the Clerk of the Board to implement, upon receipt, reimbursement agreements with the Cities of El Cajon and National City for payment of costs to the County to complete road resurfacing work. Additionally, this request seeks approval for the Board to establish appropriations and approve the advertisement and subsequent award of multiple construction contracts to the lowest bidders for asphalt concrete overlay and slurry seal treatments on County-maintained, city-maintained and PRD Zone roads. The available funding and estimated projects’ cost for County-maintained roads for FY 2024-25 is $65,583,318, including an 8% contingency. The estimated project cost for city-maintained roads for FY 2024-25 is $370,946, including a 20% contingency. The estimated projects’ cost for the PRD Zone roads is $2,511,180, including a 20% contingency. Contingencies are incorporated into estimated costs as unplanned or unforeseen conditions that may arise during construction. The funding sources for County-maintained roads are SB1 and TransNet a half-cent countywide sales tax administered by the San Diego Association of Governments that helps fund regional transportation projects. The funding sources for the PRD Zone roads are special district revenues from each PRD Zone at the current rate. The funding source for city-maintained roads is full cost recovery revenue agreements. Advertisement and award of the construction contracts are scheduled for summer 2025. Construction for all FY 2024-25 projects is scheduled to begin in fall 2025 and be completed by the end of 2026.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Find in accordance with Section 15301(c) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines that the proposed projects and approval of the associated revenue agreements are categorically exempt from CEQA review because it involves the maintenance of existing public roads involving no or negligible expansion of existing use.
2. Establish appropriations of $370,946 in the Department of Public Works Road Fund, Services & Supplies, for the AC Overlay 2425 A (North), AC Overlay 2425 B (South), and Pavement Seal 2425 projects based on revenue from the City of National City Agreement and the City of El Cajon Agreements. (4 VOTES)
3. Authorize the Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting, to advertise and award multiple construction contracts and to take other actions authorized by Section 401 et seq. of the Administrative Code with respect to contracting for asphalt concrete overlay and slurry seal treatment projects on County-maintained, city-maintained, and PRD Zone roads as identified in Attachments A through D.
4. Authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute, upon receipt, revenue agreements with the Cities of El Cajon and National City for road resurfacing in accordance with Board Policy B-29 and Attachment A and Attachment B.
5. Designate the Director, Department of Public Works, as the County Officer responsible for administering the construction contracts in accordance with Board Policy F-41, Public Works Construction Projects.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The Department of Public Works (DPW) uses best management practices when preserving the County-maintained road network that includes industry standard resurfacing methods to extend the life of the roads and prevent more costly resurfacing treatments. This includes using pavement management software that models and predicts the rate of deterioration of roads. To supplement this data, DPW staff performs routine inspections of roads in need of repair that are identified by the pavement management software or the community through a variety of sources such as the Tell Us Now! mobile app and toll-free hotlines. This information is evaluated by DPW and used to develop a list of roads requiring maintenance that is balanced proportionally to the total centerline miles within each Supervisorial district. Approximately 46% of the roads on the maintenance list are located within underserved communities as defined in the most recent version of CalEnviroScreen (4.0) and Healthy Places Index (3.0) GIS layer. The projects will provide significant benefits to the residents, including enhancements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) pedestrian ramps and drainage improvements that will improve access and mobility for non-motorized road users. Road resurfacing facilitates transit and allows cars and buses to travel to underserved communities to bring workers to job centers and other resources. County of San Diego construction contracts are also competitively and publicly advertised and bid and help stimulate the local economy.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Maintaining County roads has benefits to sustainability in terms of the economy, environment, social health, and well-being, and prevents more costly maintenance treatments in the future, thereby supporting fiscal sustainability. Asphalt concrete rehabilitation activities use 25% recycled asphalt from old, deteriorated roads, saving thousands of tons of aggregate each year and supporting the County’s sustainability goal to reduce pollution and waste through recycling. Well-maintained roads allow vehicle owners to use fewer resources for vehicle maintenance and operation providing social sustainability benefits. Drainage improvements made possible in this action, such as rehabilitating culverts, curbs, and gutters contribute to the County's sustainability goals to improve water quality and extend the useful life of facilities, by protecting County-maintained roads from costly and resource-intensive repairs. The installation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant pedestrian ramps proposed in this action supports walkability, mass transit access, and contributes to County sustainability goals to protect the health and well-being of everyone in the region, reduce greenhouse emissions, and transition to a green, carbon-free economy.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Operational Plan in Permanent Road Divisions (PRD) and partially included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Operational Plan in the Department of Public Works (DPW) Road Fund. If approved, this request will establish additional appropriations of $370,946, resulting in additional costs and revenue for DPW Road Fund, as outlined in recommendation 2. The funding sources for this request are revenues from the City of National City Agreement ($112,960) and the City of El Cajon Agreement ($257,986).
The total cost for all FY 2024-25 projects is estimated at $68,465,444, including an 8% contingency for County-maintained roads and a 20% contingency for city-maintained and PRD Zone roads for unforeseen conditions that may arise during construction. The funding sources are Senate Bill 1 (SB1) ($59,873,318), TransNet ($5,710,000), City of El Cajon revenue agreement ($257,986), City of National City revenue agreement ($112,960), PRD Zones’ available prior year fund balance ($2,021,144), and benefit assessments and special taxes from property owners ($490,036). There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
Road resurfacing to improve the condition of the roads facilitates the transit of goods and eases the movement of commuters to jobs, schools, and shopping centers in underserved communities. County of San Diego construction contracts are also publicly advertised and competitively bid and help stimulate the local economy. All workers employed on public works projects must be paid prevailing wages determined by the California Department of Industrial Relations, according to the type of work and location of the project.
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
Community planning and sponsor groups (CPSGs) (Alpine, Bonsall, Barona, Borrego Springs, Campo/Lake Morena, Crest, Descanso, Desert, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Jacumba, Jamul, Julian, Lakeside, North County Metro, North Mountain, Otay, Pala/Pauma, Palomar Mountain, Rainbow, Ramona, San Dieguito, Spring Valley, Sweetwater, Valle De Oro, Valley Center, and Warner Springs) in the affected areas have provided feedback on road maintenance priorities in their respective areas and have been notified that this matter is being considered today.
BACKGROUND
The County of San Diego (County) Department of Public Works (DPW) maintains nearly 2,000 centerline miles of roads in the unincorporated area. Centerline miles represent the total length of the roads regardless of the number of lanes or overall roadway width. The County’s average Pavement Condition Index (PCI), dropped from 70 in 2012 to 60 in 2016. The amount and severity of the deficiencies translate to a PCI value for the segment of roadway between 0 and 100, with 0 representing a completely failed roadway and 100 representing a roadway in perfect condition. Industry standard is to preserve and maintain roads in a good condition using preventative maintenance. The “Good” condition category ranges from 50-70 PCI. An overall roadway system condition of 70 is at the upper limit of “good” and is advantageous for maintaining roads using best management practices.
The change in the PCI occurred because of reduced road maintenance, which was caused by rising construction costs, declining revenues from the State of California (State), and diminishing revenues from the gas tax funding system due to the growth of increasingly fuel-efficient vehicles. The decrease in fuel sales from more fuel-efficient vehicles led to a decrease in the gas tax that funds road maintenance. Prior to 2017, DPW received less gas tax revenues and was only able to fund $6 million in road resurfacing each year which contributed to the degradation of County-maintained roadways.
Senate Bill 1
On April 28, 2017, Senate Bill 1 (SB1) was signed into law, which provides new gas tax revenues so that counties and cities can address the shortfall of funding needed to maintain local streets and roads. These revenues provide needed funding to improve the overall condition of our roads and protect them from deterioration and costly repairs. Among other changes, the legislation increased the excise tax on gasoline by 12 cents per gallon, which went into effect on November 1, 2017 and established annual inflation adjustments to each of the components of the excise tax on gasoline beginning in 2020. Gas tax revenues collected by the State are distributed to counties and cities based on a formula that contains many factors, including population, registered vehicles, and road miles maintained. The SB1 revenues are split with half going to the State and half to counties/cities. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24, DPW received $61.6 million of SB1 revenue and is projecting to receive $61.9 million in FY 2024-25.
Road Resurfacing Program Status
On May 2, 2017 (11), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the use of SB1 gas tax revenue to achieve an average PCI of 70 within the County-maintained road network. To be eligible to receive SB1 revenue, the Board must adopt a resolution each year approving a list of proposed projects, or road resurfacing locations, and submit the resolution and proposed list to the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The CTC list is considered a plan and does not limit the County’s ability to fund other projects or roads, so long as the projects are consistent with Streets and Highways Code section 2030, which allows funding to be used for road maintenance and rehabilitation purposes.
DPW implemented the expanded road resurfacing program in FY 2017-18 to improve the condition of County-maintained roads. In addition to road resurfacing, the program makes federally-mandated improvements to pedestrian curb ramps in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and protects roads by rehabilitating deteriorated drainage culverts. Since FY 2017-18, the annual program budget has ranged between $40 and $65.5 million. The program has been funded with revenues from a combination of State gas tax and other sources including SB1, Road Fund fund balance and reserves, SDG&E franchise fees, General Fund fund balance, and TransNet, a half-cent countywide sales tax administered by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) that helps fund regional transportation projects. The program does not receive County General Purpose Revenue. As a result of DPW’s annual resurfacing program, the County-maintained roadway network average PCI has increased from 60 in 2017 to 68 in 2024. Although the condition of County-maintained roads has improved, continued funding for the program is needed to achieve and maintain the Board approved 70 PCI goal.
On June 5, 2024 (02), DPW shared the road selection criteria and the resulting road resurfacing list with the Board which was developed using a data-driven approach that prioritizes road resurfacing projects based on the following data:
• The condition of the road, such as surface cracks and pavement distresses,
• Pavement condition information from the most recent network road survey where downward-facing cameras and laser technology were used to inspect the road surface,
• Factors related to road usage, including traffic volume and road classification,
• Coordination with public utilities and other projects, and
• Location of roads in underserved communities.
The prioritization process also considers input from community stakeholders such as Community Planning or Sponsor Groups and DPW field staff. The resulting road list was balanced proportionally to the total centerline miles within each Supervisorial district.
FY 2024-25 Road Resurfacing Program
In FY 2024-25, the road resurfacing program will be adjusted to $65.5 million, an increase of $3.9 million from FY 2023-24, and will be funded by a combination of SB1 and TransNet revenue. While SB1 funding levels have been relatively consistent, recent resurfacing project bid costs have risen due to price increases for materials, labor shortages, and a surge in similar infrastructure projects throughout the region. This increased cost and surge in similar projects by others has resulted in an impact on the original timeline. To address higher bid costs in recent years, DPW has had to decrease the number of roads and utilize prior year’s SB1 savings to supplement available construction funding. As a result of this process, DPW adjusted the FY 2024-25 list after evaluating for increased construction costs and feedback from the community. The updated road resurfacing list includes approximately 96.26 centerline miles for FY 2024-25 (Attachment C).
A significant component of DPW’s Program is community input. DPW receives feedback from all community planning and sponsor groups to better understand community needs and considers the community priorities that demonstrate a need for resurfacing. DPW’s operational priorities are identified by the County’s road maintenance staff and are based on real-time knowledge that includes changes in traffic patterns, resident and community feedback, and road deterioration due to localized conditions, among others. DPW staff considers the highest road maintenance priorities that demonstrate a need for resurfacing.
The County’s computerized pavement management system maintains detailed condition information on individual roads in the County-maintained road network based on specialized video surveys. The most recent survey was conducted in 2021 by DPW and another survey is currently in process where pavement condition data is being collected using downward-facing cameras and laser technology. Surveys include inspection of all the County-maintained roads which will result in updated condition assessment data for input into the pavement management system software. This data allows the pavement management system to improve the process used to identify which roads to resurface for the best cost-benefit outcome. The software uses the pavement condition to recommend resurfacing treatments and prioritize resurfacing locations. Additionally, road crews monitor roads for immediate needs and make repairs to ensure the continued safe operation of the road. This information is evaluated by DPW along with the available budget, scale of economy, and location to generate a road list that is balanced proportionally to the total centerline miles within each Supervisorial district. This evaluation resulted in modifications to the road list to address changing priorities. DPW staff also considers CalEnviroScreen (4.0) and California Healthy Places Index (3.0) maps when evaluating resurfacing needs, which help us to understand which communities are impacted by elevated pollution sources or other social conditions that can impact health. Approximately 46% of the roads included on the attached maintenance list are in underserved communities.
DPW resurfacing priorities are captured in the CTC approved road list. This road list does not limit the County’s flexibility to fund projects in accordance with local needs and changing priorities, as long as the projects are consistent with Streets and Highways Code Section 2030(b), which allows funding for road maintenance and rehabilitation. These program changes are allowed by the CTC and will be included in DPW’s annual SB1 program reporting. The current road list is now ready for advertisement. Bid packages for the construction contracts will be structured with a base bid and additive alternative bid schedules that will be constructed if there are remaining funds to conduct work beyond the base bid schedule. The actual number of miles resurfaced will be dependent on bid prices received for the planned work.
In addition to culvert and pedestrian ramp upgrades, DPW also identifies roads that can benefit from improved traffic striping design. Approximately two miles of roads in these projects were identified for striping modifications that can include adding bike lanes, two-way left turn lanes, right-hand turn lanes, parking lanes, and adjusting lane width to improve safety and traffic flow. Other minor striping modifications are also included in these projects to bring striping up to current standards and increase public safety such as updating crosswalks. These low-cost modifications provide significant safety and efficiency improvements to the roadways when completed as part of the annual resurfacing program.
County boundaries can lead to gaps in road maintenance such as small segments of a road that are not repaired or, in some cases, half of a road that is not repaired if a boundary exists on the road centerline (middle of the road). While the public is often unaware of these boundaries, the implications can impact their daily lives. An evaluation of roads included in this year’s program identified several roads where maintenance gaps existed in the City of El Cajon and the City of National City. DPW coordinated with these cities and developed full cost recovery revenue agreements that allow the gap portions of roads within city boundaries to be included in DPW resurfacing contracts (Attachment A and Attachment B). These roads include First Street, Persimmon Avenue, Oro Street, Anza Street, and Sumner Avenue within the City of El Cajon and Euclid Avenue within the City of National City.
Coordinating with our neighbors, when mutually beneficial, increases efficiency, reduces construction impacts to the public, and provides better customer service. Including these small segments of roads in DPW’s larger contracts increases efficiency by reducing contracting and construction costs which eliminates duplicative efforts in the same area and capitalizes on economies of scale. Combining construction efforts also means the public is inconvenienced for a shorter duration. Coordination with our utility partners and neighboring cities is utilized to further refine the project list and resulted in changes to the planned work, which is allowed by the CTC.
DPW’s Road Resurfacing Program includes strategies for pavement preservation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction designed to protect the roads from deterioration and costly future repairs. For roads that are in good condition, DPW uses a variety of surface seals, which are thin layers of material consisting of oil, sand, and gravel, that are placed on top of an existing asphalt road to protect and preserve that road in a good condition. For older roads that are too deteriorated to benefit from a surface seal, DPW uses asphalt overlays, which may include grinding off a thin layer of asphalt to make the road surface smoother and then replacing a couple of inches of new asphalt to rehabilitate the road to new condition. The existing condition of a road determines the method and materials that will be selected to restore the road. DPW also uses a combination of innovative and sustainable asphalt and seal materials, including rubberized asphalt, rubberized slurry, fiber reinforcement, and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) from old ground-up roads, to reduce costs, maximize recycling and sustainability, and improve the quality and performance of County roads.
Prior to the start of construction, project notifications will be provided in English and Spanish with a statement in all County approved threshold languages referring readers to a webpage with the notification where Google Translate will provide translation to all threshold languages. A QR code will make webpage access quick and easy for the public. Notification methods such as mailers, doorknob hangers, social media postings, and signage will be provided to residents and businesses in the vicinity of the construction activities. The notifications will describe the nature and expected duration of the construction activities. During construction, traffic control devices such as cones, signage, and flaggers will be used to provide safe pedestrian and vehicular access. County representatives will be on-site throughout the duration of the projects and will be available to respond to any project-related inquiries from the public. Additional information and the opportunity to provide comments is available on DPW’s Road Resurfacing website.
Permanent Road Division Program
DPW also provides road maintenance services for almost 100 miles of private roads through the Permanent Road Division (PRD) Program. The PRD Program is a special district program that includes 67 PRD Zones across the unincorporated area that finance private road maintenance services primarily through property owner assessments and special taxes. Some PRD Zones that existed prior to the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 are allocated a portion of the countywide property tax revenue based on the percent these districts received from the 1979-80 countywide property tax revenue. DPW has identified a combined 3.70 centerline miles of roads in 12 PRD Zones for resurfacing in FY 2024-25 (Attachment D). Each PRD Zone has an individual fund for revenues and expenses, and costs will be applied to the specific fund for each PRD Zone. Road work was identified based on available funding, road segment condition, the road segments with the heaviest use, maintaining egress routes in case of disasters, and community input from PRD residents. Outreach for PRD Zones included e-mails and in-person communications with volunteer road committees, and property owners within each PRD Zone.
Building Better Roads Working Group
On September 11, 2018 (13), the Board directed the Chief Administrative Officer to develop a working group to identify innovative and cost-effective road preservation and rehabilitation techniques. DPW subsequently formed the Building Better Roads Working Group (BBR) with participation from agencies, industry, and other organizations. On March 27, 2019 (08), DPW returned to the Board to report findings and recommendations developed by the BBR. DPW outlined the BBR recommendations and focus areas that would reduce costs and improve road resurfacing treatments, increase reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) recycling levels, organize regional trainings, develop guidance documents for local agencies, and conduct pilot projects to test and study innovations new to the region.
The BBR identifies topics for evaluation and develops guidance documents to provide best management practices and innovations to support local agency road maintenance programs. This information is available on the BBR website: www.sandiegocounty.gov/bbr. The BBR also identifies pilot test opportunities, and when beneficial, DPW incorporates pilot tests into annual road resurfacing contracts. Recent pilot tests include fiber reinforced asphalt to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigating cracking that will extend the life of the pavement and increased use of RAP in asphalt pavement and slurry seals to evaluate if these approaches are successful in reducing the use of aggregate to support the regional aggregate shortage. Additional pilot tests are being evaluated for cost savings, environmental benefits, durability, sustainability, and longevity. The BBR is moving forward with the recommendations and focus areas identified in the March 27, 2019 (8) Board letter that will support local agencies in identifying and implementing innovative and cost-effective road treatments in the San Diego region.
This is a request to authorize the Clerk of the Board to implement, upon receipt, reimbursement agreements with the Cities of El Cajon and National City for payment of costs to the County to complete road resurfacing work. Additionally, this request seeks approval for the Board to establish appropriations and approve the advertisement and subsequent award of multiple construction contracts to the lowest bidders for asphalt concrete overlay and slurry seal treatments on County-maintained, city-maintained and PRD Zone roads. The available funding and estimated project costs for County-maintained roads for FY 2024-25 is $65,583,318, including an 8% contingency. The estimated project cost for city-maintained roads for FY 2024-25 is $370,946, including a 20% contingency. The estimated projects cost for the PRD Zone roads is $2,511,180, including a 20% contingency. Contingencies are incorporated into estimated costs as unplanned or unforeseen conditions that may arise during construction. The funding sources for County-maintained roads are SB1 and TransNet a half-cent countywide sales tax administered by the San Diego Association of Governments that helps fund regional transportation projects. The funding sources for the PRD Zone roads are special district revenues from each PRD Zone at the current rate. The funding source for city-maintained roads are full cost recovery revenue agreements. Advertisement and award of the construction contracts is scheduled for summer 2025. Construction for all FY 2024-25 projects is scheduled to begin in fall 2025 and be completed by the end of 2026.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Section 15301(c) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines exempts from CEQA review the “operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.” This exemption includes the maintenance of existing highways, streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle, and pedestrian trails. The key consideration in determining whether this exemption applies is whether the projects involve “negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.” The proposed projects consist of the award of numerous contracts for maintenance activities consisting of asphalt concrete road resurfacing within existing County-maintained roads. The projects include activities that are necessary to ensure existing right-of-way facilities continue to function as designed, including the approval of revenue agreements. Therefore, the projects are categorically exempt in accordance with Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines because it involves the maintenance of existing public roads involving no or negligible expansion of existing use.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s recommendations support the Sustainability, Community, and Equity Strategic Initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan by using sustainable construction practices, focusing on underserved communities, and providing adequate maintenance to ensure safe communities that improve the quality of life of all residents. Road maintenance supports environmental and economic sustainability by using 25% recycled asphalt from old, deteriorated roads and preventing more costly future repairs. The installation of Americans with Disabilities Act compliant pedestrian ramps supports community walkability and mass transit access. Approximately 46% of the roads on the resurfacing maintenance lists are within underserved communities and road maintenance will improve and protect the condition of roads, facilitate transit, and allow cars and buses to travel to underserved communities to bring workers to job centers.
Respectfully submitted,
DaHvia lynch
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Agreement Between County of San Diego and the City of El Cajon for Road Resurfacing
B. Agreement Between County of San Diego and the City of National City for Road Resurfacing
C. Department of Public Works Road Maintenance Project List for Fiscal Year 2024-25
D. Permanent Road Division Zone Maintenance Program List for Fiscal Year 2024-25