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DATE: |
January 14, 2026 |
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SUBJECT
Title
ESTABLISH APPROPRIATIONS, ADVERTISE AND AWARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS FOR COUNTYWIDE ASPHALT CONCRETE OVERLAY AND SLURRY SEAL TREATMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26, APPROVE REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO AND THE CITIES OF ESCONDIDO, SAN DIEGO AND SAN MARCOS 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. 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 was due to reduced levels of road maintenance work because of rising construction costs and declining gas tax revenue as vehicles became more fuel efficient. 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 eight years, with the current average PCI at 69. The County maintains a Board-directed goal of achieving PCI 70 by the end of FY 2025-26 and is on track to achieve this goal. DPW estimates receiving $64.9 million in State SB1 gas tax revenue in FY 2025-26 to continue the road resurfacing program. To maintain eligibility for this revenue, the Board must adopt a resolution each year approving a list of proposed projects and submit these to the California Transportation Commission (CTC). On May 21, 2025 (4), the Board adopted the annual resolution and proposed list of roads to be resurfaced during FY 2025-26 using State SB1 gas tax revenue. The list includes approximately 95.54 centerline miles of County-maintained roads to be resurfaced with available road resurfacing funding included in DPW’s FY 2025-26 Operational Plan. Part of today’s item is to establish appropriations and advertise and award construction contracts for this Board-adopted list of projects.
Additionally, DPW has identified one County-maintained road that crosses into the City of Escondido, one County-maintained road that crosses into the City of San Diego, and two County-maintained roads that cross into the City of San Marcos, where resurfacing coordination will be mutually beneficial and better serve residents. Part of today’s item is to authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute, upon receipt, reimbursement agreements with the Cities of Escondido, San Diego, and San Marcos for payment of costs to the County to complete road resurfacing work.
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 4.26 centerline miles of road resurfacing in seven PRD Zones in FY 2025-26 based on available funding, road segment condition, road segment traffic volume, maintenance of 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.
Today’s item seeks approval for the Board to establish appropriations and approve the advertisement and subsequent award of multiple construction contracts for asphalt concrete overlay and slurry seal treatments on County-maintained, city-maintained, and these PRD Zone roads. The total cost for all FY 2025-26 projects is estimated at $73,023,808. Advertisement and award of the construction contracts are scheduled for Spring 2026. Construction for FY 2025-26 projects is scheduled to begin in summer 2026 and be completed by fall 2027.
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 they involve the maintenance of existing public roads involving no or negligible expansion of existing use.
2. Establish appropriations of $609,744 in the Department of Public Works Road Fund, Services & Supplies, for the AC Overlay 2526 A (North) and Pavement Seal 2526 (North) projects based on revenue from the Agreements with the Cities of Escondido, San Diego and San Marcos. (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 projects on County-maintained, city-maintained, and PRD Zone roads as identified in Attachments A through E, which are on file with the Clerk of the Board.
4. Authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute, upon receipt, revenue agreements with the Cities of Escondido, San Diego and San Marcos for road resurfacing in accordance with Board Policy B-29 and Attachments A through C, which are on file with the Clerk of the Board.
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 and responds to community feedback through the Tell Us Now! mobile app and toll-free hotlines. The collective 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 County district. Approximately 55% 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 advertised to the public, competitively bid, and help stimulate the local economy.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Timely maintenance of County roads promotes economic, environmental, social, and health sustainability, while preventing costlier future repairs and supporting fiscal responsibility. Asphalt concrete rehabilitation incorporates 25% recycled material from deteriorated roads, conserving thousands of tons of aggregate annually and advancing the County’s recycling and pollution reduction goals. Well-maintained roads reduce vehicle maintenance needs, offering social sustainability benefits. Drainage upgrades-such as culvert, curb, and gutter rehabilitation-enhance water quality and extend infrastructure lifespan, aligning with environmental sustainability objectives. Installing ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps improves walkability and transit access, supporting public health, reducing emissions, and contributing to a greener, carbon-free future.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operational Plan in Permanent Road Divisions (PRD) and partially included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operational Plan in the Department of Public Works (DPW) Road Fund. If approved, this request will establish additional appropriations of $609,744, resulting in additional costs and revenue for the DPW Road Fund, as outlined in recommendation 2 to coordinate resurfacing activities with neighboring cities for roads that cross jurisdictional boundaries. The funding sources for this request are revenues from agreements with the Cities of Escondido ($288,516), San Diego ($268,186), and San Marcos ($53,042). The total cost for all FY 2025-26 projects is estimated at $73,023,808, 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 State SB1 gas tax revenue ($62,953,444), Road Fund fund balance ($2,181,000), TransNet ($6,200,000), City of Escondido revenue agreement ($288,516), City of San Diego revenue agreement ($268,186), City of San Marcos revenue agreement ($53,042), and PRD Zones’ available prior year fund balance ($1,079,620). There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
Road maintenance improves the condition of the roads, facilitates the transit of goods, and eases movement to jobs, schools, shopping and medical centers, and government services. 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 (Alpine, Bonsall, Barona, Borrego Springs, Campo/Lake Morena, Crest, Descanso, Desert, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Jacumba, Jamul, Julian, Lakeside, North County Metro, North Mountain, Pala/Pauma, Pine Valley, Rainbow, Ramona, San Dieguito, Spring Valley, Sweetwater, Twin Oaks, 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 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 preservation and rehabilitation practices. The change in the PCI occurred because of reduced road maintenance due to 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. 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 State SB1 gas tax revenues are split, with half going to the State and half to counties and cities. DPW estimates receiving $64.9 million of State SB1 gas tax revenue in FY 2025-26 to continue the road resurfacing program.
Road Resurfacing Program Status
On May 2, 2017 (11), the Board of Supervisors (Board) directed the use of SB1 gas tax revenue to achieve a PCI of 70 within the County-maintained road network. To maintain eligibility for this revenue, the Board must adopt a resolution each year approving a list of proposed projects, or road resurfacing locations, and submit these 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 (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 million and $65.5 million. The Program has been funded with revenues from a combination of State gas tax and other sources including SB1 gas tax, 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 projects, the County-maintained roadway network average PCI has increased from 60 in 2017 to 69 in 2025 and is on track to reach 70 by the end of FY 2025-26. Although the condition of County-maintained roads has improved, continued funding for the Program is needed to maintain the Board-directed 70 PCI goal.
On May 21, 2025 (04), 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:
• 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,
• Location of roads in underserved communities, and
• Input for Community Planning and Sponsor Groups and DPW field staff.
The resulting road list was balanced proportionally to the total centerline miles within each County district.
FY 2025-26 Road Resurfacing Program
In FY 2025-26, the Program will be adjusted to $71.3 million, an increase of $5.8 million from FY 2024-25, and will be funded by a combination of SB1 gas tax, Road Fund fund balance, and TransNet revenue. During the design process, DPW confirmed the initial designs and coordinated planned activities with stakeholders. The road resurfacing list includes approximately 95.54 centerline miles for FY 2025-26 (Attachment D). Construction bid costs can fluctuate from year to year based on a number of factors, including the costs of labor, materials, and oil, as well as contractor availability.
A significant component of this effort is community input. DPW reaches out to 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 2024.
Road surveys include inspection of all the County-maintained roads, which 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. 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 55% of the roads included on the attached maintenance list are in underserved communities.
DPW resurfacing priorities are captured in the California Transportation Commission (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. DPW is ready to start advertising resurfacing projects for the roads identified in Attachments A through E.
In addition to culvert and pedestrian ramp upgrades, DPW also identifies roads that can benefit from improved traffic striping design. DPW identified 2.18 miles of roads in FY 2025-26 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 safety and operational 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). An evaluation of roads included in this year’s program identified several roads where maintenance gaps existed in the Cities of Escondido, San Diego and San Marcos. 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 (Attachments A through C). These roads include Montiel Road within the City of Escondido, Lone Quail Road within the City of San Diego and Broken Rock Road and Lodgepole Road within the City of San Marcos.
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 by eliminating duplicative efforts in the same area and capitalizing economies of scale. Combining construction efforts also means the public is inconvenienced for a shorter duration. Coordination with our utility partners and neighboring cities resulted in minor changes to the planned work, which is allowed by the CTC.
DPW’s 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 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 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 are available on DPW’s Road Resurfacing website.
Permanent Road Division (PRD) 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 unincorporated areas 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 percentage these districts received from the 1979-80 countywide property tax revenue. DPW has identified a combined 4.26 centerline miles of roads in seven PRD Zones for resurfacing in FY 2025-26 (Attachment E). 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 conditions, the road segments with the heaviest use, 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.
Today’s item is a request to authorize the Clerk of the Board to implement, upon receipt, reimbursement agreements with the Cities of Escondido, San Diego and San Marcos 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 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 2025-26 are $71,334,444, including an 8% contingency. The estimated project cost for city-maintained roads is $609,744, including a 20% contingency. The estimated project cost for the PRD Zone roads is $1,079,620, including a 20% contingency. The funding sources for County-maintained roads are SB1, Road Fund fund balance, and TransNet, a half-cent countywide sales tax administered by SANDAG 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 is scheduled for spring 2026. Construction for FY 2025-26 projects is scheduled to begin in summer 2026 and be completed by fall 2027.
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 multiple contracts for maintenance activities consisting of asphalt concrete and slurry seal 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 2026-2031 Strategic Plan. Sustainability is supported with construction practices that utilize enhanced recycling efforts and accessibility improvements that promote walkability and mass transit. Communities are strengthened with robust maintenance practices that enhance safety and mobility. Equity is achieved by focusing on maintenance and accessibility enhancements in underserved communities and for persons with disabilities.
Respectfully submitted,
DAHVIA LYNCH
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Agreement Between County of San Diego and the City of Escondido for Road Resurfacing
B. Agreement Between County of San Diego and the City of San Diego for Road Resurfacing
C. Agreement Between County of San Diego and the City of San Marcos for Road Resurfacing
D. Department of Public Works Road Maintenance Project List for Fiscal Year 2025-26
E. Permanent Road Division Zone Maintenance Program List for Fiscal Year 2025-26