Title
a. Receive a presentation and review the proposed FY 2026-27 Measure AA Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) Roads plan;
b. Consider supporting use of Measure AA to provide funding for the FY 2026-27 Measure AA PWFP Roads plan; and
c. Provide feedback to staff.
Body
It is recommended that the Measure AA Standing Committee:
a. Receive a presentation and review the proposed FY 2026-27 Measure AA Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) Roads plan;
b. Consider supporting use of Measure AA to provide funding for the FY 2026-27 Measure AA PWFP Roads plan; and
c. Provide feedback to staff.
SUMMARY:
The County of Monterey adopted the Fiscal Year 2026-27 (FY 27) Capital Improvement Program, 5-year Plan (CIP) and Proposed Budget. The Department of Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) is submitting Public Works Roads requests for FY 27, for projects to be considered for support and recommendation by the Measure AA Committee.
DISCUSSION:
In November of 2024, voters in unincorporated Monterey County approved “Measure AA”, authorizing a general sales tax increase of 1%. This levy is presently being collected - and only in unincorporated county areas. When set for the ballot, it was projected to raise a total of approximately $29 million annually. The funds collected from this increase in the transactions and use tax may be used to provide funding for essential County services, including but not limited to programs for: street maintenance and pothole repair; enhanced public safety, emergency services and disaster response, prevention, and recovery; programs to reduce homelessness; libraries, parks, and recreation facilities; water and sewer infrastructure; healthcare; clean and affordable drinking water; and other services. Please see Attachment A for a list of road priorities that staff is aware of from the Board.
Public Works
Below is the current approach from Public Works, for County road rehabilitation.
Pavement Assessment Management Plan (PAMP) Version 2025
- Continue existing approach of using Measure X and SB 1 for both Measure X campaign initiatives, and prioritize based on the 2010 Monterey County General Plan policies.
- Retain and scale Local Road Rehabilitation Program (LRRP), funded through Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT).
- Preserve Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA) funds for routine operations and maintenance.
- Implement Secondary Roads Rehabilitation Program (SRRP) and Measure AA Public Works Plan using 40% - 50%, up to 12.5 million of Measure AA revenues for secondary road upgrades and relevant road needs.
- Continue implementation of SRRP annually. For FY 2027, PWFP has a need of $12.5M in funding for Measure AA eligible Roads projects (assuming the Measure AA annual revenue is $25 million, and using the Board’s recently adopted 40% - 50% of Measure AA annual revenue dedicated to roads).
- Over a 10-year period: Arterials remain at PCI rating of “Good”; Secondary roads move from “Poor” to “Fair” rating.
FY27 Summary of the Measure AA Public Works Plan - all numbers rounded for discussion purposes. Proposed Added Revenue: $12.5M starting in FY27
Expenditures categories:
Ø $8.0M - Secondary Roads Rehabilitation Program
Ø $1.0M - Augmented Annual Seal Coat Program
Ø $1.5M - Augmented Maintenance Blade Lay Resurfacing Projects
Ø $1.5M - Augmented Road Drainage Improvements (i.e., culverts)
Ø $0.3M - Neighborhood Traffic Management Program
Ø $0.1M - Augmented Street Sweeping by Contractors
Ø $0.1M - Augmented Litter Abatement/Homeless Encampment Cleanup
Total: $12.5M
Secondary Roads Rehabilitation Program
These secondary roads are Major and Minor Collectors, which fall in between Arterial Roads and Local Roads, with a PCI of approximately 46 and make up about 38% of the system’s total mileage. These roads represent a significant opportunity for targeted reinvestment. These roads are selected based on factors such as pavement condition index (PCI), traffic volumes, and the number of complaints received. Please see Attachment B for a list of roads proposed for FY 27.
Augmented Annual Seal Coat Program
This is an additional budget request to augment the existing Annual Seal Coat Program funded by Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). The existing annual budget is $2 Million and is delivered through public-bidding by contractors. Assuming the preliminary planning level cost estimate of $400k/mile of County roads, approximately 5 miles of County road could be rehabilitated. With this additional $1 Million, there could be up to 2 more miles of County road rehabilitated. With the $1 Million augmentation, for a total seal coat budget of $3 Million, the following roads can receive a seal coat: Tustin Road (2.2 miles), South Boundary Road (2.7 miles), and Ranchita Canyon Road (2.5 miles).
Maintenance Blade Lay Resurfacing Projects
These projects are roads that can be repaved by County Public Works maintenance crews. Please see Attachment B for a list of roads proposed for FY 27. Resurfacing of low-volume roads in southern Monterey County and exploring expanding to other areas in the County. Features include:
-Cost effective resurfacing for roads with low traffic volumes;
-Work performed by county crew during summer/fall months;
-Asphalt mix only available in southern Monterey County;
-Requires a chip seal after 1-2 years to prolong rideability.
Road Drainage Improvements
There are approximately 5,000 culverts under County roads, as of staff’s recent review. These culverts are a critical component of the roadway infrastructure, serving to safely convey drainage water from one side of the road to the other. When culverts become blocked or damaged, water can overtop the roadway, creating safety hazards for motorists due to slick or flooded road conditions. Roadway flooding can lead to traffic disruptions and inconveniences for constituents who must seek alternate routes. It also has economic impacts, as commercial vehicles and transport trucks may be delayed or forced to detour. Inadequate drainage can further accelerate roadway deterioration by allowing soils beneath the pavement structure to remain saturated for extended periods.
Although a complete list and mapping of culverts is still under development at this time, it is prudent to have funding available for addressing culverts during a disaster response or emergency. Current weather forecasts indicating for a “Super El Nino” for this winter season, which could result in above-average rainfall. Having this allowance of funds would allow the department the ability to respond to the storm damage and upsize or replace culverts if needed.
Neighborhood Traffic Management Program
Program to identify, assess, and respond to neighborhood traffic and operations concerns, including vehicle speeds and traffic calming, multimodal use, circulation management, signing and striping enhancements, and vertical and horizontal measures for select areas. The proposed Measure AA funds would allow implementation of this program.
Augmented Street Sweeping by Contractors
Augments funding to remove silt and mud on County roads. Typically, roads located within the urbanized areas of the county are swept twice a year, because that is a requirement of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit issued by the State to the County. The proposed Measure AA funds allow for sweeping of additional areas along county roads beyond the minimum required by state regulations.
Augmented Litter Abatement and Homeless Encampment Cleanup
The increase in request for litter abatement and homeless encampment clean up, has strained existing funding allocations. The proposed Measure AA funds will allow PWFP to respond more quickly to the increase in clean up requests.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
PWFP staff continues to coordinate with the County Administrative Office Budget & Analysis Division.
FINANCING:
Receiving the report will have no effect on the County General Fund.
Prepared by: Jonathan L. Pascua, Senior Civil Engineer
Enrique Saavedra, PE, Chief of Public Works
Reviewed and Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities
Attachments:
Attachment A - List of Recommendations
Attachment B - Proposed FY 27 Roads Projects