Title
Adopt a Resolution to:
a. Add the design phase for the project to rehabilitate Jolon Road (from the southerly and northerly connections to U.S. Highway 101) to the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Annual Work Program for Road Fund;
b. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Road Fund adopted budget, Fund 002, Appropriation Unit PFP004, to increase appropriations by $2,250,000 financed by Road Fund, fund balance ($2,250,000 from 002-3044-MSRX) (4/5ths vote required); and
c. Authorize the Auditor-Controller’s Office to incorporate approved budget modifications to the FY 2023-24 Budget, and the County Administrative Office to reflect these approved changes in the FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget (4/5ths vote required).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisor adopt a Resolution to:
a. Add the design phase for the project to rehabilitate Jolon Road (from the southerly and northerly connections to U.S. Highway 101) to the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Annual Work Program for Road Fund;
b. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Road Fund adopted budget, Fund 002, Appropriation Unit PFP004, to increase appropriations by $2,250,000 financed by Road Fund, fund balance ($2,250,000 from 002-3044-MSRX) (4/5ths vote required); and
c. Authorize the Auditor-Controller’s Office to incorporate approved budget modifications to the FY 2023-24 Budget, and the County Administrative Office to reflect these approved changes in the FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget (4/5ths vote required).
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION
Jolon Road is a rural, narrow, two-lane road constructed in 1940s with little to no shoulders, spanning a length of approximately 39 miles and connecting to U.S. Highway 101 in King City and Bradley. Running parallel to U.S. Highway 101, Jolon Road is the only corridor that serves U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett, local residents, agricultural businesses, and two recreational lakes. After many years in use, the road has geometric deficiencies, poor pavement conditions, and is in need of repair. As growth in the area continues and traffic volumes increase, the pavement will continue to deteriorate. The Department of Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) has identified the rehabilitation of Jolon Road as a priority project for many years. The road is in need of rehabilitation to improve safety, aesthetics and function and proposed improvements include the following: grinding of old pavement and installation of fabric reinforcement to extend service life, overlay of the existing pavement with a three-inch hot mix asphalt (HMA) layer to improve the rideability and safety, grading, striping and paving to install new or widen existing paved shoulders to a minimum of six feet to further improve the road safety.
The 5-year Capital Improvement Program includes $7.28 million ($700,000 in Fiscal Year 2024-25 and $6.58 million in Fiscal Year 2025-26) to rehabilitate a portion of Jolon Road nearest the southerly connection to U.S. Highway 101. To assist with the significant cost of rehabilitating this road, PWFP submitted a grant application in 2021 to the United States Department of Defense Office, Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). This grant program is focused on projects that support resiliency for military installations, therefore, the application requested funding to rehabilitate Jolon Road from the southerly connection to U.S. Highway 101 to Mission Road (approximately 21.5 miles), which serves as the entrance to Fort Hunter Liggett. Although the feedback provided by the Department of Defense about the application was complimentary, the project was not selected for funding.
On June 6, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved submittal of an application for grant funding under the 2023 DCIP grant solicitation. Consistent with that approval, PWFP submitted a grant application requesting $14 million for the construction phase, which would be supplemented with approximately $6 million of construction phase funds planned for Jolon Road in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 CIP. The grant program will only fund construction, and costs for design, permitting, and environmental clearance must be funded by the County. The cost for this work for the entire 39-mile Jolon Road corridor (from the northerly connection to U.S. Highway 101 near King City to the southerly connection to U.S. Highway 101 near Bradley) is estimated at $2.25 million. Completing this phase of work for the entire length of Jolon Road will allow design to proceed in anticipation of a possible grant award in Fall 2023. Notification of grant awards is expected by October 2023. If a DCIP grant is not received, completing the design and environmental clearance will make the project “shovel ready” and thus more competitive for future grant funding opportunities. Note that the intent is to complete the design and environmental clearance for the entire 39-mile length of Jolon Road, and then pursue rehabilitation in phases due to the anticipated significant cost. The initial focus for construction activities would be the approximately 21-mile southern segment from the southerly connection to U.S. Highway 101 and Mission Road, as this segment is most used by military vehicles serving Fort Hunter Liggett.
As shared with the Board in the request to approve the DCIP grant application, PWFP intended to proceed with the design phase of this project by adding it to FY 2023-24 Annual Work Program for Road Fund. Therefore, PWFP requested support from the Capital Improvement Committee (CIC) and the Budget Committee (BC) to add the design phase for the Jolon Road Rehabilitation Project to the FY 2023-24 Annual Work Program for Road Fund in the amount of $2.25 million. This phase will be funded by Measure X revenue as Jolon Road was listed as a priority project in the Measure X program. The CIC and BC both met on July 26, 2023 and both supported adding the design phase for the Jolon Road Rehabilitation Project to the FY 2023-24 Annual Work Program for Road Fund. If the Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendations of the CIC and BC and adopts the resolution provided in Attachment A, the 5-Year Capital Improvement Program will be updated to reflect this change.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
This item was presented to the CIC at its special meeting on July 26, 2023, and to the Budget Committee at its regular meeting on July 26, 2023.
FINANCING:
The estimated $2.25 million cost for design and environmental clearance will be funded from the Road Fund Measure X fund balance. The estimated cost of the construction phase for the segment from the south U.S. 101 connection to Fort Hunter Liggett is $18.4 million ($16.9 million for construction plus $2.5 million for construction and project management). Funding for the construction phase could be a combination of Measure X and/or SB1 Gas Tax revenue, plus any grant funding that is awarded for the project.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The project will ultimately rehabilitate 39 miles of County maintained road to extend the pavement life. The recommended action supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic initiatives:
__Economic Development
__Administration
__Health & Human Services
X Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Tom Bonigut, PE, Assistant Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks, ext. 4831
Reviewed by: Jessica Cordiero-Martinez, Finance Manager III
Reviewed by: Enrique Saavedra, PE, Chief of Public Works
Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
The following attachment is on file with the Clerk of the Board:
A - Proposed Resolution