“Ukiah city streets are in a state of extreme disrepair.”
That sentence opens the first report from the 2017-18 county grand jury named, simply, “Ukiah Streets.”
The report was issued in response to questions posed to the grand jury about how the city’s streets got into such disrepair and what is happening with the half-cent sales tax local residents approved through Measure Y to fix the streets.
The report goes into some detail about how street repairs are funded generally, how Ukiah’s streets get fixed and what the grand jury thinks the city is doing right and what it’s doing wrong about street work today.
One complaint that many council members hear, and which is often heard whenever the subject of streets comes up in conversation among local residents, is that the city is spending money on things like the Rail Trail and the new streetscaping for State Street, when it should be using that money to fix the streets.
The grand jury heard those complaints too and its research showed that the problem appears to be that the State of California changed its policy for providing transportation money.
“State funding previously used for general street repair is now primarily available, by application, for infrastructure projects that incentivize lower vehicle use for improved air quality,” according to the report.
In other words, where cities used to get money from the state for road and street maintenance, now that money is only available for projects like the Rail Trail and streetscaping.
The grand jury added that it felt the city could do more to get the public involved in these state grants so that the public can have more of a voice in what kinds of non-maintenance, air quality driven projects they would like to see. The grand jury also recommended that the city be sure not to use Measure Y funds on any grant-funded projects like these.
But beyond separating these kinds of projects from the Measure Y streets fund, the grand jury also had a few things to say about the city’s handling of those funds.
While the grand jury acknowledged that the city appears dedicated to being transparent about the spending of Measure Y funds, it found the city’s budget hard to understand. The grand jury also said the city used to have a separate web site tab just for Measure Y information, but that the tab has been removed and Measure Y folded into the general page on street projects overall.
The report explains that some street reconstruction projects have begun but, according to the city, had to be suspended because the contractors were needed elsewhere to respond to work on fire-damaged properties. The grand jury says those stoppages have not really been adequately explained.
The grand jury also noted that the city is spending Measure Y money to pay back loans it took out to do the street projects associated with the new Costco.
Measure Y should bring in $2.9 million in the current fiscal year. The grand jury also notes that the ballot Measure Z, which accompanied Measure Y as a statement that the voters want the city to only use Measure Y money for street repairs and maintenance, is not binding and the city could use Measure Y for other things.
The city will respond formally to the report but City Manager Sage Sangiacomo responded Thursday to some of the report’s findings.
“The Measure Y page remains up on the City’s website and we are in the process of expanding the presentation to include both Measure Y projects and all other street related projects,” he wrote in an email.
“The presentation is supported with interactive maps. Also note, the Measure Y fiscal dashboard was included in the FY 2017-18 budget along with project specific expenditures. The City appreciates the input from the Grand Jury and we will be considering their recommendations in addition to the input received from the community at the Measure Y Workshop that was recently held on January 31, 2018 to further ensure continued transparency.”
Sangiacomo also said the city is “absolutely committed to ensuring that Measure Y funds are used for the repair of city streets as advised by the voters with the passage of Measure Z.” He added that the city would continue to get the public involved when “prioritizing and considering street repair and maintenance projects as demonstrated by the Measure Y Workshop and recent budget discussions.”
He added that the city takes Measure Z direction from the voters as absolute.
“Measure Z clearly establishes the City of Ukiah’s commitment to utilize Measure Y funds exclusively on street repair and maintenance. The only time Measure Y funds can be used in conjunction with any grant related project is if the funds are to be used on street repair and maintenance.”
April 19, 2018
Ukiah Daily Journal
By Journal staff
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