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Public commenter urges county transparency over Caltrans State Route 4 median project in Murphys
Summary
A local publisher told the board he has compiled records showing repeated notifications from Caltrans and county agencies about a concrete median project on State Route 4 in Murphys and urged the board to clarify who knew what and when; he said the issue reflects internal communication breakdowns among public works directors.
A member of the public, Christopher Butner, publisher of calaveras2026election.com, urged the Board of Supervisors to pursue transparency and accountability over a Caltrans concrete median project on State Route 4 in Murphys.
Butner said his review of public records and a memo from the county public works director shows a two‑year chronology of Caltrans project notifications and estimated timelines. He told the board that county council and a succession of three public works directors were notified of the Caltrans project a dozen times between February 2023 and February 2025 and that there were missed opportunities for the county to object.
"Did none of you, especially the district 3 supervisor, have curiosity or concern during these last 2 years or take the time to understand the community implications of this Caltrans project?" Butner asked the board during public comment, according to the transcript.
Butner characterized the controversy as "self inflicted," citing breakdowns in continuity and institutional knowledge sharing among public works directors from June 2024 to January 2025. He asked whether county staff monitor letter notifications and district meeting agendas to stay current on Caltrans timelines that might affect citizens and the local economy.
Board members did not take action on the comment during the meeting; the comment was part of the public comment period and not a posted agenda item. The transcript shows the board proceeded to the consent agenda after public comment.
