Public Works defends large spending plan, outlines roads, facilities and vehicle‑replacement program

Public Works leaders told the Coconino County Board of Supervisors they plan to spend down years of accumulated fund balance and accelerate road, drainage and facility projects while proposing changes to the county’s fleet replacement and shop charge structure.

"We are spending down the fund balance," Administrative Services manager Jeremy Floyd said, summarizing recent financial activity. Department presenters said the transportation fund and the road maintenance sales‑tax (Prop 403) revenues have allowed the department to deliver more construction and preservation work than in previous years.

Public Works spelled out the elements of the FY26 plan: pavement preservation across multiple geographic areas, culvert and drainage inspections, ACL‑style studies in Belmont and other corridor‑level work, and a continuing program of tribal‑roads agreements and capital matching funds for BIA/Navajo projects. The department also described near‑term construction for Old Route 66 (widened shoulders and a deep mill‑and‑fill) and segments of Spring Valley Road and Double A Ranch Road.

Fleet and mechanical services

Public Works leaders and fleet managers proposed adjustments in the internal mechanics charge and parts markups intended to stabilize the Mechanical Services internal fund while reducing grant‑funding obstacles for partner departments. Ray Garcia and Joe (fleet manager) said the workshop hourly labor rate would rise (presenters described a proposed increase to approximately $120/hr from the prior rate of $90/hr) while parts markup would be reduced (from 32% to 15% was discussed) so some grant‑funded programs eligible for limited overhead will not be penalized. The department also proposed extending the useful life for general‑use vehicles to 14 years or 50,000 miles while maintaining a shorter replacement cycle for heavy‑use patrol and safety vehicles. Presenters said the sheriff’s patrol fleet will remain on the current six‑year cycle.

Facilities and capital

Public Works presented several facility upgrades and capital items requested for FY26, including a truck barn and an Emergency Operations Center interface at Sheep Hill, a wash bay with possible reclaimed‑water reuse, repaving at Sheep Hill, and a modular housing unit to aid recruitment in Forest Lakes. The department also listed heavy equipment purchases in the capital plan (dump trucks, water truck, signboards) to support expanded work.

Tribal road programs and IGAs

Public Works explained three ongoing tribal programs: a Navajo Nation capital matching program (Prop 403 funds set aside; presenters noted approximately $1.5 million in carryover for that program), the BIA general blading agreement (244–286 miles range described historically) and pending clarification of approximately 22 miles that cross Hopi lands—an item the department said is being finalized as part of renewed IGAs to ensure legal right‑of‑way and uninterrupted service to school bus routes and residents.

Why it matters

The county manages more than 600 miles of gravel road and more than 300 miles of paved road; presenters said the county’s pavement condition index is currently about 83, and the department argued the combination of a multi‑year plan, increased staffing and targeted capital purchases will keep the county from falling back into more costly reconstruction work. Directors also stressed that continued federal grant pursuit and intergovernmental coordination remain essential to sustain the pace of work.

Speakers

- Christopher Tressler — Public Works leadership/presenter (government) - Chad Aaker — Deputy Director, Public Works (government) - Nate Reisner — County Engineer (government) - Jeremy Floyd — Administrative Services Division Manager, Public Works (government) - Ray Garcia — Deputy Director, Public Works (government) - Joe — Fleet manager / Mechanical Services (government) - Tom Hanacek / Facilities (listed in presentation) (government) - Supervisors Patrice Horstman, Jeronimo Vasquez, Tammy Ontiveros, Judy B. Gay, Supervisor Fowler, Supervisor Begay — board members who commented (government)

Authorities and funding sources referenced

- road maintenance sales tax (Prop 403) and Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) - HEERF (county transportation capital funding) and other federal grants (FHWA/FTA/FLAP were discussed conceptually) - BIA / Navajo Nation IGAs and matching arrangements for school bus route maintenance

Clarifying details

- county_road_mileage: 678 gravel miles and about 325 paved miles (figures stated by Public Works) (source_speaker: Chad Aaker / Christopher) - pavement_condition_index: 83 (presented by Public Works) (source_speaker: Nate Reisner) - HEERF year‑to‑date revenue: department reported HEERF receipts near $10 million year‑to‑date for FY25 and an expectation of about $13.3 million for the year (source_speaker: Jeremy Floyd) - Navajo capital matching fund carryover: approximately $1,500,000 in the county account for matching projects (source_speaker: Christopher) - proposed_transportation_CPI_adjustments: transportation fund CPI adjustment ~ $500,000; mechanical services CPI adjustment ~$135,000 (source_speaker: Kim Musselman / county manager remarks)

Discussion_vs_decision

- Discussion points: how to prioritize pavement preservation geographically; how to maintain and staff remote barns; feasibility of expanding in‑house asphalt and guardrail work; and how to structure tribal IGAs for legal right‑of‑way. - Directions/assignments: staff will continue grant pursuit, return with detailed design and cost for specific FY26 projects, and complete IGAs with tribal partners; mechanical services will pursue an updated asset management system RFP and work with finance to implement proposed rate/markup changes for internal charging. - Decisions: no formal board vote recorded on the mechanical fund rate changes or capital purchases during the hearing; staff asked for and will return with final budget items for formal action.

Proper names

- Coconino County Public Works - Prop 403 (road maintenance sales tax) - Navajo Nation Division of Transportation - Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) - Sheep Hill maintenance complex - Old Route 66 / Spring Valley Road / Double A Ranch Road / Lake Mary Road

Community relevance

- geographies: Flagstaff, Williams, Belmont, Page, Tuba City, Forest Lakes, Munns Park - impact_groups: motorists, school bus routes and families, rural residents who rely on graded gravel roads, recreationists who use shoulder enhancements - funding_sources: Prop 403 (road maintenance sales tax), HURF, HEERF, federal grant programs, BIA/Navajo match funds

Meeting_context

- engagement_level: speakers_count ~14 (presenters + board), duration_minutes about 200 for the full public works presentation day, items_count multiple including roads, fleet, facilities, tribal agreements - implementation_risk: low-to-medium (projects funded by tax revenues and federal grants but subject to contractor availability and material costs) - history: multi‑year Prop 403 program and recent acceleration of CIP spending to reduce fund balance and deliver promised projects

Searchable_tags:["public-works","pavement-preservation","fleet","tribal-roads","Prop403"]