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Board approves Measure O spending plan, prioritizes road surfacing, matching grants and equipment upgrades
Summary
Humboldt County public works presented and the board approved a Measure O spending plan that prioritizes road surfacing, grant matches, emergency reserves for storm repair, equipment replacement and some Complete Streets components; the board also approved administrative staffing allocations tied to Measure O.
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on June 9 reviewed and approved a Measure O spending plan from Public Works that targets resurfacing projects, match funding to secure outside grants, emergency storm-repair reserves, equipment replacement and a set of Complete Streets components, and the board approved related administrative staffing allocations.
Tom Mattson, director of public works, presented a one-year-focused plan that groups resurfacing projects around the county, assigns contingency secondary projects if primary projects fail or contractors are unavailable, and reserves funding for emergency winter storm damage response. Mattson said the department proposed to allocate $4 million of Measure O to leverage an estimated $20 million in outside funding for outstanding projects and proposed about $9.5 million for road surfacing grouped geographically across the county. He also said equipment replacement and maintenance would be a priority; the department suggested up to $4 million (staff later refined the number to about $3.7 million) for equipment replacement, including replacement of an aging rock-crushing system and two heavy trucks.
Mattson emphasized flexibility: some funds would function as match for FEMA or federal-aid projects, while resurfacing contracts might be adjusted year-to-year depending on storms, contractor availability and emergent needs. He told the board, “that is our initial plan going into July 1, and we would like to hit the ground running.” The plan also includes targeted Complete Streets components and ADA curb-ramp work; several supervisors encouraged clear line items for Complete Streets to improve leverage for external grants.
The board approved the Measure O spending plan and agreed to staff's request for flexibility to move funds between buckets if projects change. Supervisors also approved Measure O administrative staffing allocations (positions described by staff included a senior fiscal assistant in the Auditor-Controller, a deputy county counsel, an administrative analyst shared between Measure Z and Measure O, and a buyer for Purchasing); the board asked that general-fund contingencies be adjusted to accommodate the staffing allocations in the 2025-26 budget.
Why this matters: Measure O is the county's primary local funding source for pavement and infrastructure; this spending plan will set which roads and projects receive surface treatment, what capital equipment is replaced, and how the county will use local funds to match larger state and federal grants.
Next steps: staff will begin contract procurement on surface projects as of July 1, prioritize grant matches to maximize outside funding and return to the board with audit-ready spending allocations and any contract amendments. Public Works will also present planned Complete Streets elements for grant leverage and maintain an audit trail showing how Measure O is used in the required account groups.
Ending: The board asked Public Works to produce a more detailed multi-year projection for public transparency but approved the immediate first-year spending plan to allow work to begin promptly.
