Lake County board adopts SB 1 project list for 2025-26 as public speakers and supervisors press for greater road-safety weighting

The Lake County Board of Supervisors on an unanimous vote approved a resolution adopting a list of projects for fiscal year 2025–26 to be funded by SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and the county's Short-Term Pavement Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Plan.

Public Works Director Glenn March presented the list and told the board the projects fall into three categories: arterial roads (including Neiss LeCerne Cutoff and Bottle Rock Road), pavement work in communities with the lowest Pavement Condition Index (PCI) such as Nice and Lucerne (with Lucerne work to include some safety improvements around State Route 20 and Country Club Drive), and bridge repairs for two short-span bridges currently out of service that have temporary bridges placed on top of failed decks.

The approval matters because SB 1 funds are a key source for local pavement and bridge work; the projects adopted will guide county use of those funds in the coming fiscal year. Board members and public commenters said the county's short-term pavement plan, while focused on PCI and funding availability, does not currently prioritize road safety and that the county should elevate safety in planning and grant applications.

Supervisor Sabatier asked that staff return for a public presentation of the short-term pavement plan, saying, "I don't wanna do this today, but... hoping that there's a chance in the near future for you to come back to speak to the public." Public comment included a resident who said they supported the department's systematic approach but urged more emphasis on safety, noting a discrepancy between crash counts in the county's TIMS database and California Highway Patrol records: "If you go there, Tim says there's only, like, 3 accidents in the last 10 years. But if you go to CHP and do a PRA request on the same road, it's over 30." The resident called for the board to "somehow factor in safety."

Margo Kambara, a member of the public, urged supervisors to weight safety more heavily in the short-term pavement plan, saying the plan's principal criteria'PCI and funding source'do not capture many safety problems. Kambara said Planning Commission members had raised concerns about High Valley Road when considering the Poverty Flats Ranches major use permit and quoted the Community Development director as saying Public Works would present an updated road management plan to the board "within the next couple of weeks or sometime in June." Kambara said that, if safety is not incorporated into the short-term pavement plan, it should be addressed as a top priority in another county plan.

Director March also told the board that on the 17th he would bring a letter of support for the county's application for a Safe Streets and Roads for All planning grant and that the grant application would identify corridors and safety items the county would study if awarded the grant.

After public comment, a resolution to adopt the SB 1 project list was offered and the board recorded aye votes from Supervisor Owen, Supervisor Sabatier, Supervisor Rasmussen, Supervisor Paiske and Chair Crandall. The motion passed 5-0.

The board approved the project list and directed staff to continue developing the county's pavement and road-management work products; supervisors and members of the public signaled they expect future briefings that would emphasize safety criteria and explain how PCI-based priorities relate to urgent safety needs.