Board approves $70 million County Transportation Improvement Program, warns FEMA reimbursements remain uncertain

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the County Transportation Improvement Program (CTIP) for fiscal year 2025–26, a package of roughly 59 projects and about $70 million in proposed work that includes the Avenue 280/Caldwell widening project and more than 34 miles of asphalt overlays across the county.

Resource Management Agency Director Reid Schenke told the board the CTIP returns the county to a “more typical” slate of projects after several years of disaster‑recovery work tied to 2023 storms. The program lists road reconstruction, overlays, chip seal and slurry programs, ADA ramp and sidewalk improvements, bridge repairs, and a $2 million chip seal program that would cover more than 70 miles of road preservation work.

Nut graf: The plan relies on a mix of local Measure R revenue, state gas tax and SB1 funds, federal grants, and some departmental interfund transfers; staff said nearly $30 million in FEMA reimbursements are pending and that uncertainty about the timing or availability of federal reimbursements could require reprioritizing projects.

Schenke said the CTIP funding breakdown includes roughly $74 million in road revenue options for the year across multiple pots (local Measure R, state sources including SB1 and vehicle licensing/gas tax, and federal grant programs such as STBG and the Highway Bridge Program). He explained that, with nearly 3,000 miles of county roads and an estimated cost of $300,000–$500,000 per mile for overlays, the county’s per‑mile discretionary funding (about $25,000 per mile) is far short of what’s needed to bring the entire network to an 85 pavement condition index; the county currently sits near a PCI of about 60.

Board members praised staff responsiveness to constituent road concerns and the department’s use of a pavement management system to prioritize projects. Supervisors also asked about FEMA timing; staff said reimbursements are slow, environmental reviews and processing create bottlenecks, and federal program changes at the administrative level leave some uncertainty.

The board approved the CTIP by motion (motion by Supervisor Townsend; second by Supervisor McCarrie) with a unanimous vote. Staff said many CTIP projects will be initiated in FY 25–26 but that construction timing varies and some projects are multi‑year efforts.

Ending: Staff will proceed with project initiation under the adopted CTIP and monitor FEMA and federal funding flows; the county emphasized a mix of data‑driven pavement management and community input in choosing projects.