Public Works outlines transportation, fleet and facilities spending; plans road projects, new truck barn and shop upgrades

Coconino County Public Works on Monday previewed fiscal 2026 transportation and facilities plans that emphasize pavement preservation, targeted reconstruction projects, equipment renewal and in‑house fleet expansion.

Public Works Director Christopher Tressler and his leadership team told supervisors the department is pursuing a mix of county funding (road maintenance sales tax and highway user revenue funds) and federal grants for capital work, while investing in facilities and mechanical services to improve equipment readiness.

Why it matters: The county manages more than 600 miles of gravel roads and more than 300 miles of paved roads; choices about prioritizing preservation versus reconstruction and about retaining in‑house paving and mechanical capability affect both road condition and annual costs.

Key details

- Revenues and fund balance: Administrative staff reported steady growth in core transportation revenue streams and emphasized that Public Works is intentionally spending down a prior fund balance to put more projects into construction and pavement preservation. The department expects HEERF and RMST funding to remain central to near‑term capital work.

- Pavement preservation and project list: The department proposed a near‑term construction program that includes Old Route 66 deep mill and fill, Spring Valley Road shoulder widening, Double A Ranch Road reconstruction, and targeted drainage fixes such as Trout Creek and Dunham Street. Staff said the county’s pavement condition index is about 83, a relatively healthy level, and that planned preservation will reduce long‑term reconstruction costs.

- Tribal and federal agreements: Public Works described three ongoing tribal‑road programs: (1) a Navajo Nation capital matching fund (Prop 403 dollars matched by the Navajo DOT) with roughly $1.5 million in carryovers, (2) a BIA agreement for blade/grading of school bus routes (historically about 286 miles) and (3) an outgoing IGA under negotiation to recognize roads crossing Hopi lands. Staff said they plan to present an updated IGA to the board to bring the agreements into compliance.

- Facilities and fleet: The department plans a new truck barn earlier than previously scheduled (FY26) to align with a planned Emergency Operations Center build; the new facility will increase barn capacity and include a larger conference space for county use. Public Works proposed a phased equipment replacement program for heavy trucks and added a goal to raise mechanical shop readiness to at least 94–95%.

- Mechanical services (fleet) changes: Fleet leadership proposed three budgetary changes to stabilize the internal fleet fund: increase mechanic labor rates (proposed from $90 to $120 per hour), reduce parts markup (from 32% to 15%) to relieve grant‑funded departments, and amortize replacement charges over a longer life for general fleet vehicles (extend to 14 years/50,000 miles) while keeping sheriff patrol replacements shorter (six years / ~30,000–50,000 miles). Staff said the proposed changes are budget neutral overall and intended to smooth departmental charges over time.

Board discussion and next steps

Supervisors praised Public Works for delivery on many Prop 403 promises and asked for additional outreach on materials availability and the rising cost of construction. Board members asked for continued work to secure grants, to present the revised tribal IGAs for approval and to return with the finalized fleet rate schedule for adoption.

Ending

Public Works said it expects to move several projects into construction for FY26 and will return with more detailed project schedules, final fleet charge rates and the tribal IGA for the board’s consideration.