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Lake County Watershed board approves roughly $20,000–$25,000 state reimbursement for Lehi Patrol Road repair
Summary
The Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the district director to accept additional state funding to cover cost overruns on the 2024 Lehi Patrol Road repair project. The funding is restricted to the specific project and will reimburse expenses already incurred.
The Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution authorizing the district director to amend the 2024 Lehi Patrol Road Gravel Pro repair project agreement to accept additional state funding to cover cost overruns.
The resolution was approved after a public member who identified herself as the chair of the Upper Lake Community Services District formation committee asked why the county sought an additional $100,000 in authorization and whether any of the money related to repairs at the Middle Creek diversion. Director Padgett, presenting for Water Resources, said the additional authorization requests funds from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) that are dedicated to the Lehi Patrol Road repair and cannot be used for other projects.
“...this is the FSRP project, which is repair for the Lehi Patrol Road. So this has nothing to do with what was mentioned here before,” Director Padgett said, adding the state funds "can be used for only that specific things." She said the county already completed the road repairs and incurred costs that exceeded the original estimate, so staff requested an increase from the state to reimburse the overrun.
A public commenter who identified herself as chair of the Upper Lake Community Services District formation committee said the committee needs to know the reason for the increase because it affects the committee’s draft LAFCO budget. She also asked whether the funding related to other nearby repairs and asked that any spending prioritize the continually deteriorating scouring area that concerns Upper Lake residents.
Padgett said the cost increase was roughly 10 percent and estimated to be about $20,000–$25,000. He said the original scope covered about a mile of roadway plus an additional 200 to 500 feet, which contributed to the higher cost.
A board member moved the resolution; the record shows votes in favor from Director Owen, Director Sabatier, Director Rasmussen, Director Paiske and Director Crandall. The motion passed 5-0. Meeting discussion noted that, if the board did not approve the resolution, the county would not receive the additional state reimbursement. Staff said the action effectively closes out the project by recognizing and accepting reimbursement for the documented overrun.
The item was originally pulled from consent by the public commenter to seek clarification on funding sources and budget impacts, particularly for the Upper Lake LAFCO application. Staff and several directors urged coordination with DWR (and potentially Caltrans, which was discussed separately earlier in the meeting) at a future meeting to provide direct answers to community questions.
The board’s action accepts dedicated state funding intended only for the Lehi Patrol Road repair and does not authorize use of that money for unrelated projects.
