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Potter Valley resident describes hazardous potholes, asks county for greater road maintenance
Summary
A Potter Valley resident testified that a deep pothole damaged her vehicle and called for increased county road maintenance; supervisors said a budget item on road maintenance is forthcoming and invited the resident to follow the budget process.
Rose Cahill, a Potter Valley resident, told the Board of Supervisors she struck a deep pothole on East Road near Mile Marker 4.5 and suffered a large tire rip on her 2020 Toyota Yaris. Cahill said there was no safe place to pull over for nearly a quarter mile and it took more than an hour to change the tire in the dark.
"Our roads in Potter Valley have hundreds of dangerous potholes and the deterioration has forced people to drive in unsafe conditions for years," Cahill said, asking the board to act for the safety of first responders and residents.
Supervisor Kline thanked the speaker and asked her to pick up a business card so county staff could follow up. Supervisor Williams noted that Kline and he have an item scheduled to consider increasing the road‑maintenance budget and that the annual budget cycle is approaching. "You may want to come back and be part of that discussion," Williams said, adding that the issue is how much the board will allocate to the Department of Transportation rather than a question of DOT staff performance.
Cahill said the Department of Transportation’s stopgap repairs — "1 single truckload of asphalt at a time with men with shovels" — are insufficient because rain quickly erodes the fillings. Supervisors encouraged the resident to engage in the budget process where funding levels and priorities will be debated.
Why it matters: Road maintenance and pothole repairs directly affect public safety, emergency response and local travel. The board pointed to an upcoming budget conversation as the appropriate venue to consider increased maintenance funding.
