Trustees discuss CDBG mitigation funds, hydraulic studies and Army Corps options including PL 84-99
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Summary
County staff described available CDBG disaster-recovery and mitigation funds and recommended next steps. Trustees also reviewed Army Corps letters of interest for technical assistance and levee review, and debated whether to pursue PL 84-99 registration now or after initial steps.
Steve Loop, public works administrator, told trustees the county is preparing to select projects for two CDBG allocations related to the 2023–24 disaster recovery: $1.9 million allocated for an infrastructure project and $9.6 million earmarked for mitigation projects.
Loop said tentative ideas include reconstructing Lovers Lane as the infrastructure project and allocating mitigation funds to rebuild or strengthen evacuation routes and to fund hydraulic studies. He said staff have discussed two $500,000 hydraulic studies — one for Pacheco Creek and one near San Juan Bautista — and that county staff and the board of supervisors must finalize project selection; the CDBG application deadline for submitting projects is Feb. 2026.
Loop also summarized outreach to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The county submitted two formal letters of interest months earlier for technical assistance and a National Levee Safety Program (NLSP) review; both are in the Corps’ district queue. Loop said the Corps is waiting on workforce capacity and fiscal year appropriations to proceed with technical assistance and NLSP reviews.
Trustees debated a third Corps program, commonly referenced as PL 84-99, which can enable rapid Corps emergency response and funding after flood events. County staff and the Corps contact (Jessica Luedy) advised completing the technical-assistance and levee-review steps before pursuing PL 84-99 because of extensive data and eligibility requirements. Several trustees and a public commenter urged applying for PL 84-99 registration now to ensure eligibility for emergency Corps action if another flood occurs.
Loop recommended advancing the current letters of interest and revisiting PL 84-99 after the district completes initial steps; some trustees asked staff to keep PL 84-99 on the table and to provide the detailed checklists so the district can decide whether to proceed.
Ending — Staff will continue coordination with the Corps, prepare materials for the board of supervisors on CDBG project choices, and provide trustees with Corps eligibility materials to inform the next steps.
