Trinidad council pledges $10,000 for coastal trail design, ties payment to CDP settlement

Trinidad City Council approved a $10,000 budget amendment on Nov. 12 to pay for a conceptual design of the Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail intended to help secure outside funding and move permitting forward. Council tied the city’s payment to the resolution of the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) appeal, a condition that a majority of councilors backed.

Council and staff described the payment as a narrow, one-time use of an existing trail-maintenance line item to fund engineering work that will produce GPS points, cross sections and a drawing that funders and permitting agencies can review. “The draft motion was to authorize a budget amendment to shift $10,000 in public works fund... to engineering expense code… to cover the city's contribution to the Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail alignment project,” staff said during the presentation.

The item prompted extended council debate and public comment. Supporters said a modest city contribution could unlock larger Conservancy and Climate Bond funding and signal cooperation among stakeholders. “If we had something we could see on paper, we could go to these g-to-g meetings,” a staff member said, describing feedback from Coastal Conservancy staff. Opponents and some council members cautioned that several stakeholders — including the Tri-Ancestral Society (TAS) — oppose moving forward until they are satisfied they have been adequately consulted. Public commenters and planning commissioners urged the council to insist on solid field data before committing funds.

Councilor Kenny moved the successful motion to approve the full $10,000 but made it contingent on settlement of the CDP appeal; Jack seconded. The motion passed by majority voice vote (three in favor, two opposed). The council recorded the outcome as an approval contingent on the CDP resolution rather than unconditional spending.

What happens next: staff said the funds would be used to complete a conceptual design prepared by the city engineer, including GPS mapping and drawings the Coastal Commission can review at upcoming g-to-g (government-to-government) meetings. The Coastal Commission has scheduled a GDG meeting on Dec. 10 to consult with the tribe, staff said; council and staff emphasized that producing a usable drawing would allow funders to consider an application for Conservancy grants.

The council’s action does not change the status of the CDP appeal: the Coastal Commission retains jurisdiction and its process will continue. The council and staff said they will monitor the GDG consultations and release the funds only if the conditions the council set are met.

Funding and oversight: staff advised the council that the $10,000 would come from the city’s existing trail-maintenance line item and that that account historically has carried unspent balances forward. The Conservancy representative told staff the Conservancy would not fund a purely conceptual plan without demonstrable groundwork; staff said the $10,000 will be the city’s contribution toward such groundwork.

Council members asked staff to report back to the council on whether the condition has been met before releasing the funds. The Coastal Commission and Conservancy will continue to lead the stakeholder working group and CDP process.