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Interim city administrator Tom Hatch, residents press council to prioritize streets and CIP
Summary
Interim city administrator Tom Hatch, introduced on Jan. 14, emphasized streets as a top priority; residents and council members urged quicker action and staff outlined near‑term street rehabilitation projects and a proposed midyear CIP/budget discussion.
The Placentia City Council on Jan. 14 welcomed Tom Hatch as interim city administrator and heard multiple public comments urging faster repairs to local streets and redirection of capital funds.
Mayor introduced Hatch and noted his 36 years of local government experience; Hatch, speaking about his sixth day on the job, said he was "learning Placentia" and pledged to listen to the community. He said the council has made clear that streets and roads are a top priority and proposed that staff provide a brief street update at council meetings and bring CIP discussion forward into the midyear budget review.
Public Works Director Chris Taneo told the council the FY23–24 residential slurry seal project began Jan. 13 with localized full‑depth repairs by contractor Royal and Slurry Steel; staff said residential repairs in the noted areas are expected to be completed by February and that larger arterial work (Melrose from Crowther to Orange Slope and Chapman from Kramer to Placentia) will start the week of Jan. 21 and conclude by mid‑April 2025.
Residents pressed the council to prioritize immediate street fixes. John Beltran (Ponderosa neighborhood) said his group had nearly 30% turnout at a neighborhood meeting and urged the council to break the capital plan down line‑by‑line, saying the Old Town Streetscape item (roughly $10,000,000 noted in the capital plan) could be a "vanity project" if it diverts funds from urgent street work. "Our streets have gotten to the point where it is an immediate now," Beltran said.
Nathan Dedick also described local streets as "a huge mess" and said he looks forward to learning how the capital budget can be adjusted to make streets a higher priority. Council members encouraged residents to attend the scheduled Feb. 18 CIP study session; Hatch and staff said they would prepare for that meeting and provide additional detail to guide prioritization.
Next steps: staff will continue ongoing construction, provide monthly brief updates during city administrator's reports, and prepare materials for the council's midyear budget review and CIP discussion in February.
