Councilors heard a detailed design presentation on the aesthetics and maintenance trade-offs for five roundabouts and several retaining walls associated with upcoming highway-interchange projects.

A design consultant described the locations (including two at the 12th Street/US-101 interchange, two at Kenmar and one at Kemar/Ross Hill), the components of a roundabout (central island, splitter islands and periphery areas), and a range of design options from bare concrete (low maintenance) to custom-form liners, masonry and public art (high maintenance). The consultant emphasized Caltrans's role: Caltrans reviews and must approve design and may not maintain anything other than flat pavement or hardscape, meaning landscaping, irrigation and decorative features would become the city's maintenance responsibility.

The presentation flagged three substantial retaining walls (including an under-crossing wall estimated at about 10 to 12 feet tall) and discussed risks such as graffiti, maintenance costs and choice of durable materials. The consultant provided planning-level cost and lifecycle examples and urged the council to weigh aesthetic aims against long-term maintenance commitments.

Councilors discussed gateway treatment priorities, the desire for low-maintenance materials (stamped/stained concrete, smaller center islands, interchangeable center features), electrical provisioning for seasonal lighting and the potential to leverage volunteers for maintenance in some locations. Several council members and the design consultant cautioned against heavy planting in locations prone to blackberries and high maintenance.

The council voted unanimously to direct staff to use the presented matrix as the basis for a vision plan, to move forward with design mockups, and to begin Caltrans coordination and maintenance-agreement discussions. Staff and the consultant said construction funding would likely come from state or federal grants or Caltrans, not directly from Fortuna's operating budget.