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Publisher urges COG to press Calaveras supervisors over Murphy’s SR‑4 median
Summary
Christopher Butner told the Council of Governments that two Calaveras County supervisors who sit on the COG board missed repeated chances to question Caltrans about a concrete median on SR‑4 in Murphy’s, and asked the board to seek transparency and accountability.
Christopher Butner, publisher of calaveras2026election.com, used the COG public‑comment period to urge transparency and accountability from local officials over a Caltrans SR‑4 median project in Murphy’s. "My comments this evening are directed specifically toward the two Calaveras County district supervisors who serve on SECOG's board of directors," Butner said, naming Gary Tofinelli (District 1) and Amanda Follendorf (District 4), and said the two officials "missed numerous opportunities to ask Caltrans" questions about the concrete median.
Butner told the board the median has prompted a petition by more than 1,900 county residents and described the project as "hazardous and ill conceived." He said the project was handled as a Caltrans "Minor B" project — a category he said can move quickly to construction — and argued that board members did not give the project adequate attention over the last two years. "I'm asking CCOG board members Gary Toffanelli and Amanda Follendorf to be transparent and accountable and concede errors in missing the Caltrans District 3 SR‑4 concrete median project in Murphy's multiple times," Butner said.
The chair noted the COG does not implement construction projects and reiterated earlier guidance that public comment is welcome but COG has no construction authority. The board did not take formal action in response to the comment during the meeting; members and Caltrans staff later discussed the Murphy’s intersection and signal operations during the Caltrans report and Q&A portion of the agenda.
Ending: The comment was recorded as part of the meeting record; the COG’s role and limits of authority were reiterated by the chair during the meeting.
