Council authorizes engineering for Chrysler Road after public pleas and SDI accounting questions

California City’s council voted on Jan. 20 to authorize engineering and design work focused on Chrysler Road — one of three flood‑damaged roads in the Second Community — after residents and SDI advisory committee members urged immediate action.

Staff described the work as engineering task orders to prepare permanent repairs for flood damage. Council members and commenters repeatedly emphasized both the urgency of restoring access for businesses and the uncertainty of reimbursement from state disaster funds. Council member Smith said prioritizing Chrysler was necessary because it serves a taxpaying business and public safety access; he moved to amend the existing resolution to pursue engineering for Chrysler alone. The motion was seconded and passed on a 3‑0 roll call.

Public comments were emphatic. Robbie Cortez, an SDI advisory committee member, and John Elms, a local motocross‑track owner, said roads were impassable and that an estimated $1.3 million in SDI street reserves had been removed from city balances in prior years without clear accounting, complicating the city’s ability to fund immediate repairs. Elms described repeated closures of his business because he could not get customers to the track and warned of public‑safety and liability risks if roads remained blocked.

Staff acknowledged funding complexity: posted line items show some street funds with positive balances (e.g., $4.9 million cited for fund '27) offset by negative balances in the street capital improvement fund, yielding a small net available balance for streets. Staff said eligible reimbursements (OES/CDAA) may be possible for engineering and that the city could submit engineering invoices for reimbursement, but stressed there was no guarantee. Council members estimated full reconstruction of Chrysler could cost in the range of $4–6 million; staff said engineering is the first and necessary step and that engineering invoices — if eligible — may be reimbursable.

Council action. The council amended the resolution (Resolution 2‑26‑3201 as referenced in debate) to authorize pursuit of engineering and design for the permanent repair of Chrysler Road and directed staff to prioritize Chrysler in scheduling. The vote passed 3‑0 with Council member Clark absent.

What happens next. Staff said the engineering task order timeline could be months to a year to complete depending on scope and state review; council asked staff to pursue expedited engineering where feasible and to explore state reimbursement and SDI funding options. Council also requested staff clarify cash availability and account reconciliations before proceeding with construction contracts.