Board starts process to form Red Dog Road undergrounding district to use Rule 28 credits

Nevada County staff proposed forming an undergrounding district for Red Dog Road to spend Rule 20A (consumer credit) funds on burying overhead utility lines and widening shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists.

Staff said the county has roughly $7.3 million in PG&E credits and $2.8 million in Liberty Energy credits. Using an evaluation matrix, staff identified Red Dog Road as a fit for a roughly $5.8 million county project that would likely fund undergrounding from Boulder Street toward Pascuali, with future phases possible. The plan would form an Undergrounding District (a special district process) so the county can secure the credits and coordinate with PG&E on design and construction; PG&E would lead engineering and construction for the undergrounding work once the district and funding are secured.

Staff emphasized that forming the district is an administrative step that does not itself assess property owners; any eventual assessment or rate impact would be determined later when final design and cost information are available. The Board adopted a resolution of intention to form the Red Dog Road Underground Utilities District, scheduled an informational meeting for Aug. 28 and set a public hearing for Sept. 10 to gather property owner input and consider formal formation.

Supervisors asked staff to prioritize outreach and communication with impacted residents about construction impacts, staging and timelines if the district proceeds to final design and construction phases.