San Carlos council approves $2025 pavement maintenance package after debate over which streets get fixed

The San Carlos City Council voted unanimously April 14 to approve the 2025 pavement maintenance project (C-9416) and authorize staff to call for bids after council members pressed staff to explain how streets were selected. The motion passed after a short debate and a roll-call vote that recorded unanimous support.

Assistant public works staff Tracy Scramalia told the council the city uses an annual pavement management program that assigns a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to streets and prioritizes maintenance techniques that protect roads from further deterioration. "The goal of the city is to get to a PCI of about 70," Scramalia said, explaining that slurry seal plus crack sealing prevents water infiltration and is prioritized because it delivers more pavement miles per dollar than full reconstruction.

Council Member Rack said he supported doing more pavement work but asked why some of the worst streets — including one he said had a PCI in the 20s — were not scheduled for prompt reconstruction. "If you're living on a street that has a 20 and has no chance of being improved, I don't know that we're doing the service we should be doing for those residents," Rack said, urging staff to present a multi-year policy option to bring the lowest-rated streets up to minimum standards.

Staff said the difference is cost: failed streets that require reconstruction are orders of magnitude more expensive because they often require base work and updated storm-water treatment when dug to grade. Staff also told the council the program still shows about $55 million in unfunded need to address all failed streets, so the short-term project focuses on preventive maintenance where it yields the most benefit.

On project timing and scope, staff said the Howard Avenue segment in the package will receive full lip-to-lip slurry and associated dig-out repairs; staff gave the project schedule as a May 6 bid opening, May 27 award and an anticipated construction start around June 25, with roughly 35 working days of work. Council members also asked staff to include clearer PCI targets in future planning materials and to present a balanced mix of maintenance and reconstruction in next year's resurfacing program.

The council approved the project by roll call: Council Member Rack, Council Member Dugan, Council Member Leighton, Vice Mayor Venitesh and Mayor McDonald all voted yes. The project will move to bid as C-9416 and return to council for award and contract authorization.