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Board weighs options as trail costs rise; staff to pursue county discussion and special meeting
Summary
Directors discussed a widening funding gap for the West Shore/North Shore trail rehabilitation after bids and design changes increased costs; staff will meet county and NTCA staff and the board scheduled a Sept. 27 special meeting to refine a grant strategy and decide whether to scale back or seek a larger county match.
The Thomas City Public Utility District board spent substantial time Friday weighing how to close a funding gap on its multi‑segment West Shore/North Shore trail rehabilitation program after construction bids and design enhancements raised project costs.
Staff said the district originally assumed a 75/25 (county/TCPD) funding split when applying for a multi‑year sponsorship, but current estimates show the district may end up funding roughly 38–40% of the North Shore Trail project rather than the planned 25%. "Our project is key construction on the North Shore Trail... bid results are more than we anticipated," staff said, adding that the district has re‑sequenced projects to coordinate with Caltrans work. To address the gap staff submitted a placeholder request to the county for an additional $1,000,000 (a proposed 50/50 cost share for years 2 and 3) while continuing discussions with Placer County and NTCA staff.
Directors debated strategy. Some said persisting with a 75/25 match could preserve competitiveness for TOT grants but might slow implementation; others favored proposing a smaller project scope to maintain the original match ratio and complete high‑priority segments sooner. Staff told the board the county’s allocations are likely to be fixed dollar amounts rather than a true percentage of final project cost, and that the county has delayed years 2–3 funding pending a countywide trails master plan. The board asked staff to report back after a Monday meeting with county staff and NTCA and agreed to hold a special meeting Sept. 27 to give staff direction on whether to amend the grant request or scale project scope.
