Sunday, Jul. 05, 2009
Sewer stops up Osos road work
Streets have gone years without repair thanks to delays in sewage project
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closeDelays in the Los Osos sewer project are causing slowdowns in repairs to roads in the seaside community, according to conclusions by the county civil grand jury.
Avila Beach, on the other hand, is doing well.
In one of eight reports it issued on June 30 — the final day of its 2008-09 term — the grand jury said very few roads in Los Osos have been repaired in the past three years, and none is scheduled for repair in the current year.
“Department of Public Works officials explained that (it did) not make fiscal sense to repair or improve streets that may then be torn up to install sewer lines,” grand jurors wrote.
The grand jury concluded that it is “unreasonable to ignore the continuing deterioration of the roads in Los Osos.”
It said the county Board of Supervisors should make road improvement in general “one of its highest” budget priorities.
The board’s current priorities are legal mandates — programs they must carry out under federal and state law — and public safety.
Roads in several other areas in the county need attention, the grand jury added, most notably Shandon and Santa Margarita, but also San Miguel, Oceano, Cambria and Nipomo.
The grand jury report applies to roads in unincorporated areas, so it doesn’t include the county’s seven cities.
The 19-member county civil grand jury, composed of citizen volunteers, investigates complaints about county government.
Its recommendations are not binding, but the departments it investigates must file a formal response with Superior Court.
In its report “Potholes and Priorities,” the grand jury described the county’s formula for when roads need attention.
Called the “pavement condition index,” it ranks roads on a scale of zero to 100 based on various factors.
Roads falling below 70 on the index receive priority for repair.
In the unincorporated areas, only Avila Beach, with 84, and Cayucos, with 73, had an average ranking higher than 70.
Santa Margarita and Shandon, with 47, had the lowest averages.
The grand jury said the county should let people throughout its jurisdiction know on an annual basis about planned road improvements.
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