The $5 million project, now in its second phase, is upgrading streets, sidewalks and intersections around the downtown, based on a plan that has been in development for several years and has been the subject of significant public input.
In a special hour-long workshop that preceded the regular council meeting Tuesday evening, Redevelopment and Community Development Director Richard Knoll laid out several options for the council.
The three-option menu before the council included terminating the project altogether, reducing the project's scope to save money – which was staff's preferred option – or simply moving forward.
Knoll said the city didn't have anywhere near the $3.5 million needed to complete the project as designed.
Rather, as a result of actions taken by the governor and state Legislature during the summer to eliminate redevelopment, the cumulative effect of several years of educational revenue augmentation funds payments – or ERAF – that the city had to make to the state, flat redevelopment revenues and city budget adjustments, Knoll said the city only has about $1.8 million to devote to the project.
In explaining the options, Knoll told the council that the project could be stopped altogether and the money that the redevelopment agency still had available to it could be put toward other projects, such as a new road to be built for a planned new courthouse on Lakeport Boulevard.
The staff-preferred second option recommended reducing the project's overall scope, eliminating bulbouts and raised “table” intersections – which is a traffic calming approach – along with associated landscaping, drainage improvements and a small wall, Knoll said.
The third and final option presented to the council Tuesday was to make no changes and stick with the project, Knoll said.
The project's engineer, Rau and Associates, prepared cost estimates for the proposed changes in option two. Knoll said that by eliminating the bulbouts, raised intersections and landscaping, the city could save between 12 and 17 percent of the project cost.
No actual bottom line number for the projected savings was given; Knoll said the actual savings would be determined based on the final bid and construction estimates.
Another motivation for city staff to get direction from the council involved the Savings Bank of Mendocino project, now under construction on Main Street.
Knoll said the bank has an obligation to build right-of-way improvements, and the redevelopment agency has been in negotiations with the bank to help participate in the funding.
But agency participation – which has been used in other projects – can't even be considered currently, Knoll said. That's due to a lawsuit against the state over the new redevelopment laws the Legislature approved as part of the 2011-12 budget.
Knoll said staff wanted direction on the changes to the downtown improvement plan so they could coordinate with the bank and make sure that the right-of-way improvements rise to the standard of the rest of the downtown design plan.
In response to questions from community members, Knoll said the downtown improvement project's second phase would hopefully occur on a “shoulder” season – meaning not the main tourist season that helps fuel the county economy. But he added that the timing has not yet been defined.
He said the city intends to work with the business community to address its concerns and avoid disruption. Knoll said the formation of a stakeholder committee is being discussed.
Mayor Suzanne Lyons asked if the city would have to pay for more plans. It was noted during the discussion that the city already has paid more than $400,000 for design. Knoll said some changes would have to be made, but that the plans were designed in such a way that they could be modified.
City Engineer Scott Harter said the city stopped the design work at about the 70-percent mark.
With council members Bob Rumfelt and Roy Parmentier absent for the discussion, the final vote was 2-1 – with Lyons voting no – to modify the project based on staff's recommended option No. 2.
While that option will do away with bulbouts, a small monument wall and some other associated improvements, it includes direction to concentrate the project along Main Street, where improvements will include widening sidewalks, planting trees with grates, moving the street lights out closer to the street – which Knoll said the council had previously approved – installing patterned concrete at intersections and crosswalks, and street reconstruction.
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092011 Lakeport City Council - Downtown Improvement Workshop
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