Logo courtesy of the City of Yuba City

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) – With deteriorating streets and limited funding, Yuba City is exploring a $12 million to $14 million bond program to tackle major pavement repairs across its 255-mile road network.

The City Council approved a $2.14 million engineering and assessment project Oct. 6 to evaluate street conditions, establish a five-year maintenance plan and prepare construction documents for a citywide rehabilitation effort. The proposed borrowing would require separate approval.

“We can't survive on grants. We need our own money,” Vice Mayor Michael Pasquale said following a presentation by Public Works Director Joshua Wolffe on the city's reliance on outside funding.

Yuba City's streets currently have an estimated average pavement condition rating of 47 out of 100, a figure Wolffe acknowledged is based on outdated information. Residential streets were last inspected in 2016, while major thoroughfares were evaluated in 2019.

Wolffe said pavement inspections are generally recommended every two to four years. Without current assessments, the city relies on computer estimates of deterioration rather than actual roadway conditions.

Repairing damaged pavement is expensive, officials said. Major rehabilitation can cost nearly $2 million per mile, while less-intensive surface treatments with localized repairs cost approximately $265,000 per mile.

The city's annual capital improvement budget provides about $3.7 million for roadway-related projects, but that money must also cover sidewalks, drainage, street lighting and safety improvements, according to Wolffe.

Wolffe said preliminary financing estimates indicate the city could borrow between $12 million and $14 million, requiring annual debt payments of approximately $1.5 million to $2 million over 10 years.

City Manager Robert Bendorf pointed to the approximately $2 million Yuba City receives annually in state SB 1 gas tax funding as a potential source for repaying borrowed money.

Bendorf said combining repairs into a large rehabilitation project could reduce costs associated with completing smaller projects over several years. He cited previous experience with a similar financing arrangement that produced substantial savings through reduced construction expenses and avoided future deterioration.

The council awarded the engineering contract to R.E.Y. Engineers Inc. of Folsom, which proposed using advanced LiDAR scanning technology to evaluate the entire street network.

Unlike traditional pavement inspections that sample approximately 10% of roadways, the technology collects detailed information across the full network, including surface damage, pavement elevations and surrounding infrastructure. Wolffe said the information would allow engineers to identify necessary repairs more accurately while reducing the amount of field surveying required for future projects.

The $2.14 million project will be financed through existing Transportation Development Act funds, including transfers from road rehabilitation, pavement assessment and striping accounts. Officials said the expenditure will not affect the city's general fund.

Meanwhile, Yuba City continues pursuing outside assistance. Wolffe said the Public Works Department has submitted more than $50 million in grant applications for roadway repair and safety projects this year.

Mayor Marc Boomgaarden praised the city's success in obtaining $2.56 million for three pavement preservation projects through the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. The projects cover portions of Live Oak Boulevard, Queens Avenue, Stabler Lane and Tharp Road.

Wolffe also reported that a $1.5 million resurfacing project has improved approximately 6.5 miles of streets through pavement repairs and protective surface treatments.

While resurfacing projects have traditionally occurred every three to five years, Wolffe said he wants to establish an annual program to prevent streets from deteriorating to the point of requiring expensive reconstruction.

The updated pavement assessment and five-year maintenance plan are expected by early summer 2027, with a major rehabilitation project potentially ready for construction in late 2027 or early 2028, officials said.