Photo courtesy of Andrew Goff, of the Lost Coast Outpost
After their fire chief credited Measure S for his department’s recent Class 2 ISO rating, Crescent City councilors on Monday authorized changes to more projects paid for with revenue from the voter-approved sales tax.
Those changes include using $90,000 in Measure S dollars to start expanding the Crescent City Police Department while waiting on a USDA Community Facilities loan to come through.
Councilors allocated an extra $120,000 as contingency for an HVAC and flooring project at the Fred Endert Municipal Swimming Pool plus an additional $106,000 for other projects that need to be completed during the facility’s three-month closure.
Finally, councilors authorized staff to use roughly $99,831 in state Road Repair and Accountability Act dollars instead of Measure S funding to help pay to repair about 10,000 square feet of asphalt along A Street.
According to Public Works Director Dave Yeager, $179,000 in Measure S dollars will go toward sidewalk repairs at 15 spots throughout the city.
“These are areas that can’t be fixed,” Yeager told councilors. “They’re trip hazards. Some of them involve concrete replacement, curb and gutter replacement, and I think there are probably two ADA ramps that have failed. These are just failed corners or failed sidewalks and the city doesn’t have the staff to repair them.”
Approved by voters in 2020, Measure S is a 1 percent sales tax within city limits that’s earmarked for the police department, street repairs and to keep the swimming pool going. Measure S also funds Crescent City Fire & Rescue in conjunction with a Crescent Fire Protection District benefit assessment.
Before he turned over the presentation to Yeager, City Manager Eric Wier said the Measure S Oversight Committee on Oct. 28 had recommended the Council approve the proposed changes to the police department, pool and street projects.
The CCPD expansion has been in the works since 2022. According to the city’s staff report, the project calls for remodeling the existing 800 square foot building and adding another 1,500 square feet. There will be a new briefing room, locker rooms, showers, break room, kitchen area and a new public restroom, according to the staff report.
The project also calls for expanding the parking lot in the back, adding sidewalks, a motorized gate and an ADA parking stall.
Measure S dollars originally paid for the project’s design, but the city obtained a USDA loan for its construction. Since it could be up to a year before those USDA dollars come through, Yeager and Wier proposed using the $90,000 in Measure S funding to get started on the project.
That $90,000 was initially slated for a debt service payment to the USDA for that loan, according to the city’s staff report.
Before construction can start on the expansion, the city proposes using that Measure S money to demolish an existing storage trailer at the rear of the police station, install a gravel pad and a new Tuff Shed as well as the electric sliding gate. The city will also add a new driveway as well as a gate rolling pad and run electricity to the gate and the shed temporarily.
“This is all simple stuff that will allow us to jump months ahead in terms of actual construction,” Yeager said, referring to the larger expansion project. “This is big stuff for the police department.”
Over at the swimming pool, the upgrades to the HVAC and dehumidification systems as well as replacing the flooring in the locker room and on the deck costs a total of $1.2 million. Staff asked councilors to approve a 10 percent contingency of about $120,000 in Measure S dollars.
Yeager said the Measure S Oversight Committee also recommended using another $106,000 for smaller projects that can only be accomplished while the facility is dry. These projects include replacing the pool recirculation pump, the bulbs and rings on the underwater lights as well as existing benches, locker room partitions and the stainless steel trim on door jams and in the showers.
Yeager said the city also plans to remove two showers alongside the pool that aren’t being used as well as a rail around the bleachers that create an accessibility barrier for those who have mobility impairments.
Other tasks include touching up a seal mural and sealing it to prevent water damage. That extra $106,000 would also include removing anything that needs to be removed before the locker room flooring project can start, as well as providing$50,000 for any contingencies Yeager said.
“If we don’t use the money it will stay in Measure S,” he said.
During the conversation, Yeager mentioned Aquatics Supervisor Alicia Garcia as well as the local swim club and the possibility of them holding meets at the Fred Endert Municipal Pool.
Those conversations are gaining traction, Wier told the Council. He said the Del Norte Healthcare District donated $35,000 to the swim team for touch pads and timer equipment — which is a big component of being able to hold meets. That funding is also going to be used for a scoreboard, according to Wier, and starting blocks.
“For the most part, we have the infrastructure, it’s just a matter of getting it planned,” Wier said.
Finally, Yeager noted that while Measure S can help reconstruct a block or two of Front Street, there isn’t enough money to repave A Street from 2nd all the way to Pacific. According to Yeager’s staff report, the Measure S Oversight Committee in 2021 urged the City Council to adopt a “best first” approach that maintains streets that are in good condition first and use grant dollars or one-time funding for those that are already in poor condition.
In April 2024, the Measure S Oversight Committee recommended using $250,000 for a street repair maintenance project. Incorporating roughly $99,000 in Road Repair and Accountability Act, or SB-1, money into the project will allow Crescent City to use it for other Measure S priorities, Wier told the councilors.
According to Wier, the city can use SB-1 dollars on Front Street and A Street.
“Our SB-1 funds have a balance of approximately $400,000,” he said. “[The state] gives us a little bit every year, but not enough to do a big project. It’s nice to be able to combine it with things to maximize those dollars.”
According to Yeager, the project consists of fixing potholes and repaving several portions of A Street as well as 2nd Street from A to B streets and the intersection at 5th and F streets. The asphalt repair project also includes a culvert replacement at A and Jackie streets.
As for the sidewalk repairs, Yeager said nearly 2,200 square feet of concrete will be involved. The ADA ramp repairs are at 8th and K streets and at 5th and D streets, according to the staff report.
Crescent City contracted with Tidewater Contractors to do the work for $253,861. The project also includes a $25,000 contingency, according to the staff report.
