Turlock mayor describes plan to fix roads. What needs repairing? Take our survey.
The first step in fixing hundreds of miles of Turlock roads, Mayor Amy Bublak said Friday, is hiring a project manager to work with engineers, the public and the city.
To begin the plan she introduced in the recent State of the City Address, Bublak said she intends to put hiring a roads project manager on the next City Council meeting agenda.
Measure A sales tax revenue can fund the position and the street construction, Bublak said. Longtime Turlock residents most often tell her about residential roads needing repair, such as Wayside Drive and Hedstrom Road. But main streets such as Linwood Avenue and Lander Avenue also come up, she said.
“It’s long overdue and I think the public needs to see us putting their money into their streets,” Bublak said.
A project manager will help lead public conversations on road construction, she said, as well as plan strategies and review contract bids. The city also intends to fix roads needing extensive repairs beyond just filling in potholes, Bublak said.
As crews complete construction, Bublak added she wants signs to show taxpayers’ Measure A dollars paid for the repairs. Turlock last spent general fund dollars on road repairs in 1985, Bublak said.
In July, Bublak cast the sole City Council vote against adding the general sales tax measure to the 2020 election ballot. At the time, she said, asking residents to pay more taxes during the coronavirus crisis is inappropriate. Turlock residents passed the measure with 56.7% of the vote.
“We want them to know you gave us this money and this is where it went,” Bublak said. “So that everybody realizes there is a positive impact for the money they gave to us in a really bad time.”
Other road goals Bublak described during her May 6 address include securing construction contracts, repairing about 400 miles of roads within five years and getting City Council and public approval on which roads to repair and when.
Turlock already has a list of streets needing repair from when John Lazar was mayor between 2006 and 2014, Bublak said. The city can modify the list as needed during discussions, she said. To reduce traffic congestion from detours, Bublak said the project manager will analyze how to schedule street repairs.
This story was originally published May 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
