YUBA COUNTY, CA – The Yuba Water Agency gave a final nod Monday for a $9 million loan to Yuba County that will allow what would have been multiple years’ worth of road repairs to happen within the next few months. The arrangement actually makes it possible for the county to complete an additional $4 million in road fixes.

Yuba County plans to use revenues from the road tax passed by state lawmakers in 2017 to pay off the loan over the next ten years or sooner. 

“This is really a win-win-win for Yuba Water, the county and the taxpayers who will benefit from the extensive road repairs that will now take place this summer,” said Yuba Water Agency General Manager Curt Aikens. “The Water Agency will see a solid return on its investments, the county will be able to complete an incredible amount of road projects that is far greater than previously planned, and the taxpayers will enjoy vastly improved driving conditions throughout Yuba County.”

Shortly after approval of the gas tax legislation, known as SB-1, Yuba County Administrator Robert Bendorf directed the Public Works team to determine whether there would be benefits to advance funding and completing several years’ worth of road work in a single season.  An analysis revealed that approximately $4 million in cost savings would be achieved for several reasons, including: achieving discounts by doing one or two large contracts instead of multiple smaller contracts; avoiding impacts of inflation and escalating construction costs; and avoiding ongoing maintenance costs that would have otherwise been necessary on the improved roads over the coming years.

In effect, the Yuba Water Agency is advancing $9 million to the county in order to obtain the discounts and realize the cost savings. In return, the Yuba Water Agency will receive a guaranteed return on the loan at a slightly higher rate than is expected from leaving its money in the county treasury.

“When all is said and done, the interest for the loan repayment over the next ten years will be about $1.1 million, but we will see significant cost savings in the amount of $4 million to invest back into our roads,” Bendorf said. “In addition, the interest the county is paying on the loan stays local for future investment for the people of the county.”

 “To my knowledge, nowhere near this many miles of road repairs have ever been done in a single construction season in Yuba County,” Bendorf said.

Yuba County had to overcome restrictions that existed in state regulations before an arrangement with the Yuba Water Agency could be reached. County officials worked through its contracted lobbyists with the state for more than a year to amend regulations in order to allow the advance of funds. The regulatory changes now make it possible for all California counties to leverage gas tax revenues.

For this year, Yuba County anticipates having about $12 million available for road repairs. This includes the $9 million in advanced funds from the Yuba Water Agency and another $3 million from the Yuba County Public Works road fund.

“We are soon completing the bidding process for two massive contracts totaling $12 million in road repairs this summer, with one contract focusing on the foothills and the other focusing on the valley floor,” said Yuba County Public Works Director Mike Lee. “By the end of the summer our residents will see 60 miles of improved roadways; an unprecedented feat in Yuba County.”

The following is a tentative list of road repairs slated to be done this year:

Phase I (Valley Floor)

•  3rd Ave – Entire length (0.42 miles)
• 5^th Avenue – From Canal Street to Western Ave (0.11 miles)
• 7th Ave – From Arboga Rd to Railroad Tracks (0.12 miles)
• 8th Ave – Entire length (0.75 miles)
• 9th Ave – From Arboga Rd to Pacific Ave (0.12 miles)
• 10^th Ave – From Olivehurst Ave to Western Avenue (0.24 miles)
• 11th Ave – From Arboga Rd to Pacific Ave (0.12 miles)
• 11th Ave – From Western Ave to Olivehurst Ave (0.24 miles)
• 13^th Ave – From Ardmore Ave to Olivehurst Ave (0.11 miles)
• Arboga Road – From Erle Road to Feather River Blvd (1.03 miles)
• Ardmore Ave – From McGowan Parkway to 9th Ave (0.74 miles)
• Avondale Ave – From Hammonton-Smartsville Rd to North Beale Road (0.18 miles)
• Bald Mountain Road – Marysville Road east (0.70 miles)
• Baugh Street – From Ardmore to Olivehurst Ave (0.11 miles)
• Beverly Ave – From Powerline Rd to Fleming Way & 600 feet W of Ardmore Ave (0.24 miles)
• Blue Gravel Road – Entire length (0.12 miles)
• Bomann Drive – Entire length (0.17 miles)
• Broadway Street – From Feather River Blvd to 0.42 miles east of Arboga Rd (1.75 miles)
• Browns Valley School Road – Entire length (0.69 miles)
• Canal Street – From Third Ave to Fifth Ave (0.19 miles)
• Church Lane – Entire length (0.08 miles)
• College Way – Entire length (0.38 miles)
• Cottonwood Ave - Entire length (0.37 miles)
• Country Club Road – From the golf course to 1,000 feet west of Feather River Blvd (1.15 miles)
• Dantoni Road – From Hammonton-Smartsville Road to Simpson-Dantoni Road (0.43 miles)
• Diggins Road – From Smartsville north 0.05 miles (0.05 miles)
• Dunning Ave – Entire length (0.44 miles)
• Ella & West Ella – From Feather River Blvd to the end of West Ella Ave (0.59 miles)
• Erle Road – From Virginia Road to 1.3 miles east (1.3 miles)
• Fleming Way – From 11th Ave to 7th Ave (0.48 miles)
• Georgina Drive – Entire length (0.09 miles)
• Griffith Ave – From North Beale Road to Hammonton-Smartsville Road (0.68 miles)
• Hammonton-Smartsville Road – From Avondale Ave to North Beale Road (0.49 miles)
• Joines Road – Entire length (0.81 miles)
• Laurel Lane – Entire length (0.83 miles)
• McGanney Lane – From Smartsville Road to 0.19 miles south (0.19 miles)
• McGowan Parkway – From Arboga Road to the Railroad Tracks (0.34 miles)
• Meadow Court – Entire length (0.08 miles)
• Meadow Way – Entire length (0.27 miles)
• O’Brien Road – Entire length (0.19 miles)
• Old State Highway – From Highway 70 to Laurel Lane (0.18 miles)
• Pacific Ave – Entire length (0.50 miles)
• Plumas Arboga Road – From Algodon Road to 1.58 miles north (1.58 miles)
• Silva Ave – Entire length (0.88 miles)
• Smartsville Road – Entire length (1.14 miles)
• Spring Valley Road – From Marysville Road to 2.29 miles west (2.29 miles)
• Sunrise Ave – Entire length (0.1 miles)
• Sunset Ave – Entire length (0.1 miles)
• Sunshine Ave – Entire length (0.14 miles)
• Thome Road – Entire length (0.75 miles)
• Warehouse Road – Entire length (0.21 miles)
• Western Ave – Entire length (1.1 miles)

 Total Estimated Cost: $6.5 Million

 Phase II (Hills)

•  Dolan Harding – From Marysville Road to White Oak Lane (1.72 miles)
• Frenchtown Road – Entire length (7.63 miles)
• Fruitland Road – From Ramirez Road to Mendosa Way (4.94 miles)
• Fruitland Road – From Marysville Road to Virginia Road (1.96 miles)
• Honcut Road – Entire length (0.48 miles)
• Hoover Road – Entire length (0.23 miles)
• Indiana Ranch Road – From Marysville Road to Indiana School Road (1.47 miles)
• Iowa City Road – Entire length (1.53 miles)
• Krosens Road – Entire length (0.89 miles)
• Lambert Road – Entire length (0.28 miles)
• Littlefield Road – Entire length (0.56 miles)
• Loop Road – Entire length (1.34 miles)
• Redhill Road – Entire length (1.14 miles)
• Smith Road – Entire length (0.85 miles)
• Township Road – From Dolan Harding 2.85 miles south (2.85 miles)
• Vicki Drive, Neil Way, Judy Street, Pat Lane & Colleen Court– Entire length (1.3 miles)
• Virginia Road (hills) – From Fruitland Road to Smith Road (0.66 miles)

 Total Estimated Cost: $5.5 Million