To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Fourth and Fifth
Title:
Title
Ordinance Reducing Permissible Weight of Vehicles and Loads upon Sweetwater Springs Road Bridge 20C-0368 - Adopt (Urgency)
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt an urgency ordinance reducing the permissible weight of vehicles and loads upon Sweetwater Springs Road Bridge over Porter Creek at Postmile 16.69.
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure (PI) has received and responded to a Record of Critical Findings issued by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which alerted the County to potential for instability in the foundation of the Sweetwater Springs Road Bridge resulting from scour. County staff reviewed the condition and assigned a load rating of 4 Tons. The proposed ordinance is an urgency ordinance for the immediate preservation of health and safety, which shall take effect immediately upon passage by four-fifths vote of the Board. The related signage has already been posted by PI as an emergency measure.
Discussion:
Sweetwater Springs Road carries an average daily traffic (ADT) volume of approximately 139 vehicles per day. Sweetwater Springs Road services the transportation needs of the immediate unincorporated area and provides a direct connection west to Guerneville, and east to Healdsburg and Santa Rosa. The bridge in question spans Porter Creek and was installed in 1968.
Caltrans performed a geotechnical review for the bridge foundations and issued a Record of Critical Findings on January 2, 2024. This review resulted in an assigned load rating of 4 tons per vehicle.
The weight restriction would only affect larger trucks and trailers, most of whom could use alternate routes. A weight limit restriction is a common alteration on a bridge due to long-term weathering. PI is in partnership with Caltrans and will continue to monitor the situation.
California Vehicle Code Section 35706 authorizes the Board to reduce the permissible weight of vehicles and loads on county bridges. Government Code Sections 25123(d) and 25131 authorize the Board to adopt an urgency ordinance effective immediately upon four-fifths vote for the immediate preservation of the public health and safety with a declaration of facts constituting the emergency. The urgency here is based on the fact that vehicles with loads greater than 4 tons could cause catastrophic failure of the bridge and loss of life and property.
Accordingly, PI is requesting that the Board introduce and adopt an urgency ordinance reducing the permissible weight of vehicles and loads on Sweetwater Springs Road Bridge.
The estimated cost of labor and materials to implement the ordinance is $4,000 and appropriations are available within the 2023/2024 Road Maintenance Budget. As an emergency measure, PI has already installed the bridge weight limit/roadway warning signage and notified Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department of the weight posting downgrade for their knowledge regarding issuance of transportation permits.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$4,000 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$4,000 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$4,000 |
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$4,000 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Expenses associated with installing new signage on the bridge is estimated at $4,000 and are available in the FY 2023-24 Road Maintenance adopted budget (11051-34010102). Ongoing maintenance costs will be incorporated in future Roads Division budget requests. Road Maintenance utilizes multiple sources of funding for ongoing maintenance including: the State Highway Users Tax (HUTA), Senate Bill 1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program (SB1), contributions from Sonoma County’s General Fund, and allocations from Measure M.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Urgency Ordinance
Location Map
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.