La Habra Heights is now "on the road" to spending the largest amount of money ever allocated by the City for a specific project. Bonds have been sold and just over $5 million dollars have been placed in the hands of City Council to restore our roads. This sum is several times the amount of revenue available to the City annually (the City's General Fund is about $1.5 million). The roads fund compares with the amount of bond money raised in the mid-1970s, prior to Incorporation, to create our Water District and water supply infrastructure. A program of this size presents both a multitude of opportunities and pitfalls requiring diligent review in all phases. A new Roads Committee was formed last Summer to assist with this review.
At the November 14th City Council meeting, Councilmember Judy Hathaway-Francis requested a report from this new oversight Committee. She observed that there seems to have been an interruption in the activities of the Committee, and she wants to ensure that the Committee's progress is in no way being hindered.
The new Roads Committee consists of two members from the previous Roads Subcommittee and other highly skilled volunteers who have technical, financial, and other expertise. It has outlined work in three areas:
Technical review and assessment to identify opportunities such as new paving technology, improved hazard prevention, better organized survey data for planning purposes, and resolution of specified drainage problems;
Financial oversight, including assistance with contract review, budget tracking, and with forecasting;
Communications, including regular reporting on repair schedules to residents, problem resolution, and communicating the aesthetic values of the community to project design engineers and others.
Here are some examples of the benefits that could accrue to the community through the work of the new Roads Committee:
Residents can be informed of the road work schedules to minimize inconvenience and resolve any eventual problems without overburdening our staff resources at City Hall.
Residents will know that an independent group of citizens is helping to monitor the expenditure of their money.
Road brush removal will be done under contracts that respect and protect our vegetation. It would be a waste of our money and damaging to all of our properties if vegetation were removed without an understanding of our community aesthetics and hazard abatement needs.
GIS ("Geographic Information System") data will be acquired and available to help property owners and Planning staff simplify new residential projects.
With so much at stake for the community, the new Roads Committee was anxious to begin the work that had been authorized by City Council in August. Committee Chair Bruce Douglas reiterated that oversight is essential. He noted that although there has been significant progress to date, there have been key delays recently. These were due primarily to problems in the administrative interface with the City Engineer. This has been resolved by the City Manager and everything now seems to be on track.
Our City government should keep residents informed in a timely fashion of the progress of the roads program. We're glad that Councilmember Hathaway-Francis has taken the lead in making sure La Habra Heights taxpayers receive maximum value for their dollars. We hope and assume that Council members and residents will demand sound performance from the City Engineer, the City Manager, and the Roads Committee itself.