Public input wanted in Alpine roads workshop series

by Karen Dustman

Special to The R-C

The Alpine Community Development Department solicits community input on road-related issues in the first of a series of public workshops, 6 p.m. July 14, in the county administration building in Markleeville.

Alpine County could face a potential road budget shortfall of $2.5 million by 2012, according to Alpine County Community Development Director Brian Peters. That's a deficit "we can't fill out of the General Fund," Peters said.

Like other counties with a high percentage of federally owned land, Alpine County's revenues are scanty because the federal government (unlike private landowners) pays no property tax. While the federal government historically chipped in toward county schools, roads, and other expenses through PILT funds (payments in lieu of taxes) or timber receipts, recent federal legislation is phasing out such federal contributions.

"Those payments went from about $1 million in the 1990s to $300,000 this year, and the funding is due to expire in the next two years," said Peters.

Alpine's road budget challenges come at a time when some county residents are expressing interest in expanding road department services to provide snow removal services to homes on non-county maintained roads, Peters said. Development of those lots was originally permitted on the condition that the county not be required to provide snow removal in those new subdivisions, and purchasers are required to be notified that they live on non-county-maintained roads. Such homeowners nevertheless pay property taxes at the same rate as nearby homes.

According to Peters, Alpine County's road workforce has already been cut significantly to adjust to declining revenues. Currently, the road crew for the eastern side of Alpine County includes five full-time employees and one seasonal employee road worker.

Options for addressing the projected shortfall include making further cuts in road-related personnel and services, raising income through a new special assessment district that would impose new fees on local property owners, or privatizing road services by outsourcing some or all road maintenance operations.

The public workshop series continues 6 p.m. Aug. 18 and 6 p.m. Sept. 15 in the supervisor's chambers at the Alpine County Administration Building, 99 Water St., Markleeville.

Information, Alpine County Community Development Department, (530) 694-2140.