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Q: How can I request a No Parking Zone?
A: A request for a No Parking Zone can be initiated by contacting our traffic engineering division at (831) 454-2160. The process normally involves a field inspection by our staff in order to determine the feasibility of such parking restriction. The most important factor considered when evaluating a parking restriction is the effect on traffic safety. Examples of situations where a parking restriction may be implemented are but not limited to:
Locations where a roadway is determined to be too narrow to allow two way traffic flow and side parking which results in parked vehicles obstructing the travel lane and forces vehicles to use the opposite travel lane.
At streets intersections where vehicles parked near corners obstruct the line of sight for motorists entering the main street from the side street.
No Parking signs and red curb markings are used to inform motorists of a No Parking Zone. Fees are collected for No Parking Zone requests when the parking restriction will benefit an individual property, rather than the general public, in order to offset the cost of material and staff time.
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Q: How do I report an abandoned vehicle?
A: Public Works does not remove abandoned vehicles, this issue is handled by the County Sheriff’s Office - Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Division and applies to vehicles that have been parked in the same location for a minimum of 72 hours. You may report an abandoned vehicle to the Sheriff’s Office by phone at (831) 454-7602, reporting this through the County application Citizen Connect, or by filling out the request found at the following web page abandoned vehicle
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Q: How do we get our street or arterial scheduled for paving work?
A: Requests may be made by writing to the Director of Public Works. Based on the funding available and whether the work can be handled through our Road Maintenance crews, pavement overlays and resurfacing are programmed through the County's Pavement Management Program. The various projects are then included in the annual Public Works Road Budget, presented to the Board of Supervisors each June for their consideration.
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Q: Where does funding come from for the Road Budget?
A: Subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrative Office (CAO) submits a budget in June of each year which Public Works has prepared according to the County's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and which includes State and Federal grant funds, State Gas Tax, and local transportation improvement fee monies, as well as County Service Area revenue.
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Q: Where can I find information on Federal Funding (including Stimulus Funding)?
A: Typically, Federal highway funding, including stimulus funds, can only be spent on roads classified as Federal Aide Routes. Federal Aide Routes are those designated by the state as major collectors and arterials. The State’s CRS (California Road System) maps show which routes are eligible for this funding when it is made available, the CRS maps are available on the State’s Website at: http://dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/hseb/crs_maps/index.php
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Q: I have already filed a request with the Road Service System. Why has this not been completed yet?
A: We apologize for any delays you have experienced. Please understand that we have limited personnel and resources available to us, but we are committed to making every effort possible to maintain our road system. Our crews typically combine tasks in similar areas to make the greatest impact possible; it may be that your matter has not been taken care of yet because it is scheduled as part of a larger maintenance effort in your area. You may file a subsequent request with our system, please use the “Incomplete Request” description and if possible include the previous request number in your description. Also, please double check the Standard Policies and FAQ’s to verify that the nature of your request is within the scope of our responsibility.
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Q: Is there a regularly Scheduled Maintenance plan for our roads?
A: Unfortunately our resources do not allow us to set up regular service schedules for road maintenance. County Maintenance staff regularly patrol roads prior to and during the winter rain events to spot drainage related maintenance hazards, we also investigate roads based on requests from the public. Our planning and scheduling is determined by seasonal maintenance requirements, service requests, and a backlog of storm damage repair projects. Typical issues that would be given priority are safety related service requests, vegetation related roadway obstructions, culvert and drainage obstructions, roadway repairs, and potholes.
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Q: How do I request a pothole be repaired?
A: You can submit your request through your mobile device using the County application Citizen Connect. The standard policy with potholes is that all reported potholes in the County-Maintained public roadway shall be filled by County forces based on the order the service request is received. Typically, personal from Road Operations staff would review a service request shortly after it has been received, and urgent items would be given a higher prior or scheduled for immediate repairs. Note that repaving and resurfacing are separate items, (please see policies for these items for more information). Also note that potholes adjacent to railroad crossings are the responsibility of the railroad to repair, see item “The Public Roadway is in need of repair near a railroad crossing” for further details.
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Q: When will my roadway be resurfaced (seals/overlays)?
A: Ideally, roads would be overlaid or have seals applied at regular intervals as dictated by the surface condition of the pavement. During the past few years, the Public Works budget for maintaining roads has continued to diminish. Public Works has been focusing the small amount of road maintenance funding received to resurface major arterial and collector roads; these roads carry the bulk of our local traffic, commuters, and movement of goods/commodities throughout the County. At this time, the County does not have available funding in the foreseeable future for resurfacing of residential roads; however such roads will be prioritized and treated in the future when funding becomes available.
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Q: I would like my road to be widened. Is that possible?
A: Roadway funding is severely limited; as such we must focus our efforts on pavement maintenance, and cannot devote resources to roadway widening. When landslides or erosion cause a section of road to be narrowed to under 10’ we typically evaluate it to determine if passing this section would be unsafe, and if so we would close that section of the road until funds become available to affect repairs. Many rural residential roads were constructed and dedicated to the County long before current width standards were in place; for these types or roads with existing sections less than 10’ wide, we attempt to maintain the existing width as best as possible.
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Q: Who provides the maintenance of culverts or roadside swales?
A: Any culverts or roadside swales serving the public roadway are typically the responsibility of County forces to maintain, with the exception of privately planted vegetation intrusion which is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to keep trimmed from the swale. Private property owners are responsible for maintenance of driveway and private road cross culverts (driveway or private road culvert crossings parallel to County road) where a private road intersects a public road. Such culverts are considered part of the driveway or private road event though they may be in the public right-of-way.
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Q: I have concerns about drainage that are not related culverts or roadside swales, what is the policy on this?
A: The standard policy with drainage is to maintain existing systems and historical drainage patterns (as funds and labor are available to do so) unless the existing situation causes an urgent health or safety issue or significant damage or danger to public facilities. Alterations to historical drainage patterns require justification, careful analysis, coordination with downstream owners, and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
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Q: Who is responsible for bush trimming along roadways?
A: In June 2005, the County Board of Supervisors enacted a policy to suspend the use of herbicide spraying as a means of brush control on County roadways. County crews must now use mechanical cutting methods which take significantly more time and personnel at a time when staffing levels on road crews have been reduced by one third; due to these factors Public Works’ current policy is that brush in the right of way should only be trimmed if it is intruding upon the roadway and causing interference with the public’s use of the roadway, particularly if it interferes with line of sight. If the brush is native and naturally occurring and meets the criteria noted above, it is the responsibility of Public Works to address as resources permit. If the brush is decorative planting placed by the adjacent property owner, it is the responsibility of that property owner to maintain; the County would send a letter notifying the property owner of their responsibility to trim the brush if a complaint is made. If County crews are required to do work that is the responsibility of a private property owner, Public Works would bill that property owner for our crews’ expenses.
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Q: How do a remove a tree?
A: Per County tree removal policy, naturally growing trees located in the Right of Way are public domain, and may only be trimmed or removed by County forces if they pose a danger to users of the public road (danger to private property is considered the responsibility of the property owner, which they may elect to perform at their own expense with an encroachment permit). For more information, see tree removal policy.
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Q: How is the determination of public right of way handled?
A: The public right-of-way is the publicly owned land or easement in which publicly maintained facilities such as roadway (which is maintained by Public Works) may be placed. Public Right of Way in urban areas is often marked by survey markers placed by developers of subdivisions or commercial projects. In rural areas, public right-of-way is often not been formally surveyed and can be more difficult to determine. Typically a public right-of-way or easement would be created such that it centers on the roadway, so the limits of a right-of-way could be approximated by measuring half the right-of-way distance on either side of the center of the roadway, the width of right-of-way varies and may be determined by reviewing assessor’s maps or survey records. A private property owner may hire a Licensed Land Surveyor if they wish to determine the exact limits of the right-of-way as it affects their property. The County does not provide or finance these types of private survey requests.
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Q: The Public Roadway is in need of repair near a railroad crossing, who is responsible for this?
A: The railroad owns a Right of Way for its rail lines (varies in width based on location). Where a public roadway crosses a rail line it enters into the property of the railroad. Any damage to the roadway that is within the railroad Right of Way is the responsibility of the railroad to repair. Railroad right-of-way is shown on the County GIS and Assessors Maps. If you believe roadway damage is within the railroad right-of-way you may report it to the railroad, or you may make a service request to our system and we will notify the railroad. If you do make a request through our system for this issue, please note that the damage to the roadway is within the railroad right-of-way.
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Q: I would like to make a request regarding a County-owned facility, how does this work?
A: The County owns and operates several buildings and other facilities throughout the County. The roads maintenance division only takes requests for matters affecting the public roadway. For any requests involving County-Owned Facilities, contact the main Public Works phone number at (831) 454-2160 and ask to speak with the Real Property Division.
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Q: What do I do if there is a Private Structure Intruding into the Public Right of Way?
A: This would apply to buildings, fences, driveway culverts, or other structures serving a private purpose but located in the public right-of-way. Often such structures are constructed legally, for example such structures may be constructed with an encroachment permit, which is used most often for the construction of driveways. Another example is if a structure was in place when the road was dedicated to the County, it may have a special exception to remain as-is. Public Works generally does not take action on such structures unless they cause interference with the public’s use of the roadway by causing a traffic hazard or a sight distance obstruction.
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Q: There is debris that has been left in the Public Right of Way, will Public Works remove this?
A: Per County policy, any debris left in the public right-of way intruding upon the roadway and causing interference with the public’s use of the roadway should be removed by road maintenance crews. This applies only to County Maintained Roads; the County does not remove debris from private roads. Note that abandoned vehicles are subject to a different policy.
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Q: There is a temporary dumpster or moving container in the public right of way, who do I contact regarding this?
A: Ideally, Dumpsters or storage containers would be placed on private property out of the right-of-way. Per County Policy, temporary storage of a dumpster or moving container is considered a form of parking, and is acceptable within the public right-of-way so long as it is completely out of the traffic lane and does not interfere with the public’s use of the roadway, also it may only be in place for 72 hours before it is considered abandoned. We sometimes receive complaints about a dumpster or moving container protruding into the travel lave – this would require an encroachment permit and traffic control in order to be legal. If you believe a dumpster or moving container was improperly placed, please submit a service request and we will forward it to our Encroachments Division for investigation. We have received calls regarding “PODS” moving containers within City limits; our jurisdiction only includes unincorporated areas of the County. If you are in City limits and your “PODS” paperwork references County personnel, please call (831) 454-2160 and ask for the encroachments division.
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Q: The sidewalk is damaged and requires repair. Will Public Works fix this?
A: Per the California Street and Highway Code, maintenance for sidewalks in the Public Right of Way is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. If we receive a request for sidewalk repair, we would typically send a letter to the adjacent property owner notifying them of their responsibility. Per agreements the various utility agencies have with the County, a utility company is responsible for repairing any damage to the sidewalk if it has been caused by their utility, see the “The Public Roadway is being damaged by a Utility” statement for more information.
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Q: The public roadway is being damaged by a utility, what should I do?
A: Per agreements the various utility agencies have with the County, the utility company is responsible for repairing any damage to the public roadway or sidewalk which has been caused by their utility. You may report the matter to us and we will forward to the utility whose line has caused the damage, please make sure to include any known information about the utility. If there is an immediate danger to life and safety, please notify the main Public Works number at (831) 454-2160 and if possible contact the company who owns the utility. Note that damaged utilities can be dangerous, so keep a safe distance from the damaged area.
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Q: What should I do about the slope that is eroding above or below the public roadway?
A: When the slope above the roadway fails and falls onto the roadway, it is the responsibility of the uphill property owner to remove this debris from the roadway. If the debris poses a major impediment to the roadway, road maintenance crews would intervene and clean up the slide material. If the debris is not a significant impediment to the roadway, Public Works would send the property owner a letter notifying them of their responsibility, and that if the work is not completed in a certain interval of time that road maintenance crews would perform the work and bill the uphill property owner for their time. When the slope below the roadway fails and causes the road edge to be undermined, Public Works must investigate to determine the cause and situation. Often this type of slope failure is the result of a nearby naturally occurring creek or stream eroding the bank below, in this event the responsibility for repair is that of Public Works. Sometimes the slope failure below the road is the result of the actions of the adjacent property owner (for instance owner has excavated hillside for construction, a private retaining wall has failed, private drainage has eroded hillside, etc) in this case the property owner may be liable for the resulting damage to the roadway. In any case it is the goal of Public Works to restore the roadway to normal operations as soon as time and resources permit. We appreciate the reporting of and damage or potential damage to slopes adjacent to the roadway.
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Q: A County-maintained retaining wall is damaged or failing, should I contact DPW?
A: The County has many retaining walls in place to maintain the public roadway. The majority of these walls are found below the roadway; although the County does have some walls supporting hillsides above the roadway (the majority of walls above the roadway are privately built to retain private property). We appreciate the reporting of any damage to County-Maintained retaining walls so that we may affect repairs before damage worsens and affects the roadway.
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Q: How do I learn about when a Public Works project is going to in the Right of Way?
A: Public Works often has many projects occurring at different locations throughout the County, the work may be done by County forces, or by a private contractor hired by the County in the case of large scale projects. For information about construction road closures and delays, please visit the following web page: http://www.sccroadclosure.org/
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Q: Can I go anything about work that is being done by a private property owner in the Right of Way?
A: It is possible that this work is being done legally; construction in the right-of-way may be done with an encroachment permit, and is usually part of a larger project adjacent to the road (such as a driveway, retaining wall, or underground utility connection). If you believe that illegal construction within the public right-of-way is occurring, please file a service request and the Public Works Encroachment Division will be sent to investigate.
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Q: How do I get a damaged roadway sign repaired?
A: Any reported damage to County-Maintained signage in the public roadway shall be repaired by County forces. The County is not responsible for mailboxes, private signage, or signage placed by other jurisdictions.
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Q: What can I do about unofficial signage or striping in the Right of Way?
A: Street name signs or striping located in the Public Right of Way must be first reviewed and approved by the Road Planning Division of Public Works; it is unlawful to install any striping or signage which has not been approved through this process. If you believe any striping or signage to be illegally installed, please file a service request and we will forward this information to the Road Planning Division for investigation.
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Q: What do I do about vehicles that are parking within the Public Right of Way?
A: The right-of-way is owned by the public, and as such is available for parking equally to all members of the public on a first come-first serve basis (with some restrictions); no member of the public may place signage or other markings to reserve parking within the public right-of-way. To legally park in the public right-of-way, the vehicle must be: parked completely out of any traffic lane (inside the white edge line), parked in the direction of travel, may not block driveway entrances, fire hydrants, crosswalks, ramps, or bike lanes, may not park in intersections, and parking must be in overall accordance with the vehicle code. Some road segments have parking restrictions and have been labeled with signage and/or red curb striping to indicate parking is not allowed there. The Live Oak parking program requires a permit in certain areas of Live Oak; signage is present to indicate where this applies. In addition, any signage or other official markings used to indicate special event parking, construction zones, or areas closed for safety should be followed. The vehicle owner assumes all risk & liability for parking in the public right-of-way, the County is held harmless in case of injuries or property damage. Any vehicles left unattended for more than 72 hours are considered “abandoned” and are subject to removal by the Sheriff’s office, see the abandoned vehicles FAQ for more information.
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Q: Mud is being tracked onto the County Roadway, should I report this?
A: Mud is sometimes tracked onto the roadway due to a construction site that does not have a proper mud wash-off entrance, or from unpaved side roads connecting to the County road. Per County policy, mud tracking onto County roads is not allowed. If you see mud tracking occurring, you may make a service request and we will investigate as time and resources permit.
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Q: What are my options regarding forming a County Service Area (CSA)?
A: In the current climate of budget shortfalls and delayed maintenance, we have received many requests from rural residents for a method of assuring maintenance on the rural roads in their neighborhood. An option available to rural residents is to form their own County Service Area (CSA). CSA’s can enable residents to manage their own road repair and resurfacing program with the assistance of the County. Information on how to form a CSA is available at: CSA Managment Formation