Memorandum
Date: July 29, 2025
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Lars Ewing, Interim Public Works Director
Subject: Consideration of an Update on the Cobb Area Road Rehabilitation Project (2024 Pavement Rehabilitation Project) and Possible Direction to Staff to Modify the Agreement Between the County of Lake and Argonaut Constructors for the 2024 Pavement Rehabilitation Project to Include Asphalt Paving for Roads Previously Planned to be Double Chip Sealed at an Estimated Additional Cost of $1,100,000
Executive Summary:
On April 8, 2025, the County entered into a $5.1 million road reconstruction contract with Argonaut Constructors, which included pulverization of the existing road surfaces in the Cobb area, followed by a chip seal surface application for many roads, as well as pulverization and a hot mix asphalt surfacing for other roads.
As construction has proceeded this summer, residents have raised concerns the chip seal surfacing is not sufficient to meet durability and quality expectations.
To evaluate these concerns, Public Works staff requested the final design report from Nichols Consulting Engineers (NCE), the firm contracted by the County to prepare the design for this project. NCE submitted that report July 23, 2025, which summarizes the engineering and decision-making process undertaken with former County staff that led to the development of recommendations for this project, including a recommendation many roads be surfaced with a double chip seal. NCE has been asked to attend this presentation to provide information and respond to questions regarding the engineering approach and decision-making process for road rehabilitation.
Concerns remain regarding the long-term durability of the chip sealed roads and the best available investment decisions for County Road Maintenance funds. Staff evaluated options to improve the roads that have been pulverized but did not receive asphalt surfacing. Options considered include an ...
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