SAN DIEGO — The San Diego City Council discussed the results of a recent grand jury report that found road repairs in the city of San Diego are suffering from a lack of funding during its Tuesday afternoon meeting at city hall.
"Generally, the city agrees our roads are in poor condition and need a significant amount of work," said Council Member Kent Lee during an interview Tuesday morning. "I talk to constituents every day and the number one issue that’s brought up is the condition of our roads. I think everyone in San Diego recognizes and acknowledges that."
According to the report titled "When Will My Street Be Paved? City of San Diego's Street Paving Challenges," the grand jury found that since 2015, San Diego's street maintenance needs have not been fully funded and that the overall condition of roads has declined.
Council Member Lee is head of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He points out Mayor Todd Gloria earmarked a historic $140 million in this year's budget to make repairs.
However, the grand jury recommended the city go even further, and pass an ordinance that would commit San Diego to a minimum amount of annual funding from the general fund for road repairs until the overall condition of city roads is good.
The city said that that recommendation isn't warranted. In a report last month, it responded, "tying specific amounts of future general fund dollars to one program limits the ability of the city's decision-makers to fluctuating revenues and future funding needs."
During Tuesday's meeting, they also declined to commit to doing an in-depth assessment of the roads every four years, which carries a price tag of $700,000.
"While I would like to see the city do a condition assessment every four years, we also want to help seniors who are renting and struggling to remain in their homes, to stay in their homes. We also want to make sure we're getting our streetlights repaired in an efficient fashion. We have so many different needs," said Council Member Stephen Whitburn.
Council Member Lee said funding for streets can come from multiple sources, it doesn't need to just come from the general fund. He said a long-term road map is needed for both repairs and revenue sources.
The city has already implemented some of the recommendations made by the grand jury.
A “Street Repair Projects and Conditions Ratings” Interactive Map is up on the city's website. Residents can type in their address and see when and if their street is scheduled for repairs.