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Yuba County has asked for Nevada County's assistance in funding improvements to Smartsville Road, arguing Nevada County residents commuting to Beale Air Force Base are primary users of the roadway.
While Yuba County has secured $3 million from federal sources to improve a 6-mile stretch of the road, they need to find a 20 percent match of $750,000 in local funds.
That sum exceeds the total discretionary funding Yuba County has for all of its road projects, Yuba County Supervisor John Nicoletti wrote in a letter to Nevada County supervisors.
Though supervisors were sympathetic, Nevada County has limited funding to work on roads within its own borders, let alone in Yuba County, said Executive Officer Rick Haffey.
One Yuba official appeared miffed.
“Here you have the largest employer between Portland and Sacramento saying this road is important,” Nicoletti said of Beale. “Perhaps the folks at Beale need to realize the folks in Nevada County are happy to benefit from their presence, but not so quick to contribute to it.”
“The state's taking our road money, too, and it's unfortunate that we have a situation where counties are trying to get it from each other,” Haffey responded. “We're all in the same boat.”
Many people from outside Nevada County's borders use the county's highway systems to get to recreational hotspots such as the Tahoe National Forest, Haffey said.
In a response letter drafted to Yuba County, Nevada County officials suggested going to Assemblyman Dan Logue for help, a former Yuba County supervisor.
Smartsville Road runs from the U.S. air base to Highway 20, just west of the Nevada County line.
About 6,000 Nevada County residents commute through Yuba County daily to jobs, Nicoletti added. Yuba also accepts 50,000 tons of Nevada County trash at a landfill near Beale.
Western Nevada County communities such as Lake Wildwood and Penn Valley grew largely because of their proximity to Beale, Nicoletti said.
In 2000, 675 people living in Nevada County commuted to Yuba County, according to federal figures. An additional 76 traveled to Butte County, 2,052 commuted to Sacramento County, 214 to Sutter County, 298 to Yolo County and 12 drove to Colusa, according to U.S. Census data provided by the Nevada County Transportation Commission.
Improvements of the Smartsville Road project include complete road reconstruction, safety enhancements, road alignment, installation of turn lanes and enhanced striping.
If funding were secured, the project was expected to be completed by the fall of 2010.
Reporter Ben van der Meer of the Appeal Democrat contributed to this report. To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
While Yuba County has secured $3 million from federal sources to improve a 6-mile stretch of the road, they need to find a 20 percent match of $750,000 in local funds.
That sum exceeds the total discretionary funding Yuba County has for all of its road projects, Yuba County Supervisor John Nicoletti wrote in a letter to Nevada County supervisors.
Though supervisors were sympathetic, Nevada County has limited funding to work on roads within its own borders, let alone in Yuba County, said Executive Officer Rick Haffey.
One Yuba official appeared miffed.
“Here you have the largest employer between Portland and Sacramento saying this road is important,” Nicoletti said of Beale. “Perhaps the folks at Beale need to realize the folks in Nevada County are happy to benefit from their presence, but not so quick to contribute to it.”
“The state's taking our road money, too, and it's unfortunate that we have a situation where counties are trying to get it from each other,” Haffey responded. “We're all in the same boat.”
Many people from outside Nevada County's borders use the county's highway systems to get to recreational hotspots such as the Tahoe National Forest, Haffey said.
In a response letter drafted to Yuba County, Nevada County officials suggested going to Assemblyman Dan Logue for help, a former Yuba County supervisor.
Smartsville Road runs from the U.S. air base to Highway 20, just west of the Nevada County line.
About 6,000 Nevada County residents commute through Yuba County daily to jobs, Nicoletti added. Yuba also accepts 50,000 tons of Nevada County trash at a landfill near Beale.
Western Nevada County communities such as Lake Wildwood and Penn Valley grew largely because of their proximity to Beale, Nicoletti said.
In 2000, 675 people living in Nevada County commuted to Yuba County, according to federal figures. An additional 76 traveled to Butte County, 2,052 commuted to Sacramento County, 214 to Sutter County, 298 to Yolo County and 12 drove to Colusa, according to U.S. Census data provided by the Nevada County Transportation Commission.
Improvements of the Smartsville Road project include complete road reconstruction, safety enhancements, road alignment, installation of turn lanes and enhanced striping.
If funding were secured, the project was expected to be completed by the fall of 2010.
Reporter Ben van der Meer of the Appeal Democrat contributed to this report. To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
