THE MONEY TRAIL

$1 million to renovate supervisors' chambers comes from cable fees

In the midst of Sacramento County's fourth straight year of budget cuts, how could supervisors consider spending $1 million to renovate their chambers?

Some county employees, concerned that their jobs are in jeopardy, asked The Bee to check on what they considered questionable spending.

As it turns out, the county has found a funding source that can be spent only on government access projects and not for other services. The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission awarded the county about $1 million of its Public, Education and Governmental funding, which comes from fees paid by cable companies, said Bob Davison, the commission's executive director.

The commission – made up of county supervisors and city officials – unanimously approved the renovations in June, as part of its annual budget.

The commission considered it a worthwhile project because 40 percent of the programming from Metro Cable, which broadcasts local government proceedings, comes from the board chambers, Davison said.

Cyndi Lee, clerk of the Board of Supervisors, has been interested in upgrading the board's chambers since 2007. She submitted the proposal to the commission.

The room's antiquated sound system makes it hard for supervisors to hear other speakers in the room, she said.

Another problem is the size of the dais, which accommodates five supervisors. Some commissions have more members. The Regional County Sanitation District, for instance, has 17.

The current proposal estimates the cost of a new sound system at $438,000, the cost of expanding the dais at $321,000 and the cost of new lighting camera equipment at $220,000.

– Brad Branan

FIX THIS

Trees blocking stop sign get a trim from county

The problem: Two trees blocked motorists' views of a stop sign at Hedge Avenue and Elder Creek Road. It was barely visible until drivers got right up on it, creating a dangerous situation. Bushy trees on the right side of the road were in the line of sight of the stop sign for motorists traveling south on Hedge approaching the intersection.

At night the problem was really bad, a resident said. Plenty of skid marks on the road indicate motorists didn't know there was even an intersection until the last moment.

Public Eye notified the Sacramento County Department of Transportation about residents' complaints.

The solution: County crews responded quickly and finished the job Wednesday. They trimmed the trees closest to the stop sign so that drivers can see the sign from a good distance away. They also uncovered another sign some distance back from the intersection that indicates a stop sign is coming up.

A great job done, reported the resident who first alerted The Bee to the potentially unsafe situation.

– Bill Lindelof

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