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RTMP and Money

1K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  Simple Man 
#1 ·
Money

The Rubioon is loosing most, if not all of the states participation in the funding of the work required to keep the trail open. What does that mean? well, we have all heard of the quota system and law enforcement giving out tickets. It does not take a lot of imagination to predict where they intend to make up the deficit from.

For those who have not yet realized the true impact of what is happening with our Rubicon trail, here are the funding requirements as seen by the RTMP. The trail is no longer in the back seat of local government, but it is now big business, it is becoming a public park much like Prairie City and Hollister.

Phase I (1-2 years)
Provide sanitation diposal bins-------------------$2,000.00
Trail Signage--------------------------------------$8,000.00
Provide parking at Loon Lake kiosk------------$75,000.00
Provide overflow parking at USFS Chalet------$35,000.00
Develop area for vehicle and equip storage---$30,000.00
Design for Ellis Creek Bridge Project-----------$25,000.00
Project start up cost (training, equip,etc.)------$20,000.00
$195,000.00 Total cost

Phase II (3-5 years)
Create 50 campsites------------------------------$60,000.00
Construct toilet facilities--------------------------$150,000.00
Develop parking at Wentworth Springs----------$75,000.00
Construct bunkhouse------------------------------$100,000.00
Vehicle repair pads--------------------------------$15,000.00
Ellis Creek Bridge construction-------------------$250,000.00
$650,000.00 Total cost

Phase III
Develop OHV focused campground--------------$ to be determined
Develop additional facilities and provide
additional service---------------------------------$ to be determined

State funding will be limited in future years.
Trail Use Agrement (TUA) fees will be imposed. Most likely they will have available a one day, a three day, and a seasonal pass available. The fee will be defined by the actual costs of County staff commitments and facility developments.
Fines: The County will establish a system of fines to be levied against violators of various regulations and ordinances. We have all heard of police having quotas for giving out tickets. Well, here it comes.

As long as the ball stayed in the socket, we were doing OK. The county would look at it once in a while, perhaps dust it off, then go away. But now the ball has been pushed out of the socket and it is rolling. And as Newton discovered 'an object at rest, tends to stay at rest. An object in motion, tends to stay in motion'. Well, the ball is rolling now, and the government is chasing it. Since they cannot stop it, they are now builiding a trough to keep it going where they think it should go. All we can do is grab our shovels and help dig that trough, and perhaps divert it a little to preserve some of what WE want.
 
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#3 ·
Frustrating to see these numbers:
* Provide parking at Loon Lake kiosk------------$75,000.00
* Provide overflow parking at USFS Chalet------$35,000.00
* Create 50 campsites------------------------------$60,000.00
* Construct bunkhouse------------------------------$100,000.00
Good parking already exists, and I can't see signing and striping it to be a $110K expense. Great camping already exists, and marking it or setting up boundaries shouldn't cost $1200 per site, even before volunteers pitch in. That bunkhouse continues to present itself in every draft, regardless of how many officers, politicians, or members of the public state that it is not needed. :rolleyes:

Mudratz is right, tho -- state funding will be limited for the near-term, and probably the log-term, unless we can get the gas tax audit and OHMVR Division straightened out. I'm game to pay a trail use fee, but I want clear accountability on the revenue stream. I'd really like to see a heft fine structure put in place, as well -- when gas for the weekend approaches $50, a $100 fine is too small. Heck, one tire for most rigs costs $200!

The ball is in motion... we need to ramp up our vigilance to steer it as well as possible in good directions. That means more meetings and more volunteering. I'm not that excited about the meetings, but FOTR makes the volunteering go pretty well, and I've met some great people there! :beer:

Randii
 
#4 ·
Some of those items didn't make the final draft. The repair pads and bunk house projects were dropped.

We should also move this to a different thread.


http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/Rubicon/DraftMarch2006/AppendixE.pdf

FACILITY AND SERVICE COST PROJECTIONS BASED UPON PHASED
IMPLEMENTATION FACILITY DEVELOPMENT


PHASE I (1-2 years) Cost Estimate: $195,000

Provide sanitation disposal bins $2,000
Trail Signage $8,000
Provide parking area at Loon Lake kiosk $75,000
Provide overflow parking at USFS Chalet $35,000
Develop area for vehicle and equipment storage $30,000
Design for Ellis Creek Bridge Project $25,000
Project Start Up Costs (training, GIS equipment, etc.) $20,000

PHASE II (3-5 years) Cost Estimate: $575,000
Construct toilet facilities $150,000
Develop parking at Wentworth Springs $75,000
Construct bunkhouse $100,000
Ellis Creek Bridge Construction $250,000


PHASE III Cost To Be Determined

Develop additional facilities and provide Cost To Be Determined
additional services


Again this is still just a draft. There will be meetings upon meetings before the money gets spent.
 
#7 ·
RCKRATZ said:
who is going to "determine" phase III? County decision based on input I would imagine.....?
That's my understanding, Keith -- after passage of the RTMP.

Leap of faith. :shrug:

Randii
 
#8 ·
these "county based decisions" have all been so much fun up to this point I guess why stop now. :rolleyes:

Its been WAY too quiet on the RTMP front lately
 
#10 ·
Ellis Creek Bridge is pretty important too...keeps the vehicles out of the water which keeps silt out of the watershed and therefore the enviros out of our face.
 
#11 ·
resqme said:
Ellis Creek Bridge is pretty important too...keeps the vehicles out of the water which keeps silt out of the watershed and therefore the enviros out of our face.
I agree with this one, but I sure hope they can do it with something simple like a modified arizona crossing, and not some multi-million dollar boondoggle fly-over....

For reference, here's a few examples of Arizona crossings:


As I understand it, that's a minimal road surface which allows water (and trees, or flood-bourne junk) to flow directly over the roadway. It avoids the wash-out issues of a half-pipe culvert, and the county/USFS already has similar slotted crossings in place between Icehouse Road and Wentworth Springs. I think the 'slots' allow fish to move up/down, as well.

Randii
 
#12 ·
Water Bar number 8 on the Tahoe side is an Arizona crossing. There are two more I believe. Maybe I should get some good photos to El Do Co.

Also in place are concrete dips with 10"-12" pipes underneth. Most of the water flows under but overflow goes over the road and doesn't ruin the road.
 
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