Part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the county and Tribe entered into in 1996 specifically provided the Tribe pay $5.2 million over 20 years to build High Occupancy Vehicle” (HOV) lanes on Highway 50 from county line at El Dorado Hills to Red Hawk Interchange.

As a result of federal stimulus, the county successfully applied for transportation grants and those dollars coupled with Tribal payments, were used to fund and build HOV lanes.

Since the HOV lanes were now 100% funded, the county, about 18 months ago, suggested to the Tribe a change in the MOU provision for HOV funding is in order and there may be mutually beneficial ways to use the annual payments $5.2 million.

In open session a couple of weeks ago the Board of Supervisors agreed to change only HOV language, leaving the balance of the MOU alone.

The new language continues the Tribe paying county the same $5.2 million annually allowing county to use $2.6 million annually for our roads within a specific area of mitigation that essentially starts at Ponderosa Road down Pleasant Valley up Highway 49 to Coloma to Lotus Road back to North Single back to Ponderosa. Before this amendment our total road fund is about $1.5 million annually. Adding $2.6 million annualy is a boom for our local roads.

In return, the county agreed to contribute $2.6 million annually to the Tribal Health Center.

We have limited road funds for our county roads and we have limited affordable health care service providers.

If things were left alone, meaning nothing being done, then, a probable outcome may have been a prolonged argument over the disposition of the $5.6 million.

I thought then, and, more so now, El Dorado County is very well served by amending only the HOV language with money into affordable health care and roads.

Ron Briggs, Supervisor
County of El Dorado
District IV
621-6513