Mammoth Lakes Community e-News: August 18, 2023
Town Council Meeting Action Items – August 16
- Town Council approved an agreement with Peckham & McKenney to assist the Town Council in the recruitment and selection of a new Town Manager. The selection process will commence in October with the appointment of a new Town Manager in January/February 2024.
- Town Council discussed participants feedback from the Housing Solutions Workshop on July 27 and provided direction to Town staff on the next steps.
- By consensus, Town Council directed staff to proceed with a work program for a new Town Office Facility designed to meet the current and future operations of the Town. Planned completion date is September 2026.
- Town Council approved a local agency collaboration agreement for the implementation of the California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS) Trunked Radio Service in Mono County and the Town.
- View the Meeting Agenda online.
Town Construction Projects
- The Laurel Mountain Road work and sidewalk project continues to make steady progress. The Contractor anticipates another week of trenching work along the eastside of the road for fiber optics and electrical utilities. Concrete work may begin soon after with curb and gutter for the new sidewalk. The Contractor has been authorized to close the road to through traffic as necessary, so anticipate intermittent road closures and detours during working hours.
- We are underway with upgrading two of our traffic signals! Xcel Engineering, is working this week at (1) Old Mammoth Road and Meridian Boulevard, and (2) Canyon Boulevard and Lake Mary Road to upgrade all vehicular and pedestrian light heads and push buttons. They will return next week to work on replacing the cabinets, controllers and all electrical equipment that the signals run on. We will also upgrade the overhead cameras that detect vehicles for more efficient operations. These needed improvements will alleviate the issues of the past and will allow these signals to operate more efficiently. The intersection at Meridian and Minaret continues to be left on flash voluntarily as the traffic volume of this intersection works best as a 4-way stop.
- Beginning Monday (8/21) a Contractor will be working to install a fiber connection on Old Mammoth Road and along the east side of Chateau Road. They anticipate 3 weeks of work including traffic controls, but all lanes should remain open. A temporary bus stop approximately 200 feet North of the existing bus stop by Dish Bistro/Salsa’s will be a part of the changed traffic conditions.
Be Prepared – Flood Watch Issued for Mono County
- National Weather Service Reno has issued a Special Weather Statement and Flood Watch for Mono County and the Town of Mammoth Lakes from Sunday afternoon (8/20) through late Monday night (8/21).
- Much of the region will receive at least a half inch of rain over the multi-day period. The best chances for higher liquid totals will be south of US-50, where there is a 30-50% chance for at least 2 inches of rainfall. Flash flood concerns are highest for Mono County Sunday into Monday.
- Sandbags are available from the Town Yard (299 Commerce Drive). The bags are ready for collection and can be found in the Cinder Shed.
Residents Urged to Prepare for Wildfire Season to Safeguard Lives and Communities
- As wildfire season approaches, the Mono County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is committed to empowering individuals and communities with essential information and proactive steps to mitigate the risks associated with wildfires. This winter’s extreme weather has resulted in dramatic vegetation growth, further contributing to wildfire fuel concerns as the vegetation dries out.
- Click here to review guidelines and resources to help residents be proactive in safeguarding against the potential devastation caused by wildfires.
Caltrans Moving Forward with Mono County Wildlife Crossing Project
- Caltrans has moved into the Project Approval & Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase of the proposed Mammoth Lakes Wildlife Crossing Project designed to construct multiple wildlife crossings on U.S. 395 in Mono County. In this phase, Caltrans will conduct public outreach, finalize the environmental document, and complete the project report. Caltrans secured $3.17 million in funding for the PA&ED phase through a Wildlife Conservation Board grant in 2022.
- The Mammoth Lakes Wildlife Crossing Project has five different design concepts that vary in cost and scope on U.S. 395 near the Mammoth Airport and on State Route 203. It would also improve an existing undercrossing on U.S. 395 and install wildlife fencing. The cost of this concept is estimated to be $53.5 million.
- More information, including maps and costs of the proposed design concepts and statistics on wildlife-vehicle collisions, can be found on the Mammoth Lakes Wildlife Crossing Project page.
