MOORPARK : City Weighs Spending $300,000 on 2 Streets

At its meeting tonight, the Moorpark City Council will consider spending about $300,000 to repair and spruce up two streets in the city’s downtown.

Residents along First and Bard streets have been asking city officials for several years to spend money to repair the roadways, said Councilman Bernardo Perez.

“The roads and sidewalks are in bad shape in a number of areas,” he said. “It’s certainly been a priority for us to do something about it.”

The city would use federal Community Development Block Grants and money from its own Redevelopment Agency to pay for the work. It is part of an effort to refurbish the downtown area, which has become run-down in several areas, Perez said.

Deteriorated gutters and drains on the streets contribute to minor flooding in the area during heavy rains, said Ken Gilbert, the director of the city’s Public Works Department. The project could begin within the month and take until June to complete, he said.

“We’ve completed a similar project on Charles Street and it drains well and really looks great,” he said. “It’s amazing what a change the improvements can have on the neighborhood.”