12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY APRIL 3-9, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com On March 21, when the California Transportation Commission approved allocating $25 million to MontereySalinas Transit to build the SURF! busway—an off-highway, bus-only road over the existing Monterey Branch Line from Sand City to Marina—MST celebrated it as a victory. But really, it was formality—the state had long promised MST the money, and the agency had no doubt it would receive it. But Michael Salerno, a Marina resident who’s long been a vocal opponent of the SURF! project, raised the issue of potential toxic contamination in the rail line’s ballast, a concern that could impact the project’s viability. MST General Manager Carl Sedoryk, who traveled to Sacramento for the meeting, assured commissioners that Salerno’s concerns were unfounded, and they took him at his word. The reality is more complicated. Last May, MST’s contractor for the project, Graniterock-Myers, submitted to MST a soil and ballast report on the Monterey Branch Line that showed potentially problematic levels of various heavy metals along the line, well exceeding the state’s threshold for hazardous waste allowed at ReGen Monterey’s landfill in Marina. MST isn’t planning to dispose of the ballast at a landfill; its plan is to crush it to be reused as a foundation for the busway. But that requires sign-off from the California Coastal Commission, which approved the SURF! project last September and later received the soil and ballast report from MST in February 2025. Coastal Commission planner Breylen Ammen says before signing off on that plan, the agency is awaiting an updated report from MST with new testing “to help us determine the appropriate path forward in terms of coastal resource protection,” and adds, “MST is taking the contamination allegations seriously.” Ammen expects those results in the coming days. Regardless, Salerno remains concerned the project’s costs are going to continue rising above the current estimated price tag of $100 million. “This thing is going to haunt the community for years,” he says. “It’s going to be a mess.” Already, one of the project’s conditions of approval—matching the color of the asphalt to the surrounding dunescape—has been deemed infeasible by the Coastal Commission due to its added cost of over $14 million, though Sedoryk says MST is exploring options to “seal” the road with a material that strives to match the color. As for whether SURF! can be completed at its current price tag, Sedoryk says, “We’ve accounted for all reasonable risks, and we have a budget for that. Frankly, this isn’t a difficult project.” After a fourday hearing in February before a three-person panel, including Juliet E. Cox, a judge from the California Office of Administrative Hearing, the wait for Russell Shugars, the physical education teacher at Carmel River Elementary School, is over. OAH ruled in his favor, meaning he is one step closer to getting his job back after being placed on leave this school year. On March 19, OAH closed the case and concluded in a 19-page document that Shugars “should not be dismissed from appointment.” The matter now returns to the board of Carmel Unified School District as early as April 9, when they will decide whether to accept or appeal OAH’s decision. Last year, Shugars was at the center of a complaint filed by former River School principal Alberto Ramirez against CUSD. Ramirez alleged his termination was retaliatory because he stood up for student safety and urged administrators not to allow Shugars to return to campus. According to parents and a letter from Ramirez’s attorney, Michael Welch, Shugars allegedly threw a cone at a student, striking him under the eye. Ramirez told the OAH panel on Feb. 5 that when Shugars returned to school, after a six-week investigation, students felt intimidated by Shugars’ hostile behavior. In the hearing, Shugars said he wasn’t trying to intimidate others and also shared his side of the story about the cone incident. Shugars said he didn’t throw the cone at the student; instead, he dropped it to get the student’s attention without having to interrupt the class. “My client is relieved the panel, after hearing all the evidence, believed his story,” says his attorney, Joseph Cisneros, of Biegel Law Firm. The CUSD administration didn’t respond to requests for comment. Surf ’n Turf Soil contamination could add another hurdle for MST’s SURF! busway project. By David Schmalz NEWS GREEN SPACES The Monterey County Parks Commission meets to discuss various park updates. 3pm Thursday, April 3. County Government Center, Monterey Room, 168 W. Alisal St., second floor, Salinas. Free. countyofmonterey.gov. RETIRE YOUR TIRES CalRecycle and Salinas Valley Recycles are offering free tire recycling. Limit of nine tires per trip. April 5-May 31. Salinas Valley Recycles Recycling Center, 1104 Madison Lane, Salinas; Johnson Canyon Landfill, 31400 Johnson Canyon Road, Gonzales; and Jolon Road Transfer Station, 52654 Jolon Road, King City. Free. 775-3000, svswa.org. GET OUTDOORS Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District and Carmel River Watershed Conservancy present California Wildlife Day, featuring environmental presentations, exhibits, nature walks and more. 11am-3pm Sunday, April 6. Palo Corona Regional Park, 4860 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. Free. carmelriverwatershed.org/california-wildlife-day. SEASIDE UPDATES Seaside City Councilmembers Alex Miller and Dave Pacheco host a town hall meeting with Danny Bakewell Jr. of the Campus Town development and City Manager Greg McDanel. 6pm Monday, April 7. Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside. Free. 521-0577. INFORMED DECISIONS Rebecca Sudore, founder and director of PREPARE, a program that helps people make medical decisions, gives a talk entitled “Your Voice, Your Choice.” 2:30-3:30pm Tuesday, April 8. Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside. Free. RSVP to 622-2772, montagehealth.org/your-voice-your-choice. PUBLIC SERVICE Salinas City Council meets and, as always, accepts public comment. Tell your elected officials what they are doing well and what you think they can do better. 4pm Tuesday, April 8. Salinas Rotunda, 200 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. Free. 7587381, cityofsalinas.org. PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Hartnell College Foundation hosts an estate planning seminar, where attendees have access to consultations with professional advisers. Wednesday, April 9. English: Noon at Hartnell College Library, Room A-113, 411 Central Ave., Salinas. Spanish: 6pm at Hartnell College Alisal Campus, Room C-212, 1752 E. Alisal St., Salinas. Free; RSVP by April 6 to kedmunds@hartnell.edu. hartnellfoundation.org. Jungle Gym Carmel gym teacher who allegedly threw a cone at a student is closer to getting his job back. By Celia Jiménez MST’s plan is to truck the ballast along the Monterey Branch Line to a staging area in Marina to crush it, then reuse it as a foundation for the busway. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “This thing is going to haunt the community for years.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
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