Pajaro continues its climb out of the 2023 flood, with more help on the way.

Erik Chalhoub here. Driving through Lewis Road in Pajaro this morning, I was surprised to see a radar sign warning me to slow down as I entered a neighborhood near the train depot.

Like most roads in North County, Lewis Road is a free-for-all, as it historically has had no posted speed limit, or at least one that is not immediately obvious. So it was a welcome surprise to me to see an actual speed limit sign (25 mph), a rare occurrence in my two decades of driving North County roads.

The radar sign is part of $2 million in planned transportation upgrades throughout Pajaro, which include street lights, sidewalk curb ramps, traffic signal upgrades and more. That $2 million, in turn, is part of $20 million in state funds—Assembly Bill 102—secured by Pajaro’s state representatives to help its residents recover from the devastating 2023 flood.

That money needs to be spent by the end of December, and on Monday, Sept. 22, the County of Monterey provided an update on how that money has been used, and how much more still needs to be expended.

Near the end of 2023, the Board of Supervisors agreed on how to divvy the money, with $10 million going toward direct aid to residents and businesses, and the rest being used for other means such as infrastructure projects, including for the renovation of the 1850s-era Porter Vallejo Mansion.

The third and final phase of direct financial assistance to residents will launch in October and be managed by Community Bridges. Those who received assistance in the first two phases do not need to apply again, as they will be contacted by Community Bridges for the third phase. (Those whose contact information changed since they last received aid should call Community Bridges at 724-2997.)

For businesses affected by the funding, about $4 million has been spent on repairs and beautification projects, minus $277,933 for administrative costs.

Twenty-two organizations received $1.8 million in grants for various community projects. That included $45,000 to Salinas-based Hijos del Sol for a massive mural on the wall of an industrial building on the 400 block of Salinas Road, which received another boost of $30,000 from Community Bridges. The mural is now underway.

In total, $5.4 million of the state funds still needs to be spent by the end of the year.

Separate from the state funding, the Board of Supervisors in August approved a $750,000 contract with Graniterock for Salinas Road improvements. That project is expected to begin by the end of September, and includes resurfacing Porter and Salinas roads, while also repairing sidewalks and repainting crosswalks from the Pajaro Bridge to Railroad Avenue.

Are you a Pajaro resident or business owner who’s received financial assistance? Has it helped you recover from the flood? I’d like to hear your thoughts.