Last year, public employees in San Diego County built fences with public money at prices that made them say, “Yikes!” They grappled with “screw ups” — including repaving a street scheduled to be dug up for utility work the following week.The San Diego Union-Tribune found these problems and others by sifting through tens of thousands of emails requested under the California Public Records Act from 107 government agencies throughout the county.

Two fence bids caused a “yikes” email, one at the Padre Dam Municipal Water District in Santee and one at the Olivenhain Water District in Encinitas.