[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6547637,"mediaKeyId","3429256-fea95bfba619bf1141a8322fc9edb6ea","parentId",3429256,"title","Capital Delivery Services lays out framework for 2026 general-obligation bond program","audioSeconds",891,"startMs",175000,"endMs",1066000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3429256-fea95bfba619bf1141a8322fc9edb6ea&start=175&end=1066","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3429256-fea95bfba619bf1141a8322fc9edb6ea/thumbnail_175000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6547637/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Capital-Delivery-Services-lays-out-framework-for-2026-general-obligation-bond-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547637-0fa2201ff6e8d0ba9de57981f0e30c81/orig.mp4?Expires=1770657011&Signature=klT8zOeQZmhSjYkTGyrXpnRlHzZW9oDtXTkspFd8m3NSzDzrAmS850efcetkrL8OhioJyoxAYjfKcGqCQN8m9ndv-1lrYeWe9Hu9Nr0q~6kpghnSzt16Uz2guYiv0TWo~3DTQTh36cOOdyNEpPWnWNPNCzJP8CYJk8WFDrpVfAPRxOe~Bubw2-WlK33dYOseTQR1rin5j5cLdDWvsSa9jEABs~7dhCtPtUawVHzfwH3iwUwKF8Aa9hzR32U7sz7u3tY7kFaw5qAMCtkBJBtbQN8ndbVm3i4ic7Q3l9zH~QgZ4TVmd1gLzt8LyNmiX0a72VL~OSFpR8pLELgB~lUnfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-05-21T00:00:00Z","article","Capital Delivery Services on Thursday presented the Bond Oversight Commission with the department's framework for developing the City of Austin's proposed 2026 general-obligation (G.O.) bond program.

Marcus Hammer, assistant director with Capital Delivery Services, told commissioners the department was created in 2023 to reduce project delivery time and to convene asset-owner departments so projects have realistic scopes, schedules and budgets. \"We were created in 2023, really with the goal of reducing project delivery time,\" Hammer said.

The presentation summarized staff work completed over the last year: a citywide needs assessment initially totaling about $10.4 billion, department-level prioritization that produced a 6-year feasible list of roughly $4.4 billion and an early financial estimate from Financial Services that the G.O. program could be nearer $750 million for the 2026 cycle. \"From that, we asked the departments to say, okay, now that we've got your big umbrella, how can we pare that back to what could potentially even be done within a 6-year bond cycle?\" Hammer said.

Why it matters: General-obligation bonds fund large capital items the city does not typically pay for from operations, including major street repairs, flood and erosion control, parks and public-safety facilities, and land acquisition. How staff vet and prioritize projects now will determine which projects are presented to voters if council calls a bond election.

Key elements of the proposed process

- Guiding principles and alignment: CDS said it used the citywide strategic plan''s adopted anchors as the basis for bond guiding principles; departments adapted those anchors into department-specific technical criteria and scoring matrices with a 100-point scale.

- Earlier vetting: Hammer said the department's goal is to shift detailed scoping, scheduling and budgeting earlier in the process so projects are better defined before they appear on a voter package. \"If you focus just on that big long yellow box ... projects were just sort of hand selected and a lot of the planning effort didn't happen until after they were voted on,\" Hammer said. The new approach moves that work to the front end so some projects can begin design or construction immediately if funded.

- Project charters and scoring: CDS staff described project charters that collect GPS coordinates, scope, cost, climate and other data to feed prioritization and to identify inter-project conflicts or opportunities. Departments scored inventory items and presented those scores to the Bond Election Task Force (BTIF) for review.

- Public engagement and schedule: CDS launched a bond 2026 page on SpeakUp Austin and a phase-one community survey to collect public priorities. Staff expect an initial project list in July and additional community engagement in the fall; BTIF is scheduled to return recommendations in early 2026. Hammer said council would likely be asked to call a bond election in July or August 2026 for a November 2026 ballot, depending on required notice timelines.

Questions from commissioners

Commissioners pressed how much scoping would be required for projects to appear on the initial list and whether the public or BTIF could add uns-scoped projects. Hammer said departments are vetting prioritized projects and CDS is doing initial planning and scoping on prioritized items now; submissions from the public are assigned to departments for eligibility review and scoping evaluation.

Commissioners also asked how the city's \"cap-and-stitch\" prioritization (an ongoing budget discussion) would affect feasibility. Hammer said including cap-and-stitch priorities would reduce the dollars available to the G.O. program and is being evaluated by Financial Services.

What remains unresolved

Staff emphasized that the needs list far exceeds anticipated funding and that the final program size and internal allocation to departments (transportation, parks, public safety, etc.) must be decided through the public process and council direction. CDS described several forthcoming deliverables: department scoring matrices provided to BTIF, the July initial project list with dollar figures, and continued working-group review of project charters.

Ending: Staff said they had completed dozens of interdepartmental meetings and would return with the prioritized project list and additional materials next month. \"We've had a ton of work ... probably getting closer to the 50 meetings of collaborating and working together at this point,\" Hammer said; he invited commissioners and the public to the BTIF process and the SpeakUp Austin portal for input.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Bond Oversight Commission - May 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Capital Delivery Services on Thursday presented the Bond Oversight Commission with a front-loaded process for the City of Austin's 2026 general-obligation bond development, saying departments produced a $4.4 billion feasible six-year list from an initial $10.4 billion needs assessment while staff preliminarily estimate a likely bond program near $750 million.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6547629,"Commission approves minutes and unanimously elects chair and vice chair",1435,1310000,2745000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3429256-fea95bfba619bf1141a8322fc9edb6ea&start=1310&end=2745","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3429256-fea95bfba619bf1141a8322fc9edb6ea/thumbnail_1310000.jpg","/articles/6547629/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Commission-approves-minutes-and-unanimously-elects-chair-and-vice-chair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547629-071b3c05be522fa675f0258bf11e50d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770657011&Signature=V7lJahfeyKlwNFW0uhjsSJBqWULjVyIIaYFqF8wTNZfvhcsqCWvVFtykszUZlBWYNhZXKmHxtWHV1C09sDOaYO2zbfbjTCcNMIrx35UOMmzfYmvy71dWfLtqA7lvqE35bi4tzF~Kvc66Jshat~2RcUwoQS-7cclCbCR-rJLv~XCmWIwW9aRtCYn-D2WvQIPpag7YPyBAizwM9Qo-czTt9jFq6zdPjhnifw~B2w8REPo1KfmimvxAPcBM0GxZ7zI2zPLGo-QDs9EHPhBDfzSa7IAoCmYCTwPAuCWm9PAnRHgWCkRcVsmkQqcROdAe5qlJlu99qEo~wDAdqEbjTYm-zQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bond Oversight Commission conducted three formal actions during the meeting: approval of the Feb. 19 minutes, election of John McNabb as chair for another term and election of a vice chair.

Approval of minutes

Commissioners moved and seconded approval of the Feb. 19 meeting minutes. A roll-call vote was conducted. The transcript records a roll call and discussion about a name correction (James May vs. Jamie May), and the chair noted the minutes had been read; the transcript shows the meeting moved forward after roll call. The transcript does not contain an unambiguous, complete tally for the minutes approval beyond the roll-call activity.

Chair election

The commission nominated John McNabb for chair. The motion to elect McNabb was made and seconded. A roll-call vote recorded the following responses: Commissioner McNabb: Yes; Commissioner Bird: Yes; Commissioner Curry: Yes; Commissioner Diaz: Yes; Commissioner Dwyer: Yes; Commissioner Bridal: Yes; Commissioner Rodriguez: Yes. The transcript states the vote was unanimous and McNabb will serve again as chair.

Vice-chair election

Nominations were opened for vice chair. One commissioner verbally nominated \"Charles\"; that nomination was seconded and the motion to close nominations carried. The roll-call vote was recorded as unanimous and the nominee accepted the position. The transcript records the vote as unanimous; the record does not provide a full last name for the nominee in the audio transcript.

Notes on the record

- The meeting included standard parliamentary procedure: motion, second and roll-call votes were used for approvals and elections.
- Where the transcript lacks a fully specified tally or full name for a nominee, this article notes the limitation rather than inferring unspoken details.

Ending: The commission adjourned after electing officers and took no other formal votes during the meeting.","The Bond Oversight Commission approved previous meeting minutes and held elections: John McNabb was re-elected chair and the commission elected a vice chair; both elections passed by unanimous roll call, according to the meeting transcript.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6547632,"Austin Public Health reviews recent bond-funded projects, highlights service partnerships",900,1716000,2616000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3429256-fea95bfba619bf1141a8322fc9edb6ea&start=1716&end=2616","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3429256-fea95bfba619bf1141a8322fc9edb6ea/thumbnail_1716000.jpg","/articles/6547632/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Public-Health-reviews-recent-bond-funded-projects-highlights-service-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547632-1fedf9c8e7ad67a677e2fb7ef12a47bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770657011&Signature=J9aKB0U7Tp~dARRSjrhg6lBgOeiczrxH-dqJ4y6Pbs-rSThU2jOJTCdz1S4SsC-~oA7v~Uf6kWj8KtKXAl5x2jt7ihPnsKg5NAeGeLPRYcPlcpoF~sQupjEhrhpe3mTAsn9420u1siMQoG3lAZ2eL1AE43JilWfbE~VSnhTKa0Ngds6RsrFt3Qp7o~on-ouPlff1tH6FdR-VM64tIROONdIXyLZjdzgbYsUXqYQsmkjx0nujRxudKj6T5DzKcByC2UkOWS1uTqPNokpyTx~uEZj-fq~rX-tKfLByI6q5jGxbc9R9fglzLEmC6ibNszszKrIBFlWZ3dbV0QuyjDFvuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Felipe, facilities planning manager with Austin Public Health, briefed the Bond Oversight Commission on the department's recent bond-funded projects, completion timelines and partnerships and described the department's reliance on bonds to fund capital facilities.

Felipe summarized several completed projects funded in past bond cycles, including parking expansions, a drained and expanded Dunkley campus (completed 2017), a women-and-children shelter expansion completed in 2018 (city and bond contributions totaling $6.7 million), the Montopolis recreation and community center (a joint Parks and Recreation and Public Health facility completed in 2020) and a 24,000-square-foot neighborhood center completed in October 2024 with combined bond and general-fund support.

\"We don't have a general fund budget that can build a building, and that has never been the case,\" Felipe said, noting that the department is supported by more than 60% federal grants and relies on bond appropriations for new facilities.

Why it matters: Austin Public Health serves populations that use neighborhood centers and clinics, and the department said bond funding has enabled joint facilities and expanded capacity for services including immunizations, childcare and social services.

Notable project details

- Dunkley campus improvements: Addressed recurrent campus flooding, added sidewalks and about 90 parking spaces; completed Feb. 2017.

- Women-and-children shelter: City-owned, Salvation Army-operated facility; bond funding plus city funds expanded capacity by 36 beds and added ADA upgrades; completed Feb. 2018.

- Montopolis community center: A combined facility with Parks and Recreation that houses neighborhood services and recreation amenities; completed 2020.

- Recent 2024 facility: A new 24,000-square-foot full-service neighborhood center with clinic, immunization services, high-quality childcare and a commercial kitchen; bond funding totaled $16 million plus $4 million from the general fund for a childcare center addition.

Questions and coordination

Commissioners asked about how Public Health's facilities differ from pure recreation centers. Felipe described site-level synergy: \"The south wing is the recreation facilities ... and then on the north side you have full neighborhood center. We provide services from helping with food pantries, social work, helping people apply for jobs,\" he said.

Felipe said the department is open to co-locating services with Parks and Recreation where it saves land costs and speeds delivery and noted prior examples where Park Department land reduced acquisition costs for a joint facility.

Ending: Public Health staff said the department has a record of delivering projects on time and on budget and that project managers such as Kaltina Sotari led many of those efforts. Felipe closed by thanking staff and invited follow-up questions from commissioners.","Austin Public Health staff reviewed completed and ongoing bond-funded facilities and services, described funding constraints (60% federal grant support) and outlined recent project timelines and partnerships including Montopolis community center and a women-and-children shelter expansion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Capital Delivery Services lays out framework for 2026 general-obligation bond program

Commission approves minutes and unanimously elects chair and vice chair

Austin Public Health reviews recent bond-funded projects, highlights service partnerships