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Council adopts goals for 2025–26 and adds pavement‑preservation program instead of full in‑house paving
Summary
Sweet Home council adopted its 2025–26 goals, including a shift from a proposed full in‑house paving program to a pavement preservation approach aimed at treating 65% of streets in fair‑to‑good condition; vote was unanimous.
The Sweet Home City Council unanimously adopted its goals for fiscal years 2025–26 on April 13 and amended the transportation goal to adopt a pavement‑preservation program rather than a full in‑house paving operation.
Staff presented five strategic focus areas in the proposed goals: efficient government, economic strength, essential services, infrastructure, and a desirable community. Under essential services and infrastructure, goals include beginning construction of wastewater treatment plant phase 1, completing design and beginning construction of the Mountain View multi‑use path and sidewalks, evaluating a street repair and preservation strategy and renovating the East Wing of City Hall for community services.
Councilors and staff said they reviewed practices from roughly 52 jurisdictions; responses from about 21 jurisdictions showed that most similar‑sized cities contract paving work rather than support a full in‑house paving program because of personnel, equipment and seasonal limitations. Staff proposed a pavement‑preservation program focused on sealing, patching and preserving roughly 65 percent of streets currently rated fair to good, which staff said would extend network life and provide visible progress while staff pursues grant funding and cost‑sharing options for larger efforts.
“That's the best bang for our buck and use of the limited funds that we have,” Councilor Hagee said in support of the preservation approach. Councilor Augsberger told colleagues she appreciated staff outreach and research, and said the compromise was preferable to an unaffordable purchase of new paving equipment.
Councilor Sanchez, who had earlier remarked that infrastructure “should be our number 1 issue,” moved to adopt option 2 to amend the goals to the pavement‑preservation program; the motion passed 7–0.
The adopted goals also list an objective to evaluate and advance potential future uses of the old City Hall building and support redevelopment of identified commercial properties. Staff said the adopted pavement preservation approach is intended to buy time to pursue grants, local cost sharing and other funding mechanisms for a more extensive program in future years.
