Concord Planning Commission finds FY25–26 mid‑cycle capital adjustments consistent with general plan; votes 5-0 to recommend council review

The Concord City Planning Commission voted 5-0 Tuesday to recommend that the City Council find the proposed fiscal‑year 2025–26 mid‑cycle capital budget adjustments consistent with the city’s adopted general plan, as required by California Government Code sections 65401 and 65402.

Staff said the mid‑cycle package adds seven new projects — six transportation projects and a facilities maintenance project — and includes proposed street vacations and right‑of‑way acquisitions. "Tonight, I'll be discussing the proposed mid cycle capital budget adjustments for fiscal year 25, 26, and its conformance with the city's general plan," Capital Improvement Program Manager Bruce Davis told commissioners.

The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for final action. Davis told the commission the city operates on a biannual capital budget cycle and that the current two‑year capital program was reviewed by the commission in April 2024 and approved by the council in June. Last year’s two‑year budget allocated $90,300,000, staff said.

Staff highlighted two example projects. TRA26004, a traffic safety improvement project, would install traffic signal back plates with yellow reflective borders, pedestrian countdown heads with lead pedestrian intervals, ADA‑compliant curb ramps and upgraded push buttons with voice walk indications where required by current standards. "So the new standards require... the voice talk back, if you will," Abhishek Parikh, deputy director of public works in charge of transportation, said when describing accessible push‑button upgrades.

A facilities example, PW26001, would replace four boilers at the Concord Community Pool, which staff described as past their serviceable life and unreliable.

Staff also described a downtown parking project (TRA26005) funded by a Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) capital grant. Parikh said the grant would fund parking‑space availability technology in garages and some on‑street locations in the Todos Santos Plaza tourist center, and signage to direct drivers from Willow Pass to garages showing open spaces. "The parking project is a capital grant from MTC, and that allows us to install technology in the parking garage and some on street in the Tourist Centers Plaza to be able to monitor parking spots," Parikh said. He added that the city does not have paid parking in Concord today and that the specific technology has not been selected; staff said the project could be brought back to the City Council before work proceeds.

Commissioners asked for additional detail on several items. Commissioner Log asked for more information about the downtown parking project; Parikh said the grant is tied to that specific project and that preliminary designs and technology choices remain under review. Commissioner Patel asked about overall project costs and whether the city expects to stay within allocated budgets; staff said budgets are estimates based on current information and that a local match is required for some transportation grants and will be included in the council presentation on June 10. For example, staff said TRA26004 has a total budget of $1,100,000 with a local match of $110,000. Commissioner Patel also asked whether Concord requires project labor agreements; staff said projects over $750,000 include a project labor agreement under the city's current agreement.

Commissioner Love moved to approve the staff recommendation that the commission report consistency with the general plan under Government Code sections 65401 and 65402; the motion was seconded and passed 5-0.

Staff noted there are no anticipated contingency projects among the new items, though some transfers between existing projects are possible. Parikh and Davis reiterated that the mid‑cycle adjustment is limited in scope and that more detailed project designs, technology choices and funding actions would be addressed through subsequent staff reports and council approvals where required.

The commission also continued a separate item on a Starbucks drive‑through to May 21, 2025, and approved the consent calendar, including minutes from the April 2, 2025 meeting.

The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for final determinations and any required approvals for grant acceptance, local matches and street‑vacation actions.