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Delray Beach presents $295 million capital plan with major water plant and $6.6 million general-construction gap
Summary
City staff presented a $295.4 million fiscal-year capital improvement program that centers on a new water treatment plant, major parks and public‑safety projects funded by recent voter-approved bonds, and a roughly $6.6 million shortfall in the general construction fund that staff said will be addressed in later budget iterations.
City staff presented an overview of the fiscal‑year capital improvement program Tuesday, laying out a $295,412,650 spending plan that officials said is driven largely by utility projects and a new water treatment plant.
The capital improvement plan matters because it sets multi‑year spending priorities for infrastructure, public safety and parks while identifying funding gaps city leaders will need to close before final adoption. Missy Barletto, director of public works, said, "this is the division of the CIP budget, which this year amounts to $295,412,650," and that the total is up "by about 45,000,000 or so" from the prior year.
Barletto and Henry Dacowitz, the chief financial officer, told commissioners that utilities account for nearly half of the plan, primarily to build a new water treatment plant. "We are expecting to spend 125,000,000 in the coming year" on the water treatment plant, Barletto said. Other large projects called out in the presentation include a multi‑year municipal golf course renovation (about $24,500,000 in the first year), municipal seawall and roadway work on Marine Way, and neighborhood infrastructure projects in Tropic Isle and Northwest and Southwest neighborhoods.
Staff described how the plan is funded across multiple pots: parking‑in‑lieu funds and proceeds from litigation (Atlantic Crossing) are targeted to parking projects; recreation impact fees will cover playground updates; government obligation bond proceeds will begin to fund park and public safety projects; and stormwater revenues will rise after the recent stormwater assessment. Barletto noted a state legislative appropriation of $1,000,000 to match the city's share for Gulfstream Boulevard improvements and said the city will pursue federal grant opportunities after completing the Safe Streets for All Transportation Action Plan.
The presentation also identified a funding shortfall in the general construction fund. "All of this amounts to about $6,600,000 more than we have available in this fund," Barletto told commissioners; she said staff would return with options in future CIP iterations. Commissioners asked for more detail about which items are required this year and which can be deferred; Barletto described the annual process in which departments submit "wish lists" and staff work with directors to prioritize a smaller set of projects for the adopted CIP.
On utility projects, Barletto said the utilities program includes ongoing Tropical Neighborhood improvements with water and sewer elements, pump‑station work, shared wastewater treatment contributions with Boynton Beach, generator replacements, and lift‑station safety upgrades. She said the Thomas Street pump station rebuild has already started and that vehicle and equipment replacements will continue through a lease‑purchase program.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions during the workshop but took no formal votes. Barletto and CFO Dacowitz presented the CIP for discussion; staff indicated they will return with further detail on funding options for the identified gap and with updated slides reflecting a House committee action that reduced one earmark from $5,000,000 to $1,450,000.
Staff said the CIP remains a work in progress and will be refined and rebalanced before final adoption; no formal action or adoption occurred at the workshop.
