Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public Works forecasts higher parking revenue, stormwater planning and requests for added maintenance spending
Summary
Director of Public Works Missy Barletta presented a FY2026 operating budget request that includes projected increases in parking revenue, anticipated higher street-lighting costs, a proposal to move roadway preservation into maintenance, and stormwater fund projections and level-of-service requests.
Missy Barletta, director of Public Works, presented the department's FY2026 operating budget at the April 22 Delray Beach City Commission workshop and outlined revenue projections, maintenance responsibilities and several level-of-service requests.
Barletta said the department has eight divisions with 71 full-time and three part-time employees; its responsibilities include engineering, fleet, parking operations, building maintenance, streets and traffic, and stormwater maintenance. She said the city manages 758 fleet assets.
On parking, Barletta projected about $6.5 million in general-fund parking revenue for the year — a 27.4% increase from the prior year — covering meter fees, citations and other parking charges. She said additional revenue streams such as grants, CRA contributions and federal appropriations are not yet reflected in the early budget scenario.
Barletta presented two operating scenarios: a status-quo request of about $13.6 million (a 6.5% increase from the amended FY2025 figure) and a higher level-of-service scenario of $15.65 million, which would be a 22.6% increase. A major component of the higher scenario is moving the roadway restoration and preservation program from the infrastructure surtax fund into maintenance and operations at an estimated $1.5 million per year.
Street-lighting costs, Barletta said, are rising as the city improves neighborhood lighting; she said lighting expenditures are expected to increase about 21%, roughly $275,000. Barletta said the city partners with Florida Power & Light on engineering and installation; FPL sometimes fronts installations and recovers costs over time on the city's power bill.
On stormwater, Barletta said the stormwater utility assessment projects just under $4.1 million in revenue for FY2026, a 7.5% decrease from the prior year tied to exemptions the commission asked staff to include. Barletta said the no-level-of-service stormwater operating scenario shows only a 2% increase in operations; with level-of-service requests, the stormwater request would grow to about $4.34 million (a 12.6% increase). Among stormwater requests is a $175,000 wheeled excavator intended to reduce recurring rental costs for swale restoration.
Barletta listed other operational items: no capital outlay in the general-fund operating budget under the status-quo scenario; a $80,000 request for electric-panel replacements in the street-lighting fund; and a proposed citywide valet program and potential metering of downtown lots as upcoming commission items tied to the parking and curbside management plan.
Commissioners asked staff for consolidated comparative charts showing current budgets, level-of-service requests and projected totals so the commission can better evaluate ad valorem tax implications. City staff indicated a June 10 workshop will offer a preliminary consideration from the city manager's office and help frame formal budget recommendations proceeding to a July proposed budget.
Barletta closed by noting some expense reductions from a vehicle capital lease program and that the garage fund request shows about a 1% increase overall with targeted equipment replacements and a key-management system request.
