Santa Clara oversight committee confirms Phase 1 Measure I project list; elects chair and vice chair

The Bond Compliance Oversight Committee for Measure I in Santa Clara voted unanimously June 6 to confirm that the proposed Phase 1 project list aligns with the voter-approved expenditure plan and to recommend the list to city council.

The committee’s confirmation authorizes staff to proceed with the package of projects proposed for the first bond tranche, which staff described as roughly $96,634,500 in projects plus an estimated $2,000,000 set aside for bond issuance and closing costs, for a Phase 1 total of $98,634,500. Staff told the committee the initial bond sale (tranche 1) is expected in 2026 and was presented as covering about 25% of the full Measure I program.

City staff described the Phase 1 list as a mix of projects drawn from the voter-approved expenditure plan and prioritized by readiness and community benefit. Categories and Phase 1 proposed amounts discussed included: streets and transportation ($27,370,000 including resurfacing, ADA curb ramp work, a San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail rehabilitation segment and bicycle wayfinding), fire stations and emergency response (roughly $12,285,450, including studies and targeted security improvements and a study for replacement of Fire Stations 5 and 7), police facilities (about $805,000 for feasibility studies and limited infrastructure), parks/libraries/senior center/aquatics ($38,438,750, including phased work at the City’s community aquatic facility, playground renovations and library system studies), storm drain system improvements ($16,585,300) and one historic/beautification item (Triton Museum roof, $1,150,000). Mark, who presented the proposed list on behalf of city staff, said projects were drawn “directly from the voter approved expenditure plan” and prioritized by readiness, staffing capacity and permitting requirements.

Staff explained the $2,000,000 for bond issuance was an earmark because final issuance costs will not be known until sale; any unused issuance funds will “roll back into the pot” after actual transaction costs are determined. A city attorney and finance staff described the term tranche as a finance term for a phased bond sale that will be matched to phases of project delivery.

Committee members questioned project timing, the scope of police funding in Phase 1 and contingency calculations. In response to questions about procurement and inspection for specific capital projects, Craig Mobeck, director of public works, described the city’s standard processes: consultants are procured through formal selection processes, and construction contracts are bid openly according to state requirements. He said city field services staff typically perform inspections, and when workload is heavy the city hires independent inspection services; inspection teams are “typically independent” from the contractor performing the work.

Public comment at the meeting came from Anthony Pascual, president of Santa Clara Firefighters Local 1171, who urged earlier action on fire station replacement projects. “A tremendous amount of work has gone into us. Our members have been a part of trying to get the bond passed,” Pascual said, and he asked that at least one fire station replacement be included early in the program because of long-standing facility needs. Public works staff and the presenter explained the multi-step schedule for design, consultant selection and bid procurement and said initiating design now can lead to construction in a later tranche.

The committee also completed organizational housekeeping. Members approved the minutes from the previous meeting and elected Gaurav Duta chair and Anurag Dixit vice chair; both elections were unanimous. The committee set expectations for future work including tracking expenditures and returning in 2026 to review project implementation, to receive the annual audit and to prepare the committee’s annual report to council.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved the June 4, 2025 meeting minutes (motion carried unanimously); elected Gaurav Duta chair (unanimous); elected Anurag Dixit vice chair (unanimous); and determined that the Phase 1 proposed project list is consistent with the voter-approved Measure I expenditure plan (unanimous). The committee recorded the Phase 1 project total at $96,634,500 in projects plus a $2,000,000 placeholder for bond issuance and closing costs; staff said final issuance costs will be reported after the actual bond sale.

Next steps: staff expects to sell tranche 1 in 2026 (targeted early 2026), to return with updates on project schedules and expenditures, and to work with the committee on the required annual report on Measure I spending.