GWP and Public Works budgets: water master plan, deferred CIP and one‑year cuts to tree maintenance and other M&O items
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Summary
Staff presented GWP projects (Shoal Biogas, Grayson repowering), a water master plan that paused major water CIP appropriations, and Public Works cuts including a one‑year slowdown in street tree maintenance, deferred pavement work and a $680,000 ask for AB 645 speed camera pilot implementation.
Glendale Water and Power (GWP) and Public Works presented infrastructure priorities and several proposed deferrals in the draft FY 2025–26 budget.
GWP highlights included ongoing Shoal Biogas and Grayson repowering projects, expanded solar installations and a water master plan. Staff said the Water Depreciation Fund shows a roughly $14 million decrease because staff removed a set of project appropriations pending completion of the water master plan; the remaining balance was described as the minimum needed to run water operations in 2025–26.
Public Works staff described a suite of proposed maintenance-and-operations reductions and one‑time deferrals to help close the budget gap. Examples include a proposed one‑year extension of the tree trimming cycle from six to seven years (estimated M&O savings of about $224,000 for the year), deferred pavement condition work and a $680,000 proposed appropriation for implementation of an AB 645 automated speed camera pilot in high‑collision areas. The package also includes shifting some roles from full‑time to hourly for pilot or temporary programs (for example, a Traffic Engineering Associate to hourly wages while the speed program is evaluated).
Staff cautioned that deferring maintenance such as pavement preservation and tree canopy care can increase long‑term costs and carry service‑level tradeoffs; several councilmembers pressed staff for alternatives and warned that delaying preventative maintenance can be costlier over a multi‑year horizon. Staff said they will look for grants and other revenue sources to mitigate impacts and will provide details on specific deferred CIP projects at a future session.
Councilmembers also asked for clarification on Measure R local return fund changes, CIP reimbursement fund reductions (a one‑time grant of about $17 million for electrification was largely spent in the prior year) and the reimbursement arrangement with Metro related to BRT utility relocation work.
