Belmont Measure I midyear update: $8 million committed this year; five‑year CIP adds $10 million

The Belmont City Measure I Advisory Committee on Tuesday received a midyear, informational briefing on Measure I sales‑tax revenues and the city’s five‑year capital improvement plan and selected its chair and vice chair by committee vote.

Director Castaneda told the committee the Measure I sales tax collections have flattened after several years of stronger receipts driven in part by elevated auto sales. The city is projecting only modest growth in the near term, citing a slowdown in the auto and construction sectors.

The presentation showed the Measure I fund has $8,000,000 in committed capital improvement project (CIP) funds through the current fiscal year, with $7,300,000 of that committed to pavement and street projects and $700,000 to storm‑related projects. The committee was shown a five‑year CIP that adds a planned $10,000,000 commitment over the next five years—about $9.3 million toward streets and $0.7 million toward storm projects.

Castaneda said the five‑year financial snapshot projects a temporary negative balance in the early years of the plan before returning to positive in the later years, reflecting existing planned project commitments rather than new borrowing. “This meeting…is informational only,” Castaneda said, explaining no committee action was required on the budget materials.

Senior civil engineer Vazana Palatnik (Public Works) reviewed pavement outcomes and project selection. Palatnik said Belmont’s pavement condition index (PCI) improved from about 56 roughly a decade ago to about 71 today, which staff attributed to Measure I investments. She described the city’s three‑year maintenance cycle—light maintenance such as slurry seal, intermediate milled pavement work, and full reconstruction—as well as the use of pavement management software and value engineering to select treatments.

Palatnik reported last year’s projects came in about 21% under the pavement management program estimate and the 2025 pavement project bids came in about 18% below engineers’ estimates. She said the city received eight bids on the Selby (Selsa) Trail project, with bids ranging roughly $100,000 below to $100,000 above the engineer’s estimate; that project is scheduled to start next month and finish in September.

Public Works staff explained that before paving, the city coordinates with utilities including PG&E and Mid‑Peninsula Water District so utility work does not require later cuts into newly paved streets. Staff also said storm‑system rehabilitation is funded from Measure I for storm‑related needs while sanitary sewer work uses separate funding.

Committee members asked about timing and whether the $8 million commitment represents money that will be spent in 2024–25. Staff clarified the $8 million reflects committed projects through the current fiscal year; portions not spent will be carried forward. Staff also noted that construction season timing and commodity and labor prices (including oil and asphalt) can affect actual costs when projects go to bid. Daniel Matthews of the pavement program said the current bid cycle is competitive and the city is seeing prices at or below recent unit prices despite contractor‑reported uncertainty.

On administrative business, the committee voted to select Committee Member Tupelo as chair and Committee Member Kong as vice chair. The chair and vice‑chair elections were conducted by roll call and approved by the committee.

The committee was reminded the next meeting will be in the fall, when staff will present the independent audit for fiscal year 2024–25 and the committee will be asked to recommend any proofing in the annual report.