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CIP highlights: Fire Station 4, lifeguard towers, reach‑5 wastewater work and targeted undergrounding plans
Summary
Staff highlighted a seven‑year, year‑one CIP that focuses on ongoing projects such as Fire Station 4, lifeguard towers, multiple wastewater lift‑station upgrades and a prioritized, shorter CIP horizon meant to improve accuracy; staff also described mapping and early steps for remaining residential undergrounding efforts.
City engineers and public‑works staff used the budget workshop to present a trimmed seven‑year capital improvement program (CIP) and to highlight year‑one allocations for projects the city is actively working to complete.
Tom Perez, city engineer, said staff shortened the planning horizon from 10 years to seven to improve cost accuracy and to highlight “year‑0” projects that are already underway. Staff said about $67,500,000 is currently allocated across roughly 82 active projects (the city closed others earlier this year). Key year‑one and near‑term projects noted in the presentation include funding for Fire Station 4, Cleo Street and Anita beach access work (with Cleo bid opening scheduled), enclosed lifeguard towers, the LCR Protect & Connect project, and the North Coast Interceptor (NCI) reach‑5 replacement.
Wastewater and reach‑5 Public‑works staff described five wastewater projects slated for the coming year, including major upgrades to lift stations (Top of the World, Bluebird and Victoria 2). Staff said some lift stations are decades old (one cited as 60 years old, another 90 years), and the reach‑5 interceptor segment requires environmental approvals before construction; the city expects some of this work to proceed into the next fiscal year and noted use of iBank loans for capital financing.
Undergrounding and private‑street complications Staff described mapping five remaining residential areas where undergrounding the utilities could be accomplished at scale and said three of those areas include private streets and easement issues. Staff recommended advancing planning and easement work so the city can present clearer project costs before the council considers financing or votes. Council members expressed support for earlier, more detailed outreach so residents see a clearer project scope and cost estimate before votes on funding.
CIP prioritization criteria Perez said staff prioritizes immediate safety needs first, then regulatory or mandated projects, then grant‑funded projects with hard deadlines, and finally council priorities. Staff also noted ongoing master plans — wastewater, storm drain and facility condition assessments — will supply data to refine CIP planning.
Ending No binding votes were taken. Council asked staff to return with more refined project schedules, costs and options for undergrounding districts and to continue to pursue grant and loan resources for major wastewater work.
