Mountain View council adopts FY25–27 work plan projects, including 2045 end of natural gas flow goal and objective design standards

Mountain View — The City Council approved staff’s recommended slate of projects to form the FY 2025–27 council work plan, advancing a set of policy and capital priorities that staff said are sized to fit available capacity and early funding needs.

Assistant City Manager Audrey Seymour Ramberg and Principal Management Analyst Laurel James presented the proposed portfolio of 16 projects Tuesday, explaining staff considered council priorities, department capacity, funding requirements and dependencies. The recommendations follow council guidance to emphasize “quality over quantity” and to limit the short-term work plan to projects staff can scope and complete or begin within two years.

Priority projects and key council direction - End of natural gas flow by 2045: The council adopted a resolution committing the city to the goal and directed staff to develop a legal and technical analysis, study electric-grid capacity and prepare a resiliency strategy that would support building electrification. Council members described the goal as a “North Star” and asked staff to coordinate the work with the city’s decarbonization planning. - Citywide objective design standards: Council asked staff to pursue a phased program that starts with multifamily and mixed-use building types to improve predictability and public‑realm outcomes, including ground-floor activation, shade and walkability. Members said clear, objective standards can speed review and help secure public benefits. - Pickleball solutions: The council approved an expedited feasibility study for permanent courts and asked staff to add city parcels (including the San Rafael property) to the consultant’s scope. Staff also recommended interim measures to expand available play hours at Ringsdorf Park while the feasibility study proceeds. Council members stressed the need to balance new courts with preservation of green space and input from both the tennis and pickleball communities.

Other projects: Staff recommended additional projects tied to housing and economic development (low/moderate-income homeownership strategies, condo/duplex conversions), transportation and infrastructure (pavement-condition work and a study of a citywide broadband network), and internal organizational priorities (volunteer policy and code cleanup). Most projects were scoped to fit a two‑year window; seven would require limited‑term funding during the first two fiscal years.

Funding and fiscal notes: Staff flagged several items that will require capital funding or new appropriations beyond the two‑year planning horizon, including full implementation of a PCI target (pavement condition index), a Stevens Creek Trail extension, and a citywide broadband network. Staff recommended approximately $875,000 in additional limited‑term funding for FY 2025–26 and $200,000 for FY 2026–27 to start several scoped projects.

Council process and votes: After extended discussion and targeted straw polls on individual items, the council approved the staff‑recommended project list and scopes. The council also asked for additional follow‑up on the interaction of state density bonus law with future development standards, and requested staff and advisory bodies continue engagement on items that will require more public input.

Notable follow-ups requested by council: a memo on state density bonus law (see Moffett item), exploration of funding options for a potential revenue measure (staff to return with an ad hoc committee and timeline if council wishes to proceed), and a focused look at the feasibility and location trade-offs for permanent and interim pickleball courts.

Ending: Staff will return to council with budget recommendations in June that incorporate adopted work-plan projects; most projects will proceed to design, focused outreach and (where needed) environmental and fiscal analysis before final council action.