Board approves SENA capital needs assessment; forwards projects to CAO for funding consideration

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on April 9 approved the county’s five‑year capital investment plan (SENA) and referred project funding to the chief administrative officer for consideration in the budget process.

County staff said the SENA planning document prioritizes projects that are legally required, critical for health and safety, or supported by program revenue. Given current fiscal constraints staff recommended limiting Year‑1 priorities to projects with identified funding or legal mandates and advancing preconstruction work on longer‑term behavioral health and public safety projects.

The plan that supervisors approved identified roughly $840 million in five‑year capital needs across the county and recommended approximately $26.4 million for possible inclusion in the operational plan for Fiscal Year 2025–26, pending funding availability. Staff told the board there are already 42 projects with existing appropriations of nearly $635 million, 13 preconstruction projects totaling about $70 million and seven projects currently under construction with appropriations of about $470 million.

Notable project examples discussed included a behavioral health children’s crisis residential facility, a youth less‑restricted placement facility, the Ramona sheriff substation, county fire training tower capabilities, stormwater projects and expanded electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Staff said the public health laboratory recently completed turn‑over to operations, and the county is advancing the psychiatric health facility and Ramona Community Resource Center among other ongoing investments.

Supervisors asked questions about timing, how projects align with available revenue and whether the list would affect the county’s credit rating. County staff told the board moving to a two‑step budget process would not, by itself, harm the county’s credit rating; rating agencies weigh many factors with the current federal and state uncertainties among them. The board unanimously approved the SENA plan.

Why this matters: The SENA sets the capital priorities that guide which projects enter the budget process and the timing for construction, preconstruction and planning work. In a constrained financial environment the plan prioritizes projects that are critical for public safety, health and legal compliance.

Next steps: The CAO will consider SENA recommendations during the budget process; funding decisions and any contract awards will return through budget and procurement actions.