Watershed Protection presents equity-focused scoring for proposed 2026 bond projects

The Watershed Protection Department on March 19 presented draft guiding principles and a technical scoring matrix it intends to use to prioritize drainage and stormwater projects for a potential 2026 general obligation bond.

The department told the Environmental Commission that Capital Delivery Services has set implementation rules: projects selected for bond funding must result in a public asset placed “in the ground” within a six-year spending window (January 2027 through FY32) and be expected to function for the 20-year repayment period. Kelly Gagnon, principal planner for the department, said those constraints shaped how staff weighted the criteria.

Gagnon said the department assigned a 100-point scale across six pillars: equity; affordability; innovation; sustainability and resiliency; proactive prevention (the department’s strategic-priorities score); and community trust and relationships. She described that distribution as a reflection…