Laguna Beach staff recommends closing 50 CIP projects, returning about $16 million to fund balance

City staff presented a review of the existing capital improvement program and recommended deprogramming 50 of 132 active projects and returning slightly more than $16,000,000 to fund balance, primarily from the capital improvement fund but also from parking authority, gas tax, street lighting and wastewater funds.

Staff said the recommendation follows a project‑by‑project review to mark projects that are complete, infeasible, funded elsewhere or lower priority. The presentation highlighted several funding adjustments staff recommends for council consideration: a federal grant of about $5,000,000 that staff says will offset most city funding for the Coast Highway sidewalk gap‑closure project; an estimated $1,000,000 shortfall to fully fund the Cleo Street beach access improvement project; and a roughly $2,500,000 shortfall for the…