PB staff says $500,000 secured, proposes topping up skate park and using leftover youth funds; executive committee appointment tabled

PB staff said the commission has a $500,000 allocation from the prior fiscal year that is "buttoned up" and is preparing a package of proposed reallocations to present at a future meeting.

"We've got our $500,000 allocation from last fiscal year, buttoned up, and that's waiting for the next cycle to start," Jason, a PB staff member, told commissioners. He said staff hopes to pool leftover funds from completed or infeasible projects to increase the fund balance before the next cycle.

Jason identified two items staff plans to recommend for the commission’s consideration: using some leftover funds to raise a cycle 8 skate-park award to the $300,000 originally requested — the project had received roughly $220,000 of the amount it sought — and allocating some leftover youth funding to support students who travel to Washington, D.C., each year. He said staff will return with specific proposals and a list of projects and amounts.

Commissioners pressed for detail on the accounting and on whether funds are restricted by category (capital projects versus program funds). One commissioner asked for "a list of all the current active projects, which ones are closed out, which ones have additional funds that kinda need to be relocated." Jason said staff would bring a ledger showing current project statuses and the proposed reallocation package at the next meeting.

The commission also confirmed a prior change to move PB cycles to a two-year schedule, with the new rhythm beginning in 2026. Jason told the panel staff had not run a cycle in the most recent years because of staffing shortages in the city manager’s office and that the intent is to restart robustly in 2026.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of agenda: motion made and approved by roll-call vote; commissioners present voted unanimously to approve the agenda. (Recorded roll call: Daniels, Hunter, Martin, Herrera, Richardson, Smith; outcome: approved.)

- Appointment of executive committee (Item 9a): the commission moved to table the appointment until the chair and co-chair can attend. The motion was seconded by Pat Hunter and passed by unanimous roll call vote. (Recorded roll call: Daniels, Hunter, Martin, Herrera, Richardson, Smith; outcome: tabled.)

What remains to be decided: Staff will return with a packaged recommendation listing specific projects, amounts to be reallocated (including the proposed skate-park top-up), and whether any legal or categorical restrictions affect moving funds between capital and program lines.