Ojai CIP presentation highlights Sarasota Park grant, playground planning and limits of $250,000 pickleball study funding

Public Works Director Lindy Palmer told the Ojai Parks and Recreation Commission on Nov. 6 that the city's public works department prepares an annual, rolling five-year capital improvement program and that she was presenting the parks-related projects in that plan.

Palmer said the CIP is a planning tool that becomes binding only when year 1 is adopted with the budget, but that many parks projects are already in the five-year outlook. "We put together the public works department puts together a 5 year CIP every single year," Palmer said, adding that projects beyond year 1 remain fluid and are subject to scoping if they roll into the budget year.

Why it matters: the CIP identifies projects and potential funding sources that council and the community will be asked to prioritize during next year's budget cycle. Commissioners pressed staff for timing on design, community engagement and how previously developed plans will be reconciled with current work.

Key projects and funding

- Libby Park restrooms and paving: Palmer said restroom capacity at Libby Park is insufficient for current events and that $600,000 has been programmed across years 2 and 3 as a rough budget placeholder to address restroom improvements and some pathway/paving repairs. She emphasized the figure is preliminary, that a final scope or relocation could look different, and that design and permitting typically occupy year 1 while construction falls into a later year.

- Playgrounds: the CIP shows $200,000 programmed in year 1 for new playground equipment. Palmer and staff recommended starting scoping and community engagement soon; commissioners suggested an ad hoc playground committee to refine priorities and ensure designs align with the master plan.

- Sarasota Park grant ($750,000): staff flagged a site-specific grant of about $750,000 that must be spent at the Sarasota campus by the end of fiscal year 2027 (June 2027). "We have about 750,000 that needs to be spent at Sarasota Park... it needs to be spent by the end of fiscal year '27," Palmer said. She said the grant is flexible as long as expenditures are capital improvements for the Sarasota campus (playground, building repairs, courts, etc.), and staff are evaluating recent structural findings at the gym that could affect priorities.

- Outdoor workout gym (~$50,000): staff described a low-cost outdoor fitness circuit (pull-up bars, dip stations) estimated around $50,000 that could be implemented along the proposed perimeter trail. Commissioners urged aligning any new equipment with the master-plan path to avoid duplicated work.

- Pickleball sound mitigation: the CIP includes a $250,000 line item described by staff as funding for concept design or an alternatives study for a sound wall at the pickleball courts, not construction. Christy Rivera, Parks and Recreation manager, said there is "not really an update" beyond council discussion and that the appropriation is a study-level budget. Commissioners and staff agreed $250,000 would be insufficient to construct a sound wall and noted that a wall alone likely would not fully mitigate sound impacts.

Climate and facilities work

Palmer said the city has two planned EV chargers for parks (Lower Libby and the Sarasota parking lot) and that the city received a $250,000 Clean Power Alliance grant to evaluate electrification at the Sarasota campus. "We received... a Clean Power Alliance $250,000 grant," she said, and staff hired a consultant (Climate Tech) to identify solar and electrification opportunities, with a goal of implementing recommendations within about 12 to 18 months.

Staff also reported completed projects and rebates from the prior year, including new pickleball courts at Seoul Park, lighting at Libby Bowl and replacement of several gas heat pumps with electric heat pumps (at Martin Gym, Boyd Center and the snack bar) using rebates.

Next steps and public engagement

Palmer and commissioners agreed to begin scoping playground design work now and recommended early community engagement tied to any master-plan update. Palmer emphasized that projects move faster when they are scoped and prioritized before the budget year begins: design work typically starts after July 1 once year-1 budgeting is in place.

Evidence: The presentation and discussion were led by Lindy Palmer, public works director. Christy Rivera (parks and recreation manager) participated on funding and program questions. Staff pointed to detail sheets inside the CIP that map project codes to site plans and funding sources for teams to use when scoping work.

What to watch: the city must decide whether to commit the site-specific $750,000 grant to playgrounds, building repairs or other Sarasota campus needs before the June 2027 spending deadline; the pickleball sound-wall appropriation remains a study-level allocation and would need additional funding to move to construction.