Mission Viejo council approves $4.95 million in one-time allocations, directs $2 million to parking expansion

The Mission Viejo City Council on Nov. 11 approved $4.95 million in one-time fiscal allocations that will fund park and recreation projects and advance a multi-phase parking expansion near the civic center.

Council voted 4-1 to accept staff'recommended appropriations that include $1.2 million for the Barbadanes Park playground rehabilitation, $1.75 million to re-plaster and rehabilitate the Sierra Recreation Center pool and replace mechanical equipment and tennis-court fencing, and a $2 million contribution toward a planned surface parking expansion estimated at roughly $6.3 million for 148 spaces.

Olivia, a finance staff member presenting the budget closeout, told the council the city finished fiscal year 2024-25 with $12.6 million in available general fund resources and proposed three action items: carryovers of $1.1 million, an affirmation of a $5.9 million reserve adjustment and allocation of remaining one-time resources. She said, "If council approves the resolution related to Action Item 2, available general fund resources will be reduced by $5,900,000 to $5,600,000," and described the staff recommendations for one-time projects.

Why it matters: council members said the projects address urgent facility needs and public-safety concerns. Mayor (speaking as meeting chair) noted recurring safety and neighborhood parking complaints around events at the aquatic center and golf course and said additional parking will reduce risky street parking. Councilmember Kelly said the city is facing frequent high-demand events and described pool and surfacing issues at Sierra Rec Center: "I could hear people saying, 'the water's green'... the plaster needs to be replastered," she said.

Debate and alternatives: Councilmembers pressed staff on alternatives to a $6.3 million surface-parking estimate, including staged design-and-build phasing, shuttle options and parking‑management strategies. Rich Schlesinger and Mario, identified in the meeting as traffic‑study contributors, described a parking utilization study during a major swim meet that recorded peak demand of 86% overall and localized usage above 100% at the aquatic center, producing overflow into residential streets. Michelle Mitchell, who coordinated off-site parking trials, said the city tried shuttle service to an off-site lot but patron uptake was low because families traveling with equipment favored parking close to the facility.

Funding choice and vote: Mayor Pro Tem Bucknam moved the package to fund Barbadanes, Sierra and to allocate $2 million toward parking design/construction this fiscal year while leaving the remainder for later determination. Olivia restated the motion for the record as totaling $4,950,000 and said it would reduce the revenue stability reserve by $900,000. The motion passed 4-1; Councilmember Cynthia Vasquez voted no.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with the approved allocations, begin design work for the parking expansion, and return with more detailed engineering estimates and implementation schedules. Olivia told the council the city will complete engineering and obtain construction estimates before spending the larger construction dollars.

Formal actions recorded: the council also approved the consent calendar and a separate carryover resolution earlier in the meeting. The council received staff'requested follow-ups on shared-event revenue accounting and requested a breakdown of special-event reimbursements staff said were being received but not fully reflected in earlier analysis.