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Council advances street-tree and street-lighting program planning; staff to develop funding-measure scenarios
Summary
After a lengthy presentation, the council directed staff to refine program scopes and produce funding-measure scenarios for a proactive street-tree management program (city assuming greater maintenance responsibility) and relamping/lighting upgrades; staff cited current tree maintenance budget $380,000 and a projected comprehensive program cost of $590,000–$635,000, with streetlight relamping estimated at about $800,000.
City public-works staff laid out a multi-year plan for Albany's street trees and lighting and asked the council for direction on potential ordinance changes and a funding measure to create stable, ongoing revenue for both programs.
Public Works Director Mark Hurley said the adopted Street Tree Management Plan recommends shifting more maintenance responsibility to the city, building a proactive maintenance program and establishing stable funding. "One of [the recommendations] is to clarify our authority and responsibility," Hurley said, adding the plan recommends the city take on greater responsibility rather than a reactive, ad-hoc approach.
Program manager Devorah (name appears in the record as both "Devorah Zauder" and "Devorah Zotterer") presented budget details: "Our current budget for the street tree maintenance program is $380,000," she said, and staff estimated that a full, proactive program would cost about $590,000 to $635,000 per year. That larger number would fund expanded planting, a systematic pruning cycle, young-tree care, consulting-arborist support, GIS improvements and more robust outreach.
On lighting, Hurley and staff described a multi-year conversion and relamping program: the first rounds covered dozens of fixtures, about 90 were in progress and roughly 500 lights remained to be relamped. Staff said the unfunded portion of relamping is included in the CIP with a broad estimate of approximately $800,000, and that annual investment of roughly $150,000–$250,000 would allow ongoing renewal and targeted upgrades at critical intersections.
Councilmembers asked for specifics on intersections and funding scenarios; staff identified Solano & Santa Fe, Solano & Peralta, Solano & Ordway, Solano & Tulare, Sonoma & Ventura, Washington & Key Route (among others) as critical locations listed in the CIP and said they would return with refined budgets, draft ordinance language and consultant-developed funding-measure mechanics. Vice Mayor McQuaid asked whether new funding would free up existing Measure M and LAD 88-1 money for other uses; staff said scenarios could be presented to show options, including measures sized to displace general-fund portions or to fully replace current funding.
Council did not adopt a funding measure this evening but gave direction to move forward with developing options, draft ordinance text (if the funding path is approved) and more detailed cost breakdowns to return to council for decision before a fall/winter ballot consideration.
