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Finance committee directs staff to develop funding plan for $33.6M in public-safety projects
Summary
After a staff report showing three public-safety projects totaling $33.6 million and a remaining funding gap, the Tracy Finance Committee directed staff to recommend a combination of reallocating unspent fiscal-sustainability dollars and using unassigned reserves to fully fund the projects and to return to council with options.
The Tracy Finance Committee on March 10 received a staff report on three public-safety projects identified in the citywide public-safety master plan and directed staff to prepare funding recommendations for the council.
"The 3 projects that we'll be talking about tonight are the police substation and relocation of Fire Station 97 ... as well as a renovation for Fire Station 91," finance director Sarah Castro told the committee, saying the three projects total $33,600,000 with about $15.4 million expected from impact fees, $4.5 million from other funding sources, and the remainder to come from the general fund. Castro said the council previously appropriated $11,000,000 toward public-safety facilities but that those funds have not been assigned to specific projects.
Castro laid out estimated project costs: roughly $19,000,000 for a police substation (general-fund share about $9,500,000 and an impact-fee shortfall), about $12,000,000 to relocate Fire Station 97 (general-fund share about $1,700,000), and a Station 91 renovation with an identified project budget that currently leaves an approximate $2,200,000 shortfall. Staff estimated an overall additional shortfall of about $15.2 million after accounting for the $11 million already appropriated.
Committee members and staff discussed timing, contingencies and preconstruction funding. Public Works Director Anush Najad recommended a design–build approach for the police substation and said staff estimate about $500,000 would be needed to begin environmental and bridging documents; staff estimated about $2 million to $2.5 million for preconstruction and design work on Station 97 (including land evaluation), and that Station 91 already has some design work completed but needs funding to move to bid.
Chief Bradley and several residents urged the committee to prioritize public-safety projects and use available funds to move projects forward. "We have to fund these facilities. We need to do it right now and we need to move forward," Chief Bradley said during public comment.
The committee voted to direct staff to prepare a council recommendation combining the use of unspent fiscal sustainability strategy dollars and unassigned general-fund balance to fully fund the three projects at current estimates and to return with details about impacts to other programs and options for interfund loans or phased funding.
