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CLIC chair urges clearer cost estimates and more study on large near-term capital requests
Summary
John Bernstein, chair of the Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee (CLIC), presented the 2025 CLIC report, urged placeholders or scope-study funding for uncertain large projects (example: reuse of former 3rd Precinct), and recommended smoothing net debt bond allocations across the six-year window; council members asked for follow-up on Park Board submissions, Loring Greenway urgency, and a $7.6 million discrepancy with the Mayors capital proposal.
John Bernstein, chair of the Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee, presented CLIC's 2025 annual report and recommended changes to the city's long-term capital planning approach.
Bernstein told the Budget Committee that CLIC is a 33-member citizen advisory committee that prioritizes capital budget requests and that its recommendations are nonbinding. "CLIC considers and prioritizes capital budget requests submitted by various city departments. We do not originate or propose capital projects," he said, and urged that the committee and administration use realistic cost estimates and consider placeholder funding or scope-study amounts when projects remain in an early vision stage.
Bernstein used the former 3rd Precinct building (proposed for reuse as a community safety center) as an example of an uncertain, high-cost project and said CLIC recommended requesting a smaller, scoping amount rather than full project funding while the use and cost remain uncertain.
During Q&A, Council President Payne asked whether staff provided rationale for the Mayor's net debt bond allocations; Bernstein responded that the Administration generally takes a conservative approach for years five and six and that any out-year estimates should be caveated to avoid creating implicit promises. Council Member Wonsley and others pressed for more specificity on settlement-driven requests tied to public safety projects and asked Bernstein to raise the issue at the Sept. 22 meeting. Council Member Rainville sought clarification on Bernstein's comment that the Park Board often submits projects that match the amount they will receive under the Parks & Neighborhoods Infrastructure Ordinance; Bernstein explained the ordinance codifies transfers and said CLIC could better prioritize if the Park Board submitted a larger slate of projects.
Council Member Cashman raised urgent safety issues at the Loring Greenway (electrical room water leaks, fountain lighting and playground removal); Bernstein said the project has multiple funding sources including the permanent improvement levy, noted safety risks in the electrical room, and said CLIC typically flags urgency in its comments but will not reassign projects between years without capacity and funding confirmation.
Bernstein said CLIC opted not to change the net debt bond allocations approved previously, which left several worthy projects unfunded in the out years, and asked the City to "return to the trend line over the six-year window" for more realistic long-range planning. The committee requested a staff memo explaining a roughly $7.6 million difference flagged between the Mayor's capital recommendations and CLIC's recommendations for 2025.
The Budget Committee received and filed the CLIC report and directed staff to provide follow-up information on the funding discrepancy and specific project details where CLIC requested clarification.
