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Council hears $12.4 million in CIP requests; staff proposes project delays and funding swaps to close shortfalls
Summary
Public Works presented a five‑year capital improvement plan that carries new requests and funding gaps; staff proposed delaying or cancelling select projects (Sandhill Tunnel), reassigning funds, and using grants and Measure A/TIF swaps. Council broadly supported staff's approach while asking to avoid tapping the Bayfront Mitigation Fund if alternatives exist.
Public Works Director Azalea Mitch presented the City of Menlo Park’s proposed five‑year Capital Improvement Plan on May 12, identifying funding shortfalls, proposed reprioritizations and several near-term funding requests.
Mitch said staff proposes carrying forward 66 projects and requesting $12.4 million in new appropriations for the coming fiscal year, of which roughly $2.3 million would come from the general fund for near-term items such as gatehouse roof repair, IT master-plan actions and final design for Safer Bay. She identified shortfalls in the General Capital Fund and other funds and recommended a package of actions to reconcile the gap: delay the high-voltage streetlight conversion in Linfield Oaks, delay the Caltrain grade-separation request, cancel the Sandhill Tunnel Rehabilitation project (staff found no documentation of city responsibility for the tunnel), reduce budgets on several projects the city lacks capacity to deliver in the near term, and seek alternative funding sources for critical items.
Mitch flagged specific needs: an estimated $270,000 to finalize and commission a Belhaven Community Campus microgrid, $250,000 to complete studies needed for the Caltrain Quiet Zone permit process (PUC-required studies), and a potential $5 million construction cost estimate for a Caltrain Quiet Zone project. She walked the council through options to cover an $830,000 remaining funding need to finalize the Middle Avenue Caltrain crossing design (including delaying the larger grade-separation appropriation to free resources).
Members of the public urged attention to downtown vibrancy and transit/shuttle routing. Peter Hoddy asked how plaza resurfacing serves downtown vibrancy; Adina Levin supported advancing bike/ped projects such as Willow Road and asked for a breakdown of shuttle funding; Jennifer Michel, a daily transit user, said the shuttle schedule and stop placement limit usefulness and urged aligning routes with rider demand.
Council discussion focused on tradeoffs, timing and funding sources. Several councilmembers supported using grant funds and programmatic swaps before tapping the Bayfront Mitigation Fund for the microgrid. The council also asked staff to return with a downtown CIP vision and to present the Plaza 7/8 bid results before approving construction appropriations. Staff agreed to confirm eligibility of grant or PCE (electrification) funding for the Belhaven microgrid and to pursue options (including potential Meta contributions) before using Bayfront mitigation funds.
Council also discussed the Sharon Park pump station (not currently in CIP) and agreed it merits attention. The council signaled broad support for staff’s proposed package of delays and reprioritizations, with direction to staff about funding-source preferences and requests for additional reporting on downtown-focused projects and shuttle performance metrics. Several items will return to the council with detailed appropriation requests and project scopes; no formal budget appropriations were adopted tonight.
