Pittsburg commission approves $6.5 million bond package to fund intersections, airport work and recreation

The Pittsburg City Commission on March 10 voted to authorize a roughly $6.5 million bond package aimed at paying for a set of pre‑prioritized public works projects, city staff said.

City staff said the set of projects under Resolution No. 1300 is designed to be repaid over 10 years without raising the city’s operating mill rate. The package includes engineering estimates for two high‑risk intersections — Freeking & Quincy (about $820,000) and Freeking & Atkinson (about $950,000) — concrete replacement of an airport taxi lane (about $1.3 million), turf improvements for ball‑park infields (roughly $300,000 per infield), concrete improvements at fire stations 2 and 3, a proposed soccer complex (estimated at about $975,000 for two fields), automated meter infrastructure equipment (about $700,000), and a pedestrian signal at Third and Broadway (about $55,000).

“Bond funds are a unique tool that allow us to do major projects that don’t fit easily into operating funds,” the staff presenter said, explaining the process of packaging projects, retaining a financial adviser and selling the bonds. The staff presentation noted the city has targeted an approximately 10‑year term to keep debt service more attractive to the market.

Commissioners asked for project‑level cost and prioritization detail during the presentation and discussed grant eligibility and how small local investments can leverage outside funding. The commission approved the resolution by majority vote.

Next steps: staff will finalize the bond schedule, work with bond counsel and a financial advisor to market the bonds, and return with firm sale terms and a project spending schedule for the commission to monitor.