Tiburon planning commission finds five-year Capital Improvement Program consistent with general plan

The Tiburon Town Planning Commission voted May 27 to find the draft five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) consistent with the town’s general plan after a staff presentation that outlined ongoing maintenance programs and new projects.

Sherry, the town’s community development director, told commissioners the annual review is required by state law to ensure CIP projects align with general plan goals and policies. Patrick, the staff lead for the CIP, walked the commission through priority programs — bike and pedestrian improvements, open-space management, pavement maintenance and storm-drain rehabilitation — and individual projects recommended in the draft 2026–27 CIP.

Key projects highlighted by staff included an annual bike-and-pedestrian program (budgeted at $100,000 for this year), a comprehensive wayfinding sign program for parks and public spaces, and circulation and sidewalk improvements on Kleiner Way serving Reed School and the police station. Patrick described safety-driven work on the old rail trail (widening a constrained bridge segment), ongoing vegetation-management projects on more than 250 acres of town open space, annual pavement work (about 30 streets expected to receive slurry seal this summer), and a storm-drain lining program (staff said roughly 10 drains are targeted for lining this season).

Staff also reported several larger or grant-funded projects: a battery storage system at the Tiburon police station funded by a Department of Energy and related clean-energy grant to maximize an existing solar array and improve resiliency; a shoreline-resilience project at Blackies Pasture/Greenwood Beach that staff said is mostly grant funded and out to bid; and a pilot to test adaptive traffic-signal technology at least at the Tiburon Boulevard/Trestle Glenn intersection in partnership with CALRO, aimed at reducing congestion.

A longstanding item in the CIP is the corporation yard site. Patrick described the building on the site as old and in need of reconstruction to meet current codes and seismic standards; the draft CIP includes $150,000 (as discussed in the meeting) for an RFQ to evaluate options and advance design work, with staff noting that a full rebuild would be a major capital expenditure for the small town. "It's a very utilitarian building that serves staff," Patrick said, adding that the town is exploring delivery methods such as design–build to control cost while meeting seismic requirements.

Commissioners praised staff work and the CIP’s heavy emphasis on maintenance and grant-funded projects. "This is always my favorite day of the year just because it's sort of government in action — more specifically the department of public works in action," Commissioner Williams said, thanking staff for economical budgeting and grant-seeking. Commissioners also urged the town to prioritize staff working conditions at the corporation yard and asked how the RFQ and project would be advanced and funded.

Vice Chair Woodward asked about process and prioritization and noted the RFQ line item; staff reiterated the project is costly, must compete with other capital needs and will require deliberate prioritization by town council. There were no public comments.

Commissioner Williams moved and another commissioner seconded a motion "finding that the draft capital improvement plan is consistent with the goals, policies, programs, and objectives of the general plan." The commission approved the motion by roll call: Commissioner Williams, Vice Chair Woodward and Chair Amir voted yes; two commissioners were absent.

The commission’s action does not itself appropriate funds for all listed projects; several were described as grant-funded or slated for future fiscal years and additional design or bidding work. Next procedural steps noted in the meeting record include advancing design or bidding for specific projects (pavement maintenance, Blackies Pasture shoreline work, adaptive-signal pilot) and issuing an RFQ to evaluate corporation yard options.