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San Mateo staff present $289 million storm drain master plan; Marina Lagoon pump station drives major cost
Summary
City staff told the Ability & Infrastructure Commission that the updated storm drain master plan totals about $289 million with roughly $49 million added for climate-change projections; Marina Lagoon pump-station work accounts for roughly $121 million and will likely require federal partnerships and additional studies.
San Mateo City staff presented an updated storm drain master plan to the Ability and Infrastructure Commission on June 10 that estimates roughly $289 million in capital improvements when projected climate impacts are included.
The presenter, James Yang, said the plan's updated hydraulic modeling added about $49 million to earlier project estimates and that improvements to the Marina Lagoon pump station alone account for approximately $121 million. "When climate change impacts are considered, approximately $49 million is added to the capital improvements program, bringing the total estimated cost to about $289 million," Yang said.
Why it matters: the city's recently approved storm-water fee provides a predictable revenue stream but is not sufficient on its own to cover the plan. Public Works Director Matt said polling limited the fee to roughly $4 million annually and that the council agreed to maintain a roughly $3 million general-fund contribution; together those amounts remain short of the program's estimated need. "Polling showed that we could only go with about 4 million," Matt said, describing the compromise that left a funding gap staff must address with grants, bonding and federal partnerships.
Public engagement: staff emphasized that most community input came through an online mapping tool launched in January 2026. The tool produced 48 reports between January and May; staff said 17 of those sites are already slated for capital investment, 14 match predicted 10-year-storm flooding, and 17 appear attributable to storms larger than the master-plan design storm. Staff will port the mapping tool into the city's GIS so future reports can be validated and managed as service requests.
Priorities and next steps: staff directed consultants to proceed with conceptual designs for six very-high-priority projects; those concept designs are expected by fall 2026 to support funding applications. Two of the six are anticipated to advance to full design in FY2026-27, for which $3 million is currently allotted. Staff also reported that a $500,000 federal earmark request for the Pacific Boulevard pump station has advanced for consideration by the congressional appropriations committee.
Marina Lagoon strategy: consultants described a two-track approach: short-term reliability and modeling work (approximately $2 million) to keep the existing pump station functioning, and longer-term planning for a major replacement or expansion. Dan Shaw, a project consultant, said the full-scale replacement is likely to be a single large capital project and that securing federal partners (including potential studies under the Water Resources Development Act and Army Corps involvement) will be important. Staff and consultants are using updated bathymetry and a physical scale model of the pump station to refine options.
Localized flooding and lower-cost interventions: staff proposed a strategic annual $250,000 set-aside to address localized flooding, either as a project-by-project allocation (one to three projects per year) or as an inlet-replacement program that could reach more locations. Commissioners noted that some ponding issues stem from gutters and surface geometry rather than inlet capacity; staff said project selection criteria will prioritize ponding severity, benefit to vulnerable communities, community feedback and operations requests.
Funding outlook: staff emphasized a mix of approaches—strategic use of fee revenue, targeted general-fund contributions, pursuing grants and federal partnerships, and evaluating bonding or financing mechanisms. The master plan is scheduled to be presented to the City Council for adoption on July 20, after which staff expects to continue seeking external funding and to advance design for priority projects.
Votes at a glance: the commission approved the consent calendar earlier in the meeting (roll call: 4 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain) and later elected a new chair and vice chair (election passed by roll call: 4 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain).
