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Los Angeles City Council approves Water Investment Strategic Plan recommendations amid delivery and maintenance concerns
Summary
The council approved FY2025–26 recommendations of the Water Investment Strategic Plan (WISP), while the Department of Sanitation warned that tighter regional rules, unclear long-term maintenance commitments and limited staff capacity are lengthening timelines for Measure W projects.
The Los Angeles City Council voted to approve the Water Investment Strategic Plan (WISP) recommendations for fiscal year 2025–26 after a presentation from the Department of Sanitation about project delivery challenges and funding constraints.
A manager of programs in the Department of Sanitation told the council the WISP is intended to guide implementation of Measure W-funded projects and provide annual status reporting on compliance, safety and project delivery. The presenter said the city currently has 36 active WISP projects and that, under new regional processes, project delivery windows that once averaged about five years may now take five to eight years.
“When we started, applicants could request design and construction funds and later request maintenance funds,” the manager said, summarizing how county-level changes have lengthened timelines and added steps to secure maintenance funding. The presenter also said maintenance costs for many proposed projects remain unknown and that interdepartmental permitting and staffing constraints have slowed delivery.
Council members pressed the presenter on coordination and prioritization. The presenter said the city must collaborate across bureaus and with the county to close gaps in staffing, permitting and long-term maintenance commitments, and noted that some projects require additional resources or property commitments before construction can proceed.
The presenter described past funding and delivery performance: the city has completed several projects and continues to deliver others, but shifting county procedures and additional construction considerations have increased costs and schedules. The presentation noted ongoing work on Ballona Creek as one of the program’s larger undertakings and said several other projects are in final design.
Following questions, a councilmember moved to adopt the WISP recommendations for FY2025–26; after a second and roll call the motion passed. The council did not alter the recommendations but members flagged that future implementation will depend on improved interdepartmental coordination and clearer maintenance funding commitments.
Next step: the council approved the recommendations and will expect departmental follow-up on coordination, funding allocation and clearer maintenance agreements as projects move into design and construction.
