Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Strategic Priorities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council narrows strategic priorities; sewer master plan and home-repair program top the list
Summary
At a study session April 22, East Palo Alto councilors prioritized 27 projects for further study and public feedback; a citywide sewer master plan and a home-repair program received the most votes and will be analyzed for budget and staffing before a June adoption vote.
The East Palo Alto City Council on April 22 narrowed a long list of proposed initiatives and identified 27 projects for further feasibility study and community outreach, with a citywide sewer master plan and a home-repair program receiving the most council support.
Consultants from Ramey and Associates led the study-session exercise and reported the voting results to the council. "So, overall, we had, there were 2 projects that received 5 votes," the facilitator reported during the session, noting those were the home-repair program (E5) and the sewer master plan (B1). Staff said they would analyze cost and staffing and return with budget implications in time for a June adoption meeting.
The study session is advisory: consultants and staff stressed that tonight’s tally does not constitute final council action but rather a narrowed list the city will take back to the public. Staff outlined the next steps: an online survey, pop-up workshops, and a return to the council in June with detailed financial and implementation analyses for the prioritized items. "We will take this list of really of 27 out to the community, to get feedback on that as well as the overall priorities," the consultant said.
Council members and staff repeatedly flagged that many existing projects remain on the carryover list because of grant obligations, contracts or statutory requirements; those grayed projects were not subject to tonight’s dot voting. The council asked staff to highlight which carryover items were effectively non‑discretionary and which would be subject to reprioritization once staff presents precise cost and schedule information.
The city will publish the prioritized list and the outreach plan within days and invite residents to help refine which of the top projects should be included in the first two-year work plan. The June return will include staff’s capacity assessment and the likely budget impact for the items that move forward.
