|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Pleasanton City Council is set to review the 2022-23 midterm budget update on Tuesday, including how a $1.7 million surplus and other allocations could provide more funding toward projects such as a new skate park and cricket field or repairs to the library, West Las Positas Boulevard and the Century House.
The latest update includes adjusted estimates for the two-year operating budget that was adopted by the council last year in June. City officials assessed the estimates based on current financial conditions, according to the council’s staff report.
Notable adjustments include changes in the general fund getting an increase of $5.4 million in revenues and a $3.7 million increase in expenses, resulting in a budget surplus of $1.7 million that staff are recommending to transfer into the capital improvement program to support priority projects.
One of those projects includes adding $3 million to a skate park project in the works since 2014. The proposed skate park would be built at Ken Mercer Sports Park, but the new funding would only provide half of the total estimated $8.5 million it would take to cover full project costs, according to city staff.
They are also recommending funding $250,000 for the conversion of an existing sports field to a cricket pitch. Matt Gruber, a city landscape architect, told the Weekly the city has not determined a specific location for the field, but is evaluating three potential locations at Ken Mercer Sports Park that meet the minimum field size requirements.
“Development of a public outreach process, likely to include a public survey and/or public workshop, is currently underway,” Gruber said.
As far as repair projects, city staff are recommending $2.5 million to be used to repair the West Las Positas Boulevard. The project would provide long-term and interim repairs from Interstate 680 to Santa Rita Road including reconstruction of portions of sidewalk and roadway including road section replacements.
Approximately $3.1 million is also being recommended for the repair and replacement of the Pleasanton Public Library roof and lighting system.
The Century House, which has been closed for the last eight years due to concerns about code compliance and health and safety issues, would also receive $1.7 million under staff’s recommendation. According to the budget report, a master plan with community input is nearing completion, which after receiving final approval would allow the preparation of construction plans to bring the facility back to the public.
While some of these projects such as the cricket field and the library would be fully funded for completion, the rest would not based on current funding levels. City staff do present recommendations for future allocations that could fully fund the projects in future years.
The budget surplus of $1.7 million originates from the difference in increases to general fund revenues and expenses over prior estimates.
Some of the general fund changes are in property taxes from increased assessed valuation of real property in Pleasanton and in sales and use taxes from increased receipts related to general consumer goods, restaurants and hotels and service stations that have recovered from COVID restrictions, according to city staff.
Other changes include increases in business licenses for general economic recovery, document transfer taxes to reflect higher real property values and recreation fees to reinstate recreation programs to pre-COVID levels.
General fund expenditure increases are another major change in the budget.
The increases in budget presented in the review are personnel labor agreements, cost-of-living adjustments, one new position for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and increased staff to support recreation programs.
The rest of the expenditures include transportation and training development costs related to maintaining city public safety and operations, professional services, park maintenance, street maintenance, and other contractual obligation increases due to inflation, city staff said.
The council will review the budget and after providing recommendations and any changes they have, city staff will come back and present a final budget for approval at the June 21 council meeting.
The council’s public workshop is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday (May 31). The full agenda can be accessed here.
Before the open meeting, the council will gather in closed session with city staff to discuss the ongoing labor negotiations with the firefighters union.
City Council, Do the right thing and Save Donlon Field for the students and the community.
Before that, when are you going to build our approved Pleasanton Costco?
I was waiting for the Weekly to post an article regarding the Tuesday night council meeting. I had a thought or two I would write. Guess Weekly did not cover the council meeting.
Pleasanton city council members Brown, Testa, and Arkin demonstrated total disregard with fiscal responsibility. They voted to tap into reserve monies well before it was intended to be tapped into. They tapped into reserve monies when we have a recession at our doorstep.
This recession will last three – four quarters with DeVine intervention. Without DeVine intervention, this recession may go well beyond mid to late 2023. Some of us are experiencing this recession now. It is here.
These same three council members jerrymandered the districting of Pleasanton in previous council meeting despite business leaders in the commodity advising against it, just as they did advise not to tap into reserve monies.