Foster City charts future for capital projects

“In summary, the city continues to be fiscally healthy,” City Manager Jeff Moneda said.

Six capital projects will be included in this year’s budget, including a portion of the $90 million levee project, synthetic turf replacements, new traffic signals and roof replacements at various city buildings.

Those buildings include the council chambers, police station roof and corporation yard buildings — all about 20 years old. The work will collectively cost $635,000 and is expected to commence in the spring or summer of 2020.

For the levee project, $25 million is listed on this year’s CIP budget even though that money hasn’t been spent because construction, initially expected to begin this year, has been delayed, said Finance Director Edmund Suen, who reiterated that that project will be entirely funded by general obligation bonds.

The city’s recreation center project is also winding its way through the design phase, but Suen said funding for it has yet to be set aside.

Synthetic turf replacements at Boat Park, Baywinds Park and around the recreation center are budgeted this year for a total of $725,000 and more than $1 million has been allocated this year for the city’s parks master plan, which will be completed later in the year.

This year’s CIP also includes $400,000 for seismic upgrades of city water facilities, $1.35 million for street repairs and resurfacing to occur in the summer of 2020 as well as $1.85 million for three new street signals at the intersections of Beach Park Boulevard and Gull Avenue, Foster City Boulevard and Polynesia Drive and Edgewater Boulevard and Port Royal Avenue.

More traffic signal upgrades are scheduled for fiscal year 2021-22 that will help manage traffic and improve safety, said Public Works Director Norm Dorais.

“With the project we need to attach [the traffic signals] with fiber optics, which is part of the cost of those projects in order to allow us to take a look from our desk at what is going on in a particular intersection, make some modifications on the fly if you see an accident causing a backup and having people detour. We can provide additional green time for vehicles to do that remotely,” he said. “That’s part of the power of the new technology. We can’t do that now. … It’ll be a big upgrade for us. It’ll help with safety.”

Construction for those projects will occur between fiscal year 2022 and 2024.

Other projects within the next five years include resurfacing of tennis, basketball and pickleball courts, boardwalk repairs at Leo Ryan Park, synthetic turf replacements at additional parks, a new paint job at the teen center and new carpet installation at the library and council chambers. 

According to a staff report, the city will transfer $3.5 million each year from the general fund to the city’s CIP for maintenance.

“This City Council and previous councils have been nothing short of excellence in governance and fiscal responsibility and making sure Foster City is well maintained,” said Mayor Sam Hindi. “We’re putting money every year towards that. Some cities identify what needs to be done, but for whatever reason they wait for deferred maintenance and they scramble to figure out how to fund it. But in Foster City we enjoy being proactive and doing what’s needed.”

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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