Redwood City scopes capital improvements

For fiscal year 2025-26 approximately $4.4 million is recommended to be appropriated to update the city’s 17 facilities, including five fire stations, three libraries, City Hall, the police building and community centers. Part of this funding will include increasing security and safety measures at the city’s buildings. 

“Our facilities are in need of this kind of attention,” Councilmember Diane Howard said. “In this day and age we really need to be very diligent about taking proper care of our facilities and our parks, which is included.”

To maintain and manage the city’s public parking, approximately $4.4 million will be allocated. For ongoing maintenance of the city’s stormwater infrastructure, approximately $1.675 million will be appropriated. 

Just over $6.1 million will be allocated to the city’s more than 30 parks, including dedicated funding toward the Hoover Park Renovation Project, for which construction will ideally commence this summer and complete by summer 2026. 

To upkeep the city’s sanitary sewer collection system and its potable and recycled water infrastructure, approximately $5.7 million and $12.85 million, respectively, is to be appropriated. 

The largest portion of funds will be dedicated to transportation, including investments to the city’s roads, sidewalks, traffic safety and traffic signals, which will be approximately $31.3 million. Pedestrian and bicycle safety was discussed at length by councilmembers as a priority area as ways to promote alternative modes of travel.

In total, staff has identified $72.9 million worth of programs recommended for dedicated funding, but this does fall short about $16 million worth of identified programs because of limited resources to cover the financing, Finance Director Beth Goldberg said. 

“We believe what we’re recommending here is a responsible package that is within the resources that we have available, but because these are unprecedented times, it is incumbent on us to monitor the situation closely,” Goldberg said. 

In the out-years, the estimated needs for capital improvements far exceed the estimated revenue the city is anticipating in the next five years, Goldberg said, totaling up to a $243 million shortfall. 

In anticipation of these concerns, Councilmember Jeff Gee suggested dedicating time to conducting a facility condition assessment of city-owned buildings and at which quality they currently are, and what maintenance will be needed in years to come. Gee also proposed the council consider what it would tolerate in terms of the condition of these buildings, and what staff should work toward. 

“We can’t just move money around, we have to color within the lines,” Gee said. “The lines don’t match between need and funding source. I don’t see anywhere in the five-year forecast where those lines match. The cost of capital projects continues to grow and funding sources will not keep up so we have to do something different.” 

The city’s Capital Improvement Project plan is an ideal list, but without guaranteed funding and economic unknowns, much of its included projects may shift. Much of the revenue used for these projects comes from the communication users tax and the utility users tax, and one-time use funds, and while this year staff will seek grant opportunities, this source of revenue is at risk in coming years, Goldberg said. 

“We have a vast number of CIP needs, but our resources are limited so this may be the time that we need to start exploring other funding options to support those needs,” Goldberg said.