We’re in budget season! That means that over the next couple of City Council meetings, you’ll see budget-related items on the meeting agendas. For Monday’s meeting, the City Council will receive two-part report from City staff: the preliminary Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the Measure A – Open Space Work Plan. The CIP, which is being presented at Monday’s meeting in a preliminary format for informational purposes, is a multi-year planning tool used to identify and implement the City’s capital needs over the upcoming 3-year period. It summarizes the City’s planned capital and infrastructure improvement projects, including their funding sources, and prioritizes projects after analysis and coordination with other City departments in order to ensure that all department needs are represented. This includes projects like the Francisco Boulevard East sidewalk widening project, the Third Street rehabilitation project, and repairs at the San Rafael Community Center, to name a few.
The Measure A – Open Space Work Plan, on the other hand, is being presented for formal approval by the City Council. Measure A, a voter-approved one-quarter of one percent retail transactions and use tax (TUT), generates funding to support the preservation of Marin County parks, open space preserves, and farmland. Fifteen percent of this funding is set aside for cities, who are responsible for creating an annual work plan. The proposed work plan, which will be considered by the City Council for approval, includes funding for the Fire Department’s vegetation management program, parks maintenance and open space, public safety in open space areas, and planned improvements to park facilities at Sun Valley Park and Pickleweed Park.
For more information, read the staff report.