For City Council Meeting [August 14, 2018]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Ahmad R. Ansari, Interim City Administrator
FROM: Robert G. Eisenbeisz, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Recommend that City Council Adopt Resolution No. 7382 finding the Five-Year 2019-2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in conformance with the City of Rialto’s General Plan and Authorize the City Administrator to Proceed with Implementation of the Capital Projects.
(ACTION)
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is a collection of planned projects which City Council have determined best represents the prudent and appropriate use of finite resources to meet the infrastructure and maintenance needs of the City. The CIP carries out the Council’s vision for the City of Rialto as a vibrant, active, and progressive City, bridging to the future. Rialto CIP projects advance the public health, welfare, and safety of city users. The city staff delivers the CIP plan in the interests of good stewardship with limited project resources.
Staff develops the CIP budget through a collaborative process based on the City’s four guiding principles as described in the Rialto General Plan with input from the City Council, community members, and City departments. The CIP budget consists of projects that provide upgrades, repairs, and/or replacement of existing infrastructure. The infrastructure needs historically have exceeded funding availability. Thus, the budget, developed along with the City's operating budget, considers project priorities and makes use of a variety of available funding sources.
As a guideline, to be included in the CIP a project should have a total estimated cost of at least $50,000 and as a completed asset contribute to or improve the City’s infrastructure or property.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
The CIP is a compilation of infrastructure and major maintenance projects designed to expand, enhance, and/or preserve our community and quality of life. The CIP budget allocates existing funding and anticipated revenues for projects that support the planning, design and construction of a wide range of infrastructure improvement projects.
The five-year CIP contains 72 active projects with a total estimated cost of $232 million as summarized by categories in Table 1 below:
Table 1- Five-Year 2019-2023 CIP, Summary by Category
The CIP plan addresses and furthers the City’s goals, which are to:
• Maintain fiscal responsibility and stability. The CIP budget helps Rialto identify and fund new construction and major maintenance projects throughout the City that helps to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors.
• Improve, maintain, and enhance public facilities. The CIP budget appropriates over $29 million toward construction of the Frisbie Park Expansion, replacement of playground equipment at Fergusson Park, a New Fire Station 205 in the south end of town, and other facility maintenance including replacement of roofs, and doors.
• Improve mobility and accessibility throughout the City. Well-maintained streets and roads, sidewalks, curb ramps, and storm drains allow for safe movement and accessibility through the community. The FY2019 CIP appropriates over $9.5 million for these types of projects through the completion of Alder Avenue Widening, Street Overlays, and Slurry Seals, along with replacement of broken curb, gutter, and sidewalk at various locations throughout the City. The CIP also emphasizes the ability to move through the City without an automobile through programs and projects such as the Safe Routes to School, Active Transportation Projects, and various state and federal grant-funded projects.
• Support and promote the quality of life and local economy while promoting new development activities in the City. The CIP appropriates $24.5 million to implement Development Agreements constructing infrastructure improvements using credited or reimbursed development impact fees for streets, sewer, and water system improvements.
Lastly, the unfunded Projects section of the CIP document identifies an additional list of projects requiring additional funding currently not available. The projects in the Unfunded Projects Section are not part of the five-year CIP, but the list provides an understanding of the City’s total need. Some of the more significant unfunded items include expanding and upgrading the police station and other city facilities, streets, and park master plans.
The detailed Five-Year CIP Plan for 2019 to 2023 is included as an attachment to the recommended Resolution.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
This request is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
Each capital project listed in the Capital Improvement Program will include various technical studies as part of the environmental evaluation of the approved project. The results of the technical studies will dictate the appropriate environmental document for the project.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The Rialto Municipal Code, 2.22 assigns the Planning Commission as the group that “adopts rules for the transaction of business and keeps a public record of its transactions, resolutions, findings and determinations” in the City of Rialto in compliance with Government Code 65300. The submission of the FY2018/2019 Operating & Capital Budget and the adoption of the Five-Year CIP Plan for 2019 to 2023 coincided and therefore the City Council will determine the conformance of the CIP to the General Plan.
Approval of this action complies with the following City of Rialto Guiding Principles, General Plan Goals, and Policies:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
The CIP budget is developed through a collaborative process based on the City’s four guiding principles as described in the Rialto General Plan with input from the City Council, community members, and City departments. The guiding principles:
1. Rialto Is a Family First Community.
• Our neighborhoods will be a safe place to call home.
• Essential community services and amenities must meet the needs and desires of our families.
• We will require high-quality housing for our families and establish well-maintained, safe, attractive neighborhoods.
• We will create a sense of community that bonds residents and families together, resulting in a stronger, better Rialto.
2. Rialto Shall Attract High-Quality New Development and Improve Its Physical Environment.
• First impressions matter. The quality and standards of our streetscapes and public spaces will reflect the high quality of development we require.
• Infrastructure keeps pace with our growth. Every act of construction will result in the improvement and enhancement of both the public and private realms.
• We pay attention to the details. We have high standards and will maintain our properties and enforce our codes at all times.
3. Rialto’s Economic Environment Is Healthy and Diverse.
• Businesses, City government, and economic development organizations will continue to work together to strengthen the local economy and support businesses.
• We will aggressively attract and retain businesses that provide goods and services we desire, create jobs, and build a sustainable tax base.
• Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
• We take advantage of our status as the transportation hub of the Inland Empire.
• Rialto is committed to environmental sustainability, which means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
4. Rialto Is an Active Community.
• Our community will support the creation and maintenance of attractive parks, recreational facilities, and gathering places that meet the needs of our residents.
• We will create transportation alternatives that allow us to walk, bike, and use public transportation to travel within our community and reach regional destinations.
• We will continue to participate in community-based events that enrich our lives.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
The action will not have a direct impact to the operation budget. Construction of the various CIP Projects will add to the operating budget in future years and the maintenance cost implications will be determined with each individual project as the projects moves forward with planned design and construction.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
A major challenge for the CIP Budget is to identify available funding. City staff aggressively seeks grants for projects consistent with the City’s needs along with optimizing annual revenue received from the county, state, and federal government. The CIP includes 22 project with appropriation requests of $38.9 million in the FY2018/2019 budget in the different funding categories indicated in the Table 2 below.
Table 2- Five-Year 2019-2023 CIP, Summary by Fund
The General Fund commitment from prior years is roughly $8 million, with current FY2018/2019 appropriations proposed at $4 million as illustrated in Table 3 below.
Table 3 - Summary of General Fund Commitment
Licensing
No Business License tax is required with this action.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council Adopt a Resolution finding the Five-Year 2019-2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in conformance with the City of Rialto’s General Plan and authorize the City Administrator to proceed with implementation of the capital projects.