TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Justin Clifton, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristen Crane, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT:
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Status Update and Discussion on City Council Priorities
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RECOMMENDATION
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Provide feedback and direction on the status of City Council priority projects, including updates since the February 10, 2025, workshop, and the March 18, 2025, City Council meeting; and
Discuss the Possible Next Top Priorities document to guide next steps and strategic priorities.
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CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Maintain a high performing organization that values fiscal sustainability, transparency, accountability and organizational efficiency.
BACKGROUND
On February 10, 2025, the City Council held a workshop to conduct a comprehensive review of the City’s top priorities, organized through a three-tiered system. This tiered framework was first established during a previous workshop on July 31, 2024. At the February 2025 workshop, the City Council reviewed the status of each project, reassessed their prioritization, and, by consensus, confirmed or adjusted the level of priority as needed. Several new projects were also added to the list subsequently affirmed during the March 18, 2025, City Council meeting.
The purpose of this prioritization process is to ensure the City is effectively addressing community needs and enhancing services vital to the City’s growth and well-being. The resulting list provides strategic direction to staff on where to focus time and resources, while also offering transparency to community stakeholders about the City’s key initiatives.
This report includes updates since the February 10, 2025, workshop and the March 18, 2025, City Council meeting and provides an opportunity for Council to review and provide feedback on the attached documents, which outline proposed strategies, sequencing, and anticipated resource allocation to guide the City’s priorities moving forward.
The three (3) tiers are defined as follows:
• Tier 1 - Projects are fully programmed with strategies, work plans, and dedicated resources. While the individual Tier 1 projects may not be fully-funded to completion, work is underway on the current phase by staff and consultants, and the project is generally funded for that phase and potentially beyond.
• Tier 2 - Projects are partially programmed with conceptual strategies, but additional work plans and/or resource dedication are necessary.
• Tier 3 - Projects are unprogrammed and not yet prioritized by City Council pending development of strategies, workplans, and dedicated resources. They have generally been identified as something of interest and importance but are not funded and/or not a major staff work plan item.
The purpose of the workshop on February 26, 2026, is to review the status of priority projects and affirm prioritization or make adjustments for incorporation into the operating budget and Capital Improvement Plan for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026-2027, which begins July 1, 2026.
Attachment 1 to this report provides the status of each project prioritized as Tier 1, 2, or 3 and outlines the planned next steps for each project between now and the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2026-27. Attachment 2 organizes the priorities by City Council goal.
Since the last status update provided to the City Council during the City Manager’s Administrative Updates at the September 2, 2025, City Council meeting, 14 projects have been completed. Seven (7) additional projects are nearing completion by June 30, 2026, or early in Fiscal Year 2026-27. Attachment 3 provides a list of Tier 1, 2, and 3 completed projects.
As an additional component of this year’s priority-setting discussion, staff reviewed the entire Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and organized those projects into Tiers 1, 2, and 3 based on the methodology and the current status of each project and/or need. Attachment 4 includes that list, organized by department. Currently, there are 59 CIP projects identified as Tier 1 and 17 identified as Tier 2. While there is some overlap with the general list of City Council priorities, showing the projects by department illustrates the overall volume of work and staff capacity required, which is helpful context as staff balances both funding and staff capacity to bring the projects to completion. The CIP list reflects a mix of high-profile City Council priority projects, as well as recurring annual projects (e.g. street resurfacing).
Completion of projects creates an opportunity to advance other projects, which have been on Tiers 2 or 3. Since a number of projects have been or will be completed soon, and considering what staff anecdotally hears as community and City Council priorities, staff has formulated a proposed list of possible next top priorities for City Council consideration for the next steps for existing projects and for any newly proposed projects to advance (Attachment 5). Recognizing that most major projects span several years to reach fruition, this list of possible priorities highlights what the next phase would be to maintain momentum with the project. Referenced projects include Fire Station 6, revitalization of Cal Oaks Park and replacement of the pool, a master plan for the Municipal Services Yard, necessary repairs and maintenance for the Equestrian Park, and Citywide beautification.
During the workshop, staff recommends that the City Council provide feedback and direction on the current project status and the Possible Next Top Priorities as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen City governance and enhance responsiveness to community needs and affirm prioritization.
FISCAL IMPACT
While there is no direct fiscal impact associated with this item, any fiscal impact associated with individual projects will be incorporated into adjustments for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget and/or the Capital Improvement Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - City Council Priorities Tiers 1-3 - Status Update
ATT 2 - City Council Priorities Tiers 1-3 - Organized by City Council Goals
ATT 3 - City Council Priorities Tiers 1-3 - Completed Projects
ATT 4 - City Council Priorities Tiers 1-3 - Capital Improvement Plan Projects
ATT 5 - Possible Next Top Priorities