- February 13, 2025
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City officials have been making some preliminary decisions in Capital Improvement Projects in preparation for finalizing a budget in September for the 2016/2017 fiscal year.
There are $52.6 million worth of projects in the five-year plan, including $14.3 million for the 2016/2017 budget year, and projects could be moved in or out of the 2016/2017 year when the final budget is signed in September.
Capital projects are considered one-time, major expenditures, as opposed to operating funds.
Some people think all the money comes from property tax, but these funds only pay for 11.9% of the projects, according to presentation at a City Commission workshop on June 7 by the Finance Department.
A chart in the presentation showed that 24.5% of capital spending comes from user fees, 32.3% comes from grants and 20.8% comes from bonds and leases. Other sources include gas tax and reserves.
Water and wastewater projects are the biggest expenditure. For next year, $7.3 million is designated for projects, and all will be paid for by water user fees. Projects include water main replacements, meter replacements and water storage tank repairs.
Improvements at Ormond Beach Municipal Airport will cost $449,000 for the next fiscal year, but they are largely funded by FDOT and FAA grants.
Beautification projects for next year include landscaping for the side slopes of Interstate 95 at Granada Boulevard at a cost of $80,000. Also, median landscaping on North U.S. 1, a project long sought by business people and government officials, is set for Airport Road to Lincoln Ave., at a cost of $1,080,000, with FDOT paying 80%.
Also, drivers on West Granada Boulevard, from Orchard Street to I-95, will notice the median landscaping being replaced, if the item stays in the plan for next year. Funded by a $1,000,000 grant, the project will “correct the loss of the East Palatka holly trees and get the irrigation on central timers,” according to the project description.
The proposal at the workshop included $350,000 to replace the concrete pavers that decorate the sidewalks on West Granada Boulevard from U.S. 1 to Beach Street with new brick pavers. Saying the pavers are fading, the report stated that replacement was requested by Ormond MainStreet, to match recent improvements downtown. The funding would come from taxes in the downtown redevelopment area.
The commissioners were unmoved, however, by the fact that the pavers were faded. They asked staff to count the bricks and see if they could be spot fixed. They also said they would rather see the parking lot at Cassen Park paved, and the bathroom enlarged, than have the bricks on Granada replaced.
“If you want to take money from the bricks and put it toward Cassen Park that’s your decision,” said City Manager Joyce Shanahan.
The Cassen Park improvements had not been in the plans for next year.
City Commissioner Rick Boehm pointed out that a larger, more modern bathroom and paved parking at Cassen Park should take priority over the bricks in the sidewalk with the possibility of a floating, public boat dock being built at the park. The city is seeking grants to fully fund the dock.
“I think the dock and Cassen Park are more important than the pavers,” said Commissioner Rick Boehm. “I don’t think the pavers will bring people downtown.”
Shanahan told the commissioners that in September they will know more about whether a grant will be available for the dock, and they can decide at that time about Cassen Park improvements.
There are several projects that have been in discussion, but are not currently in the budget for next year. For example, under “Additional Projects,” the MacDonald House is listed for “repairs or demolition.” A study is currently underway on the feasibility of restoring historic structures in the city. Depending on the study, the MacDonald house could be added to the budget for repair or demolition.
Another item on the list is body cameras for police. This item is new, and McGuire said in a phone interview that costs have not been determined. The cost of data storage is the expensive part of body cameras.
Another new item is to replace the aging building that houses the Police Athletic League headquarters. McGuire said there are several possibilities, including buying a building or buying a lot and constructing a building.
