Each year the Ceres Planning Commission is asked to evaluate if the city’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) list to determine if it’s consistent with the General Plan. It’s typically a routine exercise but last week Commissioner Gary Condit wanted to delay the review and cast the lone vote against approval of three members.

City Engineer Michael Beltran explained that the five-year CIP list contains important projects ranging from small road projects to the multi-million dollar sewer plant renovation. He said department heads come up with projects based on citizen and council input. The Engineering Division normally prioritizes the order in which projects are accomplished but ultimate say comes from the council, which also approve the funding.

The commission only makes a recommendation to the City Council about approving the CIP list, which Beltran plans to take to the council on Nov. 12. Condit, however, suggested that the commission hold off since two new commissioners are coming on in December and since two new members could be coming to the City Council. Both he and Commissioner Cerina Otero are seeking seats on the council, Condit running for mayor against Javier Lopez and Otero seeking the District 3 Council seat held by Bret Silveira.

“I would like to see possibly another public hearing to get this information more out to the public,” said Condit. He indicated that there may be items in the list that new members may have a different view about.

Otero asked if the public had any input on what projects are added to the list. Beltran noted that the list undergoes separate public hearings before the commission and council but that it’s “not a hot ticket item” that draws input. He said the city often orders projects based on community input.

“As far as things that need to be done within the city, we do depend on the citizens, we depend on you all, we depend on the council to see where there are problems,” said Beltran. “I’ll be honest; we don’t drive every road in the city every single day so we’re not going to see all of those things. We have a general pavement condition index report of every street within the city. We plan a lot off of that. The big thing is that is only one metric that we look at when we’re looking at roads.”

Recently, Beltran ordered downtown lighting improvements added to the CIP list based on council input.

“In Engineering (Division), our door is always open, my phone’s always on. If there are things that we see need to be done then by all means we take those seriously and they may not get done right then and there; we have limited funding. In Measure L we get about $2.4 million per year … while it seems like a lot of money it’s not when it comes to road construction projects and sidewalk projects and things of that sort so we do have to prioritize those things as we move through the CIP.”

Even though Beltran said the list can be changed at any time after approval, Condit held to his assertion that delaying consideration “make sense to me.”

When it appeared Condit was leaning toward a delay, Beltran explained that the city is required to file an AB 1600 report – a developer impact fee report – by the second meeting in November. To file that report requires an approved CIP report.

“If we can’t get that (CIP) approved then there’s no way that I can actually do something that’s required by statute by the end of the year like we’re supposed to,” said Beltran.

Community Development Director Lea Simvoulakis said adding well replacements to the list are necessary to be consistent with AB 1600.

Beltran said any new council can change the list based on their priorities.

Condit made reference to the Whitmore Park gazebo in the CIP, which has already been razed and in process of rebuilding, saying “we need better fiscal responsibility projects and also preserving local history in our city.”

The gazebo has been a campaign issue with Condit who has decried the spending of over a half million dollars on the gazebo, which was erected in the late 1980s. The council claims the gazebo wasn’t safe and needed replacement.

While Commissioner Bob Kachel noted that the gazebo replacement expenditure has been what he called “a valid campaign issue,” he feels the CIP list is consistent with the General Plan.

Condit cast the lone vote of the four members who OK’d the CIP. Commissioner Dave Johnson was absent.

On Monday Condit emailed the Courier to explain that one of the reasons for his negative vote was as follows: “If City Staff had state deadlines to get this approved, it should’ve been put forth at our last meeting on October 7th, which was canceled due to a lack of business.”

The CIP includes pavement overlays, sidewalk improvements, traffic operation system upgrades, bike paths, interchange improvements for Service and Mitchell road intersection.