San Clemente Has Funds to Tackle Delayed Projects

The city will begin its new fiscal year with a $67.4-million budget, including $17.7 million for the city’s largest capital improvement project yet.

City staffers said that after five years of downsizing, they finally have begun to address neglected projects.

“We have gone through a significant period of cutting and reorganization and streamlining to maintain cost control,” said City Manager Michael W. Parness, adding that for the first time in four years city employees will get a raise, of 3%.

The budget includes $4.7 million to stabilize the storm-damaged Colony Cove bluffs along Pacific Coast Highway and $375,000 to repair Avenida Presidio.

Also in the budget is a proposal to create an assessment district to help finance repair of the worst streets in the city. Residents would be asked to chip in $1.5 million a year toward the street-improvement program--from $18 to $90 a year per household--while the city would pay about $2.4 million a year.

The council, which approved the new budget last week, will hold a public hearing July 19 on the street-assessment proposal.

“We did incorporate the street program in the budget with the understanding that if on July 19 the program does not go forward, we will come back with amendments,” Parness said.