Infrastructure Update

The City of Chula Vista, like many cities throughout the country, is struggling to properly fund infrastructure. The City has been developing and implementing its Asset Management Program to operate and maintain the City’s infrastructure in the natural and built environment. The City Council has approved placing a funding measure on the November 2016 ballot to address high priority infrastructure needs.

The ballot question voters will consider is

“To repair neighborhood streets and sidewalks, replace storm drains to prevent sinkholes, update police, paramedic and 9-1-1 equipment and facilities, improve parks, repair recreation facilities, and for general city services and infrastructure, shall the City of Chula Vista adopt an ordinance enacting a temporary ½ cent sales tax, generating an estimated $16 million per year, expiring in 10 years, with no further increases without voter approval, with all funds staying in Chula Vista, requiring citizen oversight and independent audits?”

An Intended Infrastructure, Facilities and Equipment Expenditure Plan has been prepared to identify how funds could be spent. This plan and other information on the Asset Management program are listed below. In addition, this page provides the latest information on public outreach, reports, and other infrastructure items.

Asset Management Program

The City of Chula Vista is coordinating an Asset Management Program that will provide the foundation for developing a fiscally sustainable infrastructure system/management strategy. A critical step in this process is to engage the community on needs and to build broad consensus around priorities. The Asset Management Program Advisory Committee (AMPAC) has been convened; a public opinion survey has been conducted; and, an engineering, architecture and environmental consulting firm has begun an inventory and assessment of the City’s infrastructure assets.

The Asset Management Program includes an assessment of the current quality of vital infrastructure systems. Throughout Chula Vista, each of us relies on many of these critical systems every day for safe and healthy living:

• Our water system, including wastewater and drainage
• The quality of neighborhood streets and roads
• Critical safety infrastructure, including street lights, signs, bridges and signals
• Neighborhood sidewalks, curbs and gutters
• Parks and open space
• Lighting and fencing in public places
• Our libraries and the Heritage Museum
• Pools and recreation centers
• Police and Fire vehicles and other service vehicles

Asset Management Plans and Reports

• Drainage Asset Management Plan
• Parks Asset Management Plan
• Roadway Asset Management Plan
• Urban Forestry Asset Management Plan
• Court Management Report
• Field Management Report
  

A condition assessment is underway of the City’s infrastructure systems. This inventory and condition assessment of the City's assets is a critical step to assist in prioritizing the allocation of limited resources for the maintenance and replacement of the City's infrastructure. It also is important to engage the community on needs and build broad consensus around a solution. Condition assessments already have been completed for the drainage, parks, roadway, wastewater, and urban forestry management systems Additional analysis and reports will be issued in the coming months.

TBWB Strategies and True North Research were contracted to assist City staff in conducting analysis and providing strategic recommendations for gauging public awareness, securing public input and setting priorities as the Asset Management Program is implemented. Presentations and publications about these efforts are listed in the adjacent column.

The AMPAC has been meeting since March 2014 and has been engaged in learning the City’s infrastructure systems, touring infrastructure sites, observing repairs and maintenance activities, and reviewing information on the City’s finances.