Supervisors update CINA

The most recent update of the County of San Diego’s Capital Improvement Needs Assessment was approved at the March 12 San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting.

The supervisors' 4-0 vote, with Joel Anderson absent, approved the CINA, which reflects the county's facilities needs. The approval of the needs assessment itself did not include funding for projects on the list, although the supervisors also directed interim Chief Administrative Officer Sarah Aghassi to determine timing and funding mechanisms to implement the individual projects.

Hearings on the county's 2024‑25 budget with public input are scheduled for June 4-13 with budget deliberation and adoption likely taking place June 25.

The updated needs assessment covers facilities projects slated for improvement between Fiscal Year 2024-25 and Fiscal Year 2028-29. The five-year plan includes an estimated $1.2 billion of unfunded or partially-funded projects. The planned 2024‑25 expenditures total $100.6 million. The list has 44 projects including 18 slated for 2024-25 full or partial funding.

The capital planning process which includes the CINA focuses on facilities, so road projects are not included on the capital improvements list. The county's Airport Enterprise Fund is derived from lease rent from businesses on County Airports land, so airport projects (which also utilize Federal Aviation Administration and State Division of Aeronautics grants) are not part of the CINA list.

A Facilities Planning Board prioritizes projects based on criteria including benefits and linkage to the county's strategic plan. Additional projects which have been identified but which require further analysis to define their scope will be brought to the Board of Supervisors in the future for addition onto the CINA program list.

Board of Supervisors Policy G-16, which addresses capital facilities and planning, was originally approved in 1997. When the county supervisors approved the five-year CINA plan in 2020, Policy G-16 was modified to identify separate pre-construction and construction phases.

Funding may be recommended primarily for pre-construction, which includes identifying and acquiring a site, with the project being recommended for construction after the pre-construction phase is complete.

The project with the highest 2024-25 expense is the design and construction of large-scale regional green infrastructure projects and other stormwater projects identified to meet statewide stormwater mandates.

The total estimated cost of that program is $267,665,809 including $23,236,309 which has already been funded. The CINA program’s funds also include $34,185,600 during Fiscal Year 2024-25, $38,491,600 for 2025-26, $56,385,600 in 2026-27, $64,586,100 of 2027-28 funding, and $50,780,600 for 2028-29.

The second-largest 2024-25 expenditure of $30,000,000 will complete the expected funding for the Hall of Justice renovations.

The next-largest 2024-25 planned funding is $7,500,000 for the Multiple Species Conservation Program land acquisition which also covers design, environmental analysis, and construction costs of any fencing or other facilities needed for the open space preserves. The $225,420,846 total estimated expense includes $177,920,846 already funded. The CINA funding also includes $10,000,000 of MSCP funding for each fiscal year between 2025-26 and 2028-29.

The county plans to locate a Sheriff's station on the south side of State Route 76 west of Interstate 15. The facility will also have a helipad capable of hosting a Type 1 firefighting helicopter which can carry 700 gallons of water or other fire retardant and also have the ability to transport up to 15 personnel to an incident, and the public safety center site will also allow for San Diego County Fire Protection District apparatus staging.

The Sheriff's station will have approximately 37,000 square feet of space. The land acquisition, design, and construction has an estimated cost of $94,775,864 including $3,214,000 already funded. The five-year plan calls for $500,000 to be funded in 2025-26 and the remaining $91,061,86 to be spent during 2026-27.

The San Luis Rey River Park boundaries are yet to be determined and land will be acquired only from willing sellers, so the total acquisition cost estimate may require adjustment. The river park will stretch for nine miles and encompass approximately 1,600 acres.

The park will provide open space areas including trails, staging areas, and habitat preservation and will also include active recreation land such as ball fields, play areas, and picnic facilities. The total estimated cost of $71,717,463 includes $37,717,483 which has already been funded. The CINA calls for the spending of $4,300,000 during Fiscal Year 2026-27.

The Keys Creek Preserve capital project involves the design, environmental review, and construction of Via Piedra Road to create a staging area driveway which safely connects to West Lilac Road. The amenities will include parking spaces, fencing, benches, signage, kiosks, and trash containers. None of the $4,180,000 estimated expenses were previously included in funding allocations. The CINA earmarks funding of $825,000 in 2025-26.

Three maintenance and storage buildings geographically allocated to North County, South County, and East County will house replacement parts for park playgrounds and other Department of Parks and Recreation assets.

The design, environmental analysis, and construction of the three buildings has an estimated cost of $4,510,000 although none of that is already funded. The CINA programs $660,000 for 2025-26 and $3,850,000 during 2026-27.