The Santa Clarita City Council made plans Tuesday to approve the city’s $248 million budget for the next fiscal year at its next meeting, set for June 22.
Councilmembers commended city staff for presenting a balanced budget of just under a quarter of a billion dollars, which includes planned general fund expenses of $119.7 million.
City Manager Ken Striplin also recommended a $46.3 million capital improvement program as a budget component, which is dedicated to infrastructure projects throughout the city.
“Based on your guidance and stewardship, we were able to create a balanced budget that funds several (City) Council and community priorities, while also preparing our organization for any uncertainty in the economy for the coming year,” Striplin told the council.
In a separate hearing, council members also adopted a new fee schedule for the upcoming fiscal year.
The new schedule increased development fees, including a new fee related to accessory dwelling unit applications, which will take effect in September. Accessory dwelling units are additional dwellings built on the same property as the primary home, such as a backyard “tiny home” or cottage.
The City Council also established programming for The Cube ice-skating facility, as well as rental fees for usage of the new Canyon Country Community Center.
Pavement rehabilitation
The City Council approved a little over $17 million to “resurface streets, seal cracks and coat the surface of streets in various areas of the city,” according to a city report.
“These treatments will provide a smoother ride for vehicles and extend the life of the roadway, depending on the type of treatment applied,” the report noted.
The projects are expected to start this month and end in November of this year.
Historic preservation
The council approved an amendment to the city’s historic preservation ordinance allowing owners of structures designated as historic by the state or federal governments within the city to access city financial support for improvements.
The city has designated $25,000 each year since it adopted a historic preservation ordinance in 2013 to the city of Santa Clarita Historic Structure Grant Program, which helps preserve local historic properties and structures.
