Finance Committee, Council to Weigh $243.7 Million in Fiscal Year 2027 Project Funding

City officials will take up a proposed five-year capital improvement program Monday when the Finance Committee and City Council will meet jointly at 2 p.m. at City Hall to review the City Manager’s recommended Fiscal Year 2027–2031 Capital Improvement Program budget, a planning document that outlines long-term spending on facilities, public works and municipal systems.

The Recommended Fiscal Year 2027-2031 CIP Budget contains 228 active projects with a total estimated cost of $3,283,203,940. The CIP Budget contains 28 new projects, and a total recommended appropriation of $243,700,334 to 108 projects.

Among the key components of the presentation are capital plans from the Rose Bowl Operating Company, the Department of Public Works and Pasadena Water and Power — three areas that account for a significant share of the city’s infrastructure and facility investments.

PWP’s proposed fiscal years 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Program would dedicate about $793.7 million to projects that either directly produce carbon-free energy or build the infrastructure needed to deliver it, part of the city’s push to reach 100% carbon-free electricity by the end of 2030. The memo describes the effort as a broad rebuilding of Pasadena’s electric system, with solar, energy storage, grid modernization and substation work forming the core of the plan.

Of that total, about $664 million is identified as funded, while roughly $129.7 million within the five-year CIP window is still listed as funding-source unidentified, according to the analysis.

The memo says those unfunded amounts do not mean the projects have been dropped, but rather that Pasadena Water and Power is still evaluating potential sources including revenue bonds, grants, Public Benefit Charge revenue, tax credits and possible public-private partnerships.

Among the biggest direct carbon-free investments outlined in the memo are $90 million for a municipal-owned solar program, $38 million for the Broadway Energy Storage project and $28.2 million for Glenarm Energy Storage. Other projects, include $73.2 million for Subtransmission Path 2 upgrades, $75 million for Fair Oaks and Brookside substation upgrades and $65.2 million for T.M. Goodrich intertie transformer upgrades, which it describes as critical to bringing more carbon-free power into the city.

The capital improvement program serves as a long-range planning tool that identifies infrastructure needs and guides future investment decisions, including maintenance, upgrades and expansion of public assets.

Monday’s session is expected to focus on presentations and initial review, with additional steps in the budget process to follow in the coming months before final adoption.

Additional presentations will come from the Department of Transportation, which is expected to address transportation and parking projects, and the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, which will review park improvements, landscaping and Arroyo-related projects.

The meeting will begin with an overview of the capital improvement program before moving into department-by-department presentations outlining proposed priorities and project categories.

Public comment will be limited to items on the agenda and will be accepted both in person and through virtual participation.