Infrastructure woes were the centerpiece of the budget discussion for Levi’s Stadium.
At its most recent meeting, March 10, the Santa Clara City Council/Stadium Authority Board (SCSA) heard how capital improvement projects will begin leaving little to no extra money flowing to the city’s general fund.
Despite voters approving a $400 million bond project last year, constraints imposed by Mayor Lisa Gillmor ensure that none of that money can be spent on improvements to the stadium. The same problem plaguing the city at large — that those in charge have let maintenance run amok — is also catching up to the stadium.
“It seems like someone miscalculated the cost of capital expenses early on in this process,” Council Member Suds Jain said.
Kenn Lee, the city’s finance director and treasurer for the SCSA, told the council that $7.5 million will flow into the city’s general fund next year, but after that, the picture is bleak. With “significant” capital needs, the $4 million budgeted each year for such improvements is proving too little.
The city will get a clearer picture of what sort of improvements are needed following a stadium condition assessment.
Although the city has done well filling the stadium demolition fund — $58.4 million in year 12 of the $70 million required in year 40 — it may have to pull from that bucket, also earmarked for maintenance, to pay for capital improvements.
City Manager Jovan Grogan recommended the council fund capital improvement projects next year, but recommended the council not plan further ahead than that.
Council Member Kelly Cox said the city has “privatized profit and socialized risk” with the proposed budget.
“Our debt has increased. We don’t have a plan to come out of it. I feel like we are literally in the same place we were last year, she said. “I don’t know that we’re utilizing tools to plan an effective budget right now.”
Jihad Beauchman, executive vice president and general counsel, said the city already has gotten fair market value for land in 12 years. During his presentation, he said non-NFL events are performing better than expected.
Beauchmn implored the council to approve the first year of capital projects and to budget for a few projects in the second year.
Gillmor joined Cox in her assessment, saying the city shouldn’t “piecemeal” capital projects. The city needs a plan because the situation is “dire,” she added.
Gillmor also took issue with $2.5 million for Stadium Builder License (SBL) costs included in the budget, saying she worried those costs were being billed to the SCSA when it was actually work for the team. She said the report “lacked transparency” and “good financial stewardship.”
Council Member Kevin Park said the city needs to plan accordingly, something the money set aside for capital projects illustrates it hasn’t been doing.
“To complain that the maintenance costs are going up, to complain that our spend is going up, and to complain that this is happening while our revenues may be decreasing, I think we should look a little at reality and see what happens with assets as they age,” he said.
In a 5-2 vote, the council approved the budget with Beauchman’s suggestion to plan for capital projects in the second year. Cox and Gillmor dissented.
Stadium Authority Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending in one motion via the consent calendar:
- A $1.33 million purchase order with Bosco Oil Company for unleaded fuel 87-octane gasoline, ultra-low sulfur diesel and renewable diesel.
- A $1.17 million agreement with Peregrine Technologies, Inc. for an enterprise data integration platform and related services.
- A $629,869 purchase order with Arata Equipment Company for the removal and disposal of four existing commercial trash compactors and the purchase and installation of four new Sani-Tech trash compactors at Levi’s Stadium.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara.
Members of the public can participate in the city council meetings on Zoom at https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/99706759306; Meeting ID: 997-0675-9306 or call 1 (669) 900-6833, via the City’s eComment (available during the meeting) or by email to PublicComment@santaclaraca.gov
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
Previous Santa Clara City Council and Stadium Authority Meetings:
Santa Clara Car Dealership’s Alternate Trash Pickup Denied
Santa Clara’s July 4 Celebration Will Return to Mission College
Santa Clara Council Passes Anti-ICE Policy
