Measure T1 -$100 Million to Improve Existing City Infrastructure & Facilities

On Tuesday, November 8, 2016 Berkeley voters passed Measure T1 with an 86.5% approval.  This measure authorizes the City to sell $100 million of General Obligation Bonds (GO Bonds) to repair, renovate, replace, or reconstruct the City’s aging infrastructure and facilities, including sidewalks, storm drains, parks, streets, senior and recreation centers, and other important City facilities and buildings. After 6 months of community input, Citywide participation, and public comment, on June 27, 2017 the City Council approved a list of proposed T1 Phase 1 projects.  Explore the T1 projects funded in Phase 1 and their location in this interactive story map.

Measure T1 Phase 1 Project Updates

Community Input Process For Phase 1

The purpose of the community process is to ensure that the recommended projects funded by Measure T1 best meet community needs.  

On September 13, 2016, in anticipation of the passage of Measure T1, City Council adopted Resolution No. 67,666-N.S.  The City Council resolved to employ measures to maximize accountability, fiscal responsibility and public input by providing guidelines for public participation and City Council decisions in determining spending priorities and allocations of bond revenues.  City staff and commissions began development of these measures and processes. 

On November 8, 2016, Berkeley voters passed the T1 Bond Measure, and City staff and commissions continued development of these measures and processes for public participation and city council decisions.  The process for allocating and managing Measure T1 funds were finalized and presented to City Council in a December 22, 2016 memo from the City Manager. 

The Public Works Commission & Parks and Waterfront Commission were designated as the two lead commissions for the community input process for the T1 program.  Each lead commission would solicit input from 10 other City Commissions:  

• Children, Youth, and Recreation Commission;  
• Civic Arts Commission;  
• Community Environmental Advisory Commission;  
• Disaster & Fire Safety Commission;  
• Energy Commission;  
• Commission on Aging;  
• Commission on Disability;  
• Housing Advisory Commission;  
• Transportation Commission; and  
• Zero Waste Commission. 

Other interested commissions were welcome to provide input through the two lead commissions.  The Landmarks Preservation Commission expressed their interest and joined the process. 

The proposed program would phase the implementation of the T1 Program projects over three phases spanning a total of 12 years.  The phases would enable the City to evenly distribute the workload over time, minimize disruption to City services and facilities during renovations, provide adequate time for the planning and design of a variety of projects destined for construction, incorporate project-specific neighborhood and community meetings for input into design details, allow opportunities to seek alternate or supplemental funding sources to leverage funds, and phase expenditures to comply with bond requirements. 

From January 2017 through February 2017, the lead Commissions gathered and reached out to the participating commissions to discuss various T1 projects during their regularly scheduled public commission meetings.  These commissions provided their feedback regarding T1 projects to the lead commissions by several methods, including sending a commission representative to one of the lead commissions, delegating City staff who attended their commission meetings to provide their comments to one of the lead commissions, or providing written comments to the lead commissions. 

In addition to engaging the public through individual commission meetings, City staff and the Public Works Commission and Parks & Waterfront Commissions also held and facilitated three additional well-publicized Measure T1 Workshops in March and April 2017.  These meetings focused on prioritizing projects, gathering additional input on recommendations, and summarizing input gathered to date for allocating and managing Bond Measure funds and T1 Projects.  

By June 2017, City staff and Commissions completed this robust public process to receive input.  A joint report to the City Manager and the City Council was presented with recommendations for the implementation of Phase 1 of the Measure T1 Bond Program.  On June 27, 2017, the City Council adopted its final recommendations for the implementation of Phase 1 of T1 Program per Resolution 68,076-N.S.

The timeline of this process is summarized below.  

•  September 2016: City Council adopted Resolution No. 67,666-N.S., T1 Bond Guidelines for Public Participation and City Council decisions. City staff and lead commissions (Public Works and Parks & Waterfront) began development of these guidelines. 
•  November 2016: Berkeley voters passed T1 Bond Measure.
•  January 2017 - February 2017: Public Works and Parks & Waterfront Commissions engaged participating commissions to determine and prioritize proposed T1 projects. 
•  March 2017 - April 2017: Lead commissions held three additional well-publicized Measure T1 Workshops to gather input from the public regarding prioritizing projects and input on recommendations. 
•  June 2017: Lead commissions and City Manager presented a joint report with recommendations for the implementation of Phase I of Measure T1 to City Manager and Council.  Council approved the T1 Program Plan with revisions per Resolution 68,076-N.S.   

The planning and community input process for Phase 2 of the T1 Program is anticipated to start in June 2019, approximately two years before Council approves Phase 2 projects. As part of this process, staff will explore grants and other sources of funding to continue projects planned and designed in Phase 1, or supplement potential Phase 2 projects. 

Infrastructure & Facility Needs
The passage of the T1 bond measure will help the City begin to address longstanding infrastructure needs. The City’s facility and infrastructure needs exceed $500 million, and were detailed at the October 18, 2016 Council worksession (update and presentation file) by Public Works and Parks, Recreation and Waterfront staff.  Other reports to Council in the last several years have described the vast needs in the City’s aging infrastructure, whose repair or replacement has been too long deferred and whose failure would have substantial impacts on our community.

•  In an April 5, 2016 off-agenda report, Parks, Recreation & Waterfront detailed capital and major maintenance projects and unfunded needs.
 
•  A January 19, 2016 report to Council on City care and shelter sites described $16.8M in needs at senior centers and community centers for seismic upgrade & deferred maintenance repairs.
 
•  The Council-adopted FY16-FY17 Capital Improvement Program provided an overview of planned projects and unfunded needs.
 
•  In two March 24, 2015 worksession reports, Parks, Recreation & Waterfront and Public Works presented capital improvement and major maintenance needs and 5-year plans.

 For an overview of current T1 projects, explore our interactive story map:

Community members are encouraged to attend Commission meetings, or provide feedback by writing to:  T1@cityofberkeley.info.

For meeting dates, times, locations and agenda details, please see:

       Lead Commissions
       Public Works Commission
       Parks & Waterfront Commission

       Participating Commissions
       Children, Youth, and Recreation Commission
       Civic Arts Commission
       Commission on Aging
       Commission on Disability
       Community Environmental Advisory Commission
       Disaster and Fire Safety Commission
       Energy Commission
       Housing Advisory Commission 
       Landmarks Preservation Commission
       Transportation Commission
       Zero Waste Commission