Manteca could end up with a water splash park that actually works for kids to cool off and frolic in, a roller skate area, a second dog park, a cricket field at Doxey Park, netting along Crom Street at the golf course, or solar lighting for the Center Street pickleball/tennis courts.
Or residents could see city crews do pavement upgrades on segments of Wawona Avenue, install license plate readers throughout Manteca for the use of the police department, buy more drones for law enforcement, or purchase a thermoplastic application machine and trailer for the streets division.
Altogether, there are 21 proposed ways with an overall price tag of $4,962,000 to spend $2.5 million on projects ranging form $40,000 for a community garden adjacent to the Lathrop Road fire station adjacent to Del Webb to $1,350,000 for a concession stand at Woodward Park.
The City Council is conducting a workshop Wednesday at noon at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St. to determine how best to spend $2.5 million in remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The funds need to be committed to viable projects that are moving forward before the end of the year or else the money must be returned to the federal government.
Part of the municipal spending plan adopted for the fiscal year that started July 1 included a provision for $2.5 million of the remaining $8.6 million in federal COVID relief funds to be directed to municipal projects by individual council members.
The rest of the funds were committed to previously identified needs as well as providing COVID bonuses for city employees that worked during the pandemic.
Mayor Gary Singh was assigned $700,000 for at-large projects. Each council member will decide how to spend $450,000 among the $1.8 million assigned to the four districts.
The one-time expenditures can be within their district. Members can also combine funds to underwrite endeavors that will have a citywide impact.
The process — a first for Manteca — enables elected leaders that arguably have a better feel for what people in the community want to see done with limited funds that are for one-time expenditures.
As such, it will clearly require a bit of horse trading between council members to settle on projects that they determine are either best for their districts or collectively as a whole for the city.
The council essentially has only half the amount of money needed to address items on the list that council members submitted several months ago with directions for staff to devise estimated costs.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
