Oldsmar shows long list of unfunded capital needs, urges grant readiness as county and federal funding flows increase

City Manager Felicia Donnelly and department directors reviewed the CIP’s unfunded project list and urged council to treat it as an operational tool for grant readiness.

Donnelly said including an unfunded projects list in the CIP is "extremely unique" and allows staff to track projects that lack secure funding so the city can apply quickly when grant windows open. She said the list helps the city avoid scrambling when new state or federal programs become available — for example, recent hurricane mitigation funds anticipated at the county level.

The list includes a range of items across funds and priorities: playground replacements, adaptive play facilities, Cypress Forest gym floor renovation (moved to unfunded in the current CIP), additional reclaimed water storage, an East Oldsmar sewer collection system, the Resilient Ready project for parks and other stormwater and roadway projects. Donnelly said the city’s placeholder estimates for those unfunded items totaled roughly $73 million across a broad set of future needs.

Why it matters: the unfunded list provides transparency about future needs and helps staff to prioritize and pursue grants; staff emphasized that grants bring significant compliance and staffing obligations if awarded.

Next steps: staff will continue aggressive grant pursuit, maintain the unfunded project list and return with grant outcomes that could move some items into the funded CIP.