Housing rehab, ARPA projects and electric buses highlighted in budget workshop

Speakers described ongoing neighborhood and program-level investments during the FY2027 workshop. Speaker 3 said the Dream program has entered its seventh round, with roughly 41 projects expected in 2026 and about $5,000,000 in homebuyer and homeowner improvements to date; the council had expanded geographic eligibility and committed an additional $425,000 for 2026.

Staff also summarized other ARPA-funded initiatives (Dream Plus and Extreme Dream) and said the city is in the final calendar year for ARPA obligations. The Total Wellness Center demolition is underway with a planned Q3 opening for clinic services once a provider is secured.

On transit, Speaker 3 said electric buses began service in November after a federal grant and have met initial performance expectations (drivers report 13-hour shifts without recharge). Speaker 4 proposed increasing the transit levy by 4¢ to 95¢ (the statutory maximum for that levy) and said becoming a large reporter with the Federal Transit Administration could yield up to $200,000 in additional grant funding for transit operations.