Neighborhood Improvement Commission proposes $296K+ in TOT projects; residents push for Havana Solis Park pathway repairs

The Neighborhood Improvement Commission presented its recommended list of projects for TOT-funded neighborhood improvements on May 26 and asked council to accept updated revenue projections that increase NIC's allocation.

Assistant City Manager Dan Miwis and NIC members told the council the original NIC allocation was built on projected TOT receipts of about $296,000. Updated revenue projections completed this month increased the NIC's share to roughly $393,000 and the city council's designated share to about $171,000. Staff asked the NIC to re-evaluate the list and return recommendations to the council before the June 18 budget adoption meeting to account for the additional funds.

NIC's recommended projects include a pilot solar power bench, Seaside stars (QR-code walking plaques), Catino Park basketball-court resurfacing, pet-waste stations, median and gateway landscaping, Trinity Park entry improvements and an annual set-aside for benches and murals. The NIC identified Havana Solis Park pathway repairs as a priority and presented an in-house estimate of about $100,000 to replace failing park asphalt and make pathways safe and ADA-accessible where required.

Multiple volunteers and members of Friends of Seaside Parks testified during public comment that Havana Solis Park's paths are cracked, uneven and pose a fall risk for residents and strollers; they asked council to prioritize repairs. NIC chair Ray Reen described commissioners' fieldwork and public outreach in vetting the project list.

Council direction and next steps

Councilmembers asked staff and the NIC to reconvene and refine allocations in light of the updated TOT projection and requested NIC recommendations be finalized in time for the June 18 budget-adoption meeting so the council could incorporate any approved NIC items into the adopted budget.

Quotes

"I've been there once a week and...people have fallen there," said Jeannie Reese (Friends of Seaside Parks), urging the council to fund pathway repairs at Havana Solis Park.

"We put a lot of effort in; it's not just the NIC, it's other commissions and the volunteers," NIC Chair Ray Reen said, asking the council to approve the recommended improvements.

The council asked staff to return with clarified totals and a reaffirmed NIC recommendation ahead of the final budget vote.