Costa Mesa wish list would require $81 million [Corrected]

Costa Mesa would need $81 million in additional revenue to complete a list of spending projects over the next five years.

That's according to the wish list the council created last month to prioritize and execute the city's needs and wants.

"Even though you may not have the funding source today, you still need to cast the need in the form of a budget so you can understand the scope and magnitude of what we need to generate in revenue or control in expenses to achieve that goal," said Councilman Steve Mensinger. "It can't become a priority if you don't know about it."

True to the council majority's word, the spending priorities laid out in the five-year projection lean heavily toward capital improvements and infrastructure.

Costa Mesa would need to spend $20 million over the next five years to improve streets to meet the council majority's standards, and $7 million to repair alleys, about 41% of which are in poor condition.

The plan projects $110 million in spending for the next five years, with projected fund balances covering nearly $30 million. If city employees continue to contribute toward their pensions at the current rate, or at a higher rate, millions more could be funded, according to the projection.

The council said it would need more than $19 million to upgrade the city's drainage system, which proved to be outdated during a weeklong deluge two years ago.

Costa Mesa's sports field and Fairview Park require together at least $19 million in rehabilitation and renovation, according to the projections. The city libraries need more than $7 million in upgrades.

Not all of it can be done in the next five years, council members said. Some can be accomplished through increased revenues, reduced expenses and possibly with a bond measure, officials said.

But a lot of it hinges on the city's current restructuring, Mensinger said.

Specifically, that refers to reforming pensions for future city employees and adopting the proposed city charter to allow the city to more easily outsource its services.