Staff asks oversight committee to commit $3 million to trash capture, $2 million to a joint pump station

The city's Sales Tax Measures Citizens' Oversight Committee meets today to review a City Manager memo laying out staff's recommended uses of Measure B and Measure G money in Fiscal Year 2026-27. The largest single line is $3,000,000 for storm drain trash capture equipment, followed by $2,000,000 as Larkspur's anticipated share of a pump station replacement near Cost Plus Plaza to be built jointly with the Town of Corte Madera.

The Cost Plus Plaza proposal would replace two separate stand-alone pump stations with one larger station, if a shared project proves feasible. Staff frames the $2 million as Larkspur's expected contribution to that partnership rather than a fixed cost. Elsewhere on the Measure B list: $256,882 to Central Marin Fire for lease payments and command vehicle purchases, $160,000 to Central Marin Police for EV fleet replacement, and $500,000 set aside in a "shovel ready" grant-matching account for projects including Magnolia Avenue and Old Redwood Highway. Staff also recommends holding $1 million of Measure B in reserve for debt service, per committee policy.

The Measure G side is smaller and more granular: $31,250 for street sweeping, $30,000 for tree trimming, and $15,000 for a Neighborhood Response Group mini-grant program, with most of the remaining fund balance assigned to a future replacement of the Larkspur Plaza Drive pump station and flood wall — a proposed $1,500,000 commitment now, with another $1,000,000 anticipated later. For scale, the committee's financial summary shows the Heatherwood Pump Station storm drain project drew a $1,599,000 Measure B commitment approved on March 2, 2023.

The committee will also hear an oral update on the status of road rehabilitation, maintenance and storm drain projects before taking up the funding recommendations. Public comment and open time for committee members follow.