Signal Hill City Council approved a 21-year Facility Master Plan, laying out investments and maintenance needs of 12 City-owned facilities.
The creation of a Capital Facility Master Plan is laid out in the City’s 2023-28 Strategic Plan. The Facility Master Plan’s goal is to assess maintenance needs of City-owned facilities and to guide long-term investments to maintain and improve them.
In October 2023, the city council authorized Bureau Veritas Technical Assessment to examine 12 facilities. These facilities ranged from the Signal Hill Public Library built in 2018, to the City Hall building built in 1934.
The 12 facilities examined were City Hall, Signal Hill Public Library, Signal Hill Youth Center, the restrooms at Signal Hill Park, the City Yard, Signal Hill Police Department, the restrooms at Hilltop Park, the Discovery Well Park Community Center, the Temple Avenue water pump station, the Gundry Avenue water pump station, as well as water wells 7 and 10, both of which are located in North Long Beach.
Based on this report, the Facility Master Plan lays out maintenance schedules based on urgency and critical needs. The report identifies over $23 million in infrastructure improvements across 21 years. Some projects are phased in over time to align with the City’s budget, said Public Works Director Thomas Bekele.
Bekele said some of the improvements and maintenance will be covered by Public Works’ budget, but City staff will search for grant opportunities for repairs that are not covered.
Year one priorities, which received the highest level of urgency and account for $2.94 million, include:
- Roof repairs, a new fire alarm system and a new electrical panel at City Hall.
- A new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system and window repairs at the Signal Hill Public Library.
- Roof repairs, flooring repairs and a new HVAC system at the Signal Hill Youth Center.
- Roof repairs, a new HVAC system and a new electrical panel at the City Yard.
- Parking lot pavement at the Police Department.
- A new plumbing system at the Hilltop Park restrooms.
- Roof repairs at the Temple Avenue water pump station.
- Exterior paint at the Gundry Avenue water pump station.
- Roof and ceiling repairs at water well 7.
Since the 2023 report was made, a few improvements have been approved or already done. Roof repairs at City Hall, the Signal Hill Youth Center and the City Yard are already approved and part of this year’s budget, Bekele said. City Hall is also set to receive upgrades to its fire alarm system and electrical pane, as part of the City Hall Renovation Project. The Signal Hill Public Library recently received a new HVAC system.
“By spreading these types of improvements over multiple years we can proactively address needs without overwhelming our resources, while ensuring uninterrupted services at critical facilities,” Bekele said.
The City’s Facilities Maintenance Reserve, which is part of the General Fund, is currently around $600,000. This money can only be used on facilities projects if approved by city council.
The city council appointed City staff to develop an implementation plan, identify funding needs, and to pursue grant opportunities for needed improvements. City staff has already identified multiple state grants from the California State Library, Department of Parks and Recreation, Arts Council, Strategic Growth Council and more.
View the full Facility Master Plan report here.
