- May 20, 2026
Maintaining and upgrading existing city facilities is the focus for the City of Ormond Beach as it begins to plan for capital improvement programs in the upcoming fiscal year, a continuation of priorities outlined during the last budget season.
The city is planning to include about $35 million in capital improvement projects for fiscal year 20026-2027, which starts on Oct. 1. Included in the CIP are $1.6 million in downtown improvements, $19.7 million in stormwater upgrades and $2.5 million for sports fields projects.
The five-year CIP, extending through fiscal year 2030-2031, totals $200.8 million. A new police station and emergency operations center account for about 23% of the CIP — $48 million. This project, however, is still a couple years in the future, as the city has it on the books for fiscal years 2027-2028 and 2028-2029.
The City Commission discussed the CIP during a workshop on Tuesday, May 19. Here are some of the projects discussed for the upcoming fiscal year.
The city is planning for $1.6 million in improvements to the downtown Community Redevelopment Area, including $680,000 for the new Fortunato Park fishing pier.
The fishing pier was deemed unsafe after Hurricane Milton and the city received a grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District for the design of the project in the current fiscal year. Finance Director Kelly McGuire said the city had hoped to obtain some FEMA funds to help replace the pier, but was unsuccessful.
To fund the $680,000 construction, the city has applied for a 50% match for another FIND grant.
"If we don't get that FIND grant, irrespective of what happens, we are going to have to do this project," McGuire said.
Commissioners also discussed improvements to the Granada Bridge. Originally the city was going to budget $200,000 for concept upgrades; the commission directed that these funds be used more broadly — to include concepts for the future use of the parking lot at 56 N. Beach St. — and that the budget be reduced to $100,000.
"I think right now the timing is bad, personally, but I do think this ... is something all of our residents wanted at one point, so I hate to just scratch it," City Commissioner Lori Tolland said. "But let's talk about all the other things that might be prioritized higher at this point."
Other projects in the CRA to be funded include $40,000 for a public art initiative, $624,716 for the design of a trail at Thompson Creek (from Division Avenue to Wilmette Avenue) and an annual allocation of $110,000 to upgrades and improvements to the downtown.
One project accounts for almost half of the upcoming fiscal year's CIP: the construction of the Fleming Stormwater Pump Station, at $17.5 million.
"This is the big project," Assistant City Manager Shawn Finley said. "This is the final project in the plan that was put together following the May 2009 storms to get the Central Park ponds a large pump station that will break ponds down pretty quickly, pretty efficiently, and there may be some other benefits as well."
The city has obtained $5.3 million in legislative funding for the new pump station, as well as $8.8 million from the county's Transform 386 program, meaning the city is only footing the bill for 3.4 million of the project cost.
Also included in the CIP is $250,000 for stormwater construction, a $1.5 million stormwater piping replacement project and $454,000 for vehicle replacements.
A bulk of the City Commission's discussion at the workshop revolved around traffic signal maintenance.
The city is budgeting $88,200 toward this project, which is an annual commitment to paint mast arms in the color green.
"Once we do it the first time, it's our responsibility to continue to maintain it," said Finley, who explained the policy has been in place for about 20 years.
Commissioners mulled keeping the mast arms unpainted.
"When I pull up to an intersection, I don't say, 'Oh, what a pretty mast arm. Nice signal,'" Commissioner Harold Briley said. "It doesn't catch my eye. It's not important, as long as the traffic light does its job, that's all that matters."
To save money, Briley suggested the city keep the mast arms painted in the downtown but phase them out outside of that district.
But city staff explained that the paint also extends the life of the mast arms, and the majority of commissioners voiced wanting to keep things consistent.
"This is not one area that I'm willing to have one that looks like steel, one that's green, one that's peeling," City Commissioner Travis Sargent said. "I think we have to be consistent. ... To me, it's not about beautification, it's about maintaining and getting that longer lifespan of 25 years out of these things, and this is not one area I'm willing to compromise on."
Two sports fields are also in the pipeline for upgrades in the upcoming fiscal year.
The city is budgeting $2 million for the reconstruction of its softball quads at the Sports Complex, a project McGuire explained is in the design process. The city will apply for an ECHO grant for construction, slated to start next fiscal year.
The CIP also includes $500,000 to rehab Nova Field 1, which is located atop an old landfill across from Nova Community Center. Construction of a new baseball field would take place in fiscal year 2027-2028, estimated at $900,000.
The next budget workshop will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, at City Hall. A tentative millage rate will be set on July 21.
