Breakwater Town Center to be located at the head of Palm Avenue

With about a dozen residents participating, the Imperial Beach City Council looked over the city's proposed budget at a workshop on Wednesday night, May 20.

"Our main priority as we focus in on the capital projects planned for this year is we want to make sure we're using our limited resources effectively," said city manager Andy Hall.

"We've worked hard on economic development and now, with this budget, the big focus is on taking care of the residents and the concerns of our residents and neighborhoods."

The two-and-a-half-hour workshop let elected officials publicly discuss the 87-page document, written in unusually clear language.

More than any other municipal document, budgets, which contain a three-year overview, tell citizens where their government wants to go and how it will get there. For the city of about 27,000 people, the budget predicts little change in the $17.1 million general fund — the operating budget — this year.

Increases in sales and hotel-occupancy taxes, estimated at around $231,000, will be countered by the loss of $140,000 in ambulance services revenue.

An estimated $480,000 in savings from cutting costs will be spent on increases in employee retirement plans and wages and benefits for current employees. But the city hopes to spend money moving the city forward at the ground level.

In the past few years, the city has focused on economic development, bringing in the Pier South resort and restaurant and getting ready to launch the Breakwater project. The retail complex will include eateries and a much-desired grocery store. The developer began soliciting tenants in January.

Mayor Serge Dedina said that he supports the draft budget, which will return to the city council for approval on June 17.

"Projects that I am very supportive of include the upcoming alley paving project, efforts to improve the safety of 13th Street and streets adjacent to elementary schools, and the planned development of the Breakwater shopping center at 9th and Palm," Dedina said.

A stated goal of the mayor and council is to find ways to offer more opportunities for exercise, learning, and good health to residents. The city is in its first year of a contract with the Boys and Girls Club to run the Sports Park recreation center — and both the city and the club are still learning how that should work.

"The Boys and Girls Club has been expanding programs, adding adult softball, and zumba and tae kwon do classes," Hall said. "It was a surprise when 50 people showed up for tae kwon do, and that tells us a lot. You don't really know what the community wants until you try something."