Larry Klein
Mayor
Linda Sell
Vice Mayor
Alysa Cisneros
Councilmember
Richard Mehlinger
Councilmember
Murali Srinivasan
Councilmember
Charlsie Chang
Councilmember
Eileen Le
Councilmember
January 10, 2025
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
VIA Email: [email protected]
RE: 2025-2026 State Budget Proposal from the City of Sunnyvale Dear Governor Newsom:
On behalf of the City of Sunnyvale, we respectfully request a budget commitment to the City of Sunnyvale for one or more of the projects outlined below in the 2025-2026 State Budget to help Sunnyvale meet the challenges that affect our community and that align with your environmental goals for the State. Sunnyvale is the seventh largest city in the Bay Area, and a center for technology and innovation. Our business community is a rich mixture of goods and services providers, including many icons in technology, manufacturing, retail, and R&D that continue to support the State’s prosperity.
We urge you to consider funding for this list of five (5) worthy projects (in priority order) ranging from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000. These City of Sunnyvale projects specifically support State goals in the following areas:
• Climate
• Public Safety
Below we have provided detailed information on the projects we are ready to move forward once funding is available. Your support with these initiatives will enable us to continue these important efforts and contribute positive impacts for the City of Sunnyvale and the State of California.
#1. Sunnyvale-Saratoga Class IIB Buffered Bicycle Lanes – $2,415,000 The project will upgrade the existing Class II bicycle lane on both sides of the road to Class IIB buffered bicycle lanes on Sunnyvale Saratoga Road. This project will include pavement treatment to modify the existing roadway striping and narrow the existing travel lanes to add a striped buffer to provide a physical separation between the bicycle lane and vehicular travel lane. This improvement will provide additional safety for Attachment 1
The Honorable Gavin Newsom, Governor
January 10, 2025
bicyclists with the increased separation from vehicular traffic on this major north-south corridor in the City of Sunnyvale. The total project cost is $2.415 million.
#2. Iris Avenue Green Storm Water Infrastructure and Safe Routes to School and Green Streets – $1,500,000
Iris Avenue is a two-lane residential collector street that connects major roadways such as Fair Oaks Avenue and Wolfe Road. There are two elementary schools (Braly and Ponderosa Elementary Schools) and two neighborhood parks (Braly and Ponderosa Parks) accessed via Iris Avenue. This project will construct intersection corner bulb- outs, ADA curb ramps and green stormwater improvements to improve visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists, reduce travel speeds in the vicinity of the schools and parks, reduce pedestrian crossing distances, provide elements to reduce turning traffic speeds, and treat surface stormwater run-off for improved environmental benefits. These improvements were identified in the City’s Active Transportation Plan. The total project cost for design and construction is $1.5 million.
#3. Rebuild Fire Station 2 - $5,000,000
California faces a growing threat from fires. In 2020, five of the largest fires in our state’s history burned at the same time. They destroyed thousands of buildings and forced hundreds of thousands of evacuations. Our firefighters are on the frontlines, called to emergencies locally and statewide. They need modern facilities and robust training to be effective first responders. For them to better prepare for and respond to emergencies, we need to rebuild the old and out-of-date stations. Of the six fire stations in Sunnyvale, a recent study indicated that Fire Station 2 is in critical need for replacement. Fire Station 2 is one of only two facilities to offer numerous required training courses for firefighters countywide. This includes the 18-week Joint Fire Academy. The Station also hosts emergency preparedness training for community volunteers and annual in-service training for Sunnyvale’s public safety officers.
Rebuilding the Station would allow us to meet the high local and regional training demand in a modern sustainable, all-electric (no natural gas) facility. The total project cost is $40.7 million.
#4. Decarbonizing Buildings – $5,000,000
This project will support a building electrification incentive and education program for existing buildings. As part of the City’s Climate Action Playbook, Sunnyvale aims to reduce natural gas use in buildings. In order to reach Sunnyvale’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goal, the City must also achieve Play 2.2: Support electrification of existing buildings. Game Plan 2028 is the work plan for implementing Sunnyvale’s Playbook.
Attachment 1
The Honorable Gavin Newsom, Governor
January 10, 2025
The final plan and forecasting shows that the City must support residents in electrification through incentive programs and education. Sunnyvale will work with Silicon Valley Clean Energy, our local Community Choice Aggregator, in crafting and administering the incentive and education program. The total project cost is $5 million.
#5. Smart Upgrades for Sunnyvale Materials Recovery and Transfer (SMART)® Station – $4,000,000
The City-owned SMaRT Station facility processes nearly 700 tons of solid waste daily from the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View. Its primary function is to separate recyclables and organic materials from waste, preparing them for resale. However, the facility's aging equipment needs an upgrade to incorporate modern technology. This modernization will also help divert more valuable materials from the landfill, ensuring they are available for reuse. The proposed funding will support the design, fabrication, permitting, supply, and installation of new processing equipment for source-separated recyclables. These upgrades will enhance operational efficiency, improve safety, and contribute to greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The total project cost is $8 million.
Thank you for considering our request for assistance to protect our environment, our community, and our residents. Your financial assistance will help the City of Sunnyvale continue the Statewide environmental actions and keep Californians safe. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Michelle Zahraie, Sr. Management Analyst at [email protected], if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Larry Klein
Mayor
cc: The Honorable Aisha Wahab, State Senate
The Honorable Patrick Ahrens, State Assembly
City Council
Tim Kirby, City Manager
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Attachment 1