Without funds from a failed bond measure, Marina looks to alternatives for facilities upgrades.

Despite a majority of Marina voters supporting Measure U, a $50 million bond measure to upgrade outdated facilities, the approval fell short of the two-thirds approval needed to pass, and now the city needs to consider alternatives to fulfill staff and resident needs.

“We can no longer say we will wait for the next bond measure,” City Councilmember Kathy Biala says. She notes firefighter response times are high (eight minutes) and City Hall offices in portables have leaky roofs, with tarps and sandbags used as a temporary measure. “During the last closed session, there were huge termites flying around the room and I was thinking, ‘This is the last straw,’” Biala adds. “The needs are dire.”

The city needs space to reflect its recent growth; the police and fire departments currently share a building.

Over several years, city council has discussed bringing a bond measure to voters to fund those facilities needs. In 2022, the council decided to postpone it because they wanted more community input, and it was a difficult time for many people dealing with inflation and financial uncertainty after the pandemic.

This year, the council moved forward (on a 3-1 vote, with Mayor Bruce Delgado opposing) with Measure U. (Delgado advocated for a smaller $20 million bond to fund a new fire station.)

The results were better than expected; 60 percent of voters supported the measure, but it fell short of the two-thirds requirement. There were hopes California’s Proposition 5 would pass, lowering the threshold to 55 percent, but the state initiative also failed.

“While we didn’t meet the required threshold, the message was clear: Our community values investing in our aging facilities and public safety,” Councilmember Jenny McAdams says.

The City Council is expected to start up a discussion about Plan B ideas for funding when they meet on Tuesday, Dec. 17.