Coos Bay Mayor Joe Benetti’s Weekly Message, June 1, 2023 – The City and URA Budget committees recently met and approved the next fiscal year’s budgets which will begin on July 1, 2023. The City Council and URA Board are scheduled to formally adopt the budgets as recommended by the Budget Committees next Tuesday evening. The approved 2023/2024 budgets include over $23 million for capital improvements to city facilities, streets, sidewalks, parking lots, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure within the City. Continuing to invest and improve in the Infrastructure is a high priority of the Council. Sadly, the $23+ million dollars won’t fix or upgrade the entire infrastructure systems. Some of our roads are 100 years old and it is hard to believe that several underground pipes are around 90 years old. Pump stations have a lifespan of anywhere from 20 to 30 years and with 26 of them, we are replacing or upgrading at least one a year. While nearly $24 million was invested in a new wastewater treatment plant in Empire just a few years ago, the bones of the treatment plant downtown are nearly 70 years old. Plans are underway to undertake a number of major upgrades at the downtown treatment plant over the next decade. The Council is committed to stewardship of our infrastructure. While there aren’t enough resources to keep everything in pristine condition, we are striving and will continue with your help, to improve the roads, sidewalks, parking lots, city owned facilities and water quality systems (wastewater and stormwater) which serve us all.
