Federal Funding Approved for 17 Central Coast Projects

By the Office of Sen. Alex Padilla

[On Tuesday], U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $31 million in federal funding for 17 projects across the Central Coast in the bipartisan FY 2023 appropriations package. The bill now heads to both chambers of Congress for final passage and then on to the President to be signed into law.

“I am proud to have secured funding for community projects throughout the Central Coast,” Senator Padilla said. “Transportation, energy, and water infrastructure will be upgraded with these federal dollars to ensure the region’s resilience to emergencies and climate change. This funding will also support projects to expand the Central Coast’s libraries, parks, community centers, and much-needed affordable housing.”

Projects across the Central Coast that will receive federal funding through the FY 2023 Appropriations Omnibus include:

• $7 million for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments’ 101 High Occupancy Vehicle Project Segment 4D North

This project is a segment of a planned 16-mile High Occupancy Vehicle addition. The lanes will complete a 2.5-mile gap on this segment of US-101 and are a significant part of a larger multimodal strategy, which includes peak hour passenger rail service, local and interregional transit service, and an interconnected active transportation network to increase bicycling and walking.

• $3 million for Monterey-Salinas Transit District’s MST Zero Emission Bus and Microgrid Project

This funding will support the purchase of battery electric buses and charging infrastructure, as well as initial work for a microgrid system.

• $2.85 million for the City of Oxnard’s Water Pipeline Replacement Project

This project will systematically replace aging cast iron water pipes at risk of failure throughout Oxnard.

• $2 million for the City of Santa Cruz’s Downtown Library Mixed Use Project

This funding will help reconstruct the downtown Santa Cruz Public Library with the addition of 125 units of affordable housing.

• $2 million for the City of Santa Cruz’s Pacific North Redevelopment

This funding will support the all-electric mixed-use 100% affordable transit-oriented Pacific Station North development project.

• $2 million for the Guadalupe Union School District’s Early Learning Center

This funding will support the expansion of a planned early childhood learning center for preschool and pre-k students.

• $2 million for the Orcutt Library

This funding will help purchase a suitable building to house the Orcutt Branch Library. 

• $1.85 million for the City of Thousand Oaks’ Microgrid Installation at Municipal Service Center

This project will fund a microgrid system that will provide resilient power supply to the City of Thousand Oaks’ Municipal Service Center during emergency operations.

• $1.5 million for the Ventura River Project

This project will construct one or more physical models to test and validate design improvements at the Robles Diversion Facility. Operation of the Bureau of Reclamation-owned Robles Diversion Facility on the Ventura River is currently impeded by debris and sediment, which impairs critical water diversions for municipal and agricultural use, as well as fish passage.

• $1.5 million for Morro Bay’s North T-Pier

This funding will support structural improvements to Morro Bay’s North T-Pier.

• $1.27 million for Pioneer Park in the City of Lompoc

This funding will support upgrades to Pioneer Park, including installation of accessible playground equipment and exercise equipment.

• $1.25 million for Monterey One Water’s Cybersecurity/SCADA Resilience Project

This project will enhance cyber defenses and upgrade the automated wastewater system to help prevent asset failures or a loss of system control which could result in damaging impacts to public health, the environment, and recycled water quality and quantity throughout the Agency’s service areas.

• $1 million for Transportation Agency for Monterey County US-101 Auxiliary Lane — South of Salinas

This project will provide operational improvements and address safety issues along northbound US-101 south of Salinas.

• $900,000 for the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project

This funding will support the design, engineering, and construction of a supplemental well for the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project, which delivers recycled water for irrigation and reduces groundwater use.

• $640,000 for the Ventura County Family Justice Center Oxnard Satellite

This funding will establish a satellite Family Justice Center in Oxnard to provide wraparound services to victims of crime.

• $500,000 for the Santa Maria Japanese Community Center

This project will develop a cultural center designed to serve the community as a gathering spot for all cultures.

• $375,000 for the Port of Hueneme’s Comprehensive Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

This funding will support the Port of Hueneme’s project to complete a comprehensive climate action and adaptation plan. This plan will include existing emissions inventories, emissions reduction strategy assessments, timelines for emissions reductions, and transitions to future zero emission operations.

A full summary of the FY 2023 Appropriations Omnibus package is available here.