The Citizens Bond Oversight Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council cancel Bond 2019 project 41—an El Dorado Pool solar installation—and reallocate the funding to other projects, after staff presented a revised scope and payback analysis.

Principal project manager Roger (as identified in the transcript) told the committee that the bond project’s original scope—installing a ground‑mounted solar water‑heating system based on a 2010 vendor proposal—would require about 21,000 square feet of panels, would likely provide roughly 50% of pool heating, and would entail higher operations and maintenance costs. Because ground mounting risked placing equipment in wash flow areas subject to Corps of Engineers considerations, staff and their consultant studied a photovoltaic canopy in the existing El Dorado Pool parking lot as an alternative.

Staff said the currently affordable canopy under the existing budget would cover roughly 10 parking spaces and provide a 35.7–37.5 kW PV system, grid‑connected to SRP. Project costs presented included $49,000 already spent on design and preconstruction; a quoted guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $401,000 for the canopy, solar and electrical work; and $272,000 if only the solar and electrical component were considered. Vendor projections put net annual utility savings at about $4,897, producing an estimated payback of roughly 81 years including the canopy or 55 years for solar and electrical only.

Committee members characterized the estimated payback as poor. Committee member Davis moved that the committee recommend to City Council that the project be scrapped and its funds reallocated; Member Holland seconded the motion. The committee then voted individually and recorded affirmative votes from Davis, Holland, Kamasu and Chair Du Bois; the motion passed.

The committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for a final decision on canceling project 41 and reallocating the Bond 2019 authority. Staff did not propose an immediate replacement project during the meeting.