BRENTWOOD — The Brentwood City Council delivered an optimistic view of the city Monday night, emphasizing the city’s ongoing economic growth, infrastructure advancements, and commitment to sustainability.
During a State of the City presentation at the Delta Theater, Brentwood Mayor Susannah Meyer and the council cited responsible planning, prudent financial decisions, and active community engagement as the pillars that Brentwood will rely on to bring continuous growth to the city.
With a balanced budget and a 30% general fund reserve, Meyer said the city remains in a strong financial position. Councilmembers highlighted some of the key achievements that they said helped provide a better quality of life for residents. They include:
– $2.5 million allocation to maintain and improve roadways, including rehabilitation of over 30-lane miles across the city, sidewalk replacement, and drainage improvements.
– $18 million invested in capital improvement projects.
– The completion of the Sand Creek extension, which expands Sand Creek Road westward from Highway 4 to Heidorn Ranch Road.
– Maintaining a strong police department with 66 of 72 officer positions currently filled and four new officers either graduating or beginning the police academy in the coming weeks.
– 3.4 billion gallons of clean water delivered.
– 1.6 billion gallons of wastewater treated.
– Celebrating the community’s diversity with various events such as Juneteenth, Holi, Dia de los Muertos, and the Lunar New Year festival.
Councilmembers also praised the addition of new businesses in Brentwood, including Costco, the Golden State Orthopedic facility, Barnes and Noble, and downtown local restaurants.
Meyer said the future Brentwood Innovation Center on Highway 4 near Costco will attract high-paying jobs and reduce commute times for residents.
“And we’re not talking about just everyday little fast-food jobs. We’re looking for jobs that people can have real careers with because we’d really like to bring people home to their families and not have to commute so far and really enjoy the quality of life that Brentwood has to offer,” said Meyer.
The mayor said the city plans to invest over $150 million in infrastructure over the next five years.
Brentwood will also focus on elevating its deep agricultural roots, including the development of the Brentwood Agricultural Innovation Center, which will serve as a hub for local farmers, agricultural education, and farm-to-table supply for restaurants, and will further support farmers and growers.
In 2023, the Brentwood City Council voted to draft an agreement with Harvest Time Brentwood, a nonprofit that promotes farming and agri-tourism education. Under the proposal, the nonprofit will utilize the Neil property at Sellers Avenue that was acquired by the city in 2007 to develop an agricultural park and history center.
“That (Agricultural Innovation Center) is going through a process on that we’ve got some state, I want to say interference, because really, that’s the appropriate word here, that we’re kind of working through to make sure that that it happens,” said Meyers. “But we’ve got some beautiful plans in place that Harvest Time has put together and a lot of dedication to making this happen.”
Meyer also announced that the Sand Creek Sports Complex will break ground this July and is expected to be completed in 2027.
