ITEM NO. 7: RECEIVE PROPOSALS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS (DRG)
Receive suggestions and/or proposals from the Fire & Medical Department, Police Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and City Manager’s Office for projects to be included in the 2005-2010 Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) for the City of Lawrence.
A. STAFF REVIEW
This year, the capital improvement review process has been divided into two segments because of the volume of projects the commission has been asked to consider. This report includes the projects submitted by four city departments – Fire and Medical, Parks and Recreation, Police, and the City Manager’s Office. Any projects proposed by the public that fall within the area of these departments are also listed. Next month, the commission will look at the projects submitted for the Public Works Department, Utilities Department, and projects proposed for downtown improvements.
The Planning Office, acting as the program coordinator, annually prepares the Capital Improvement Plan and Capital Program from lists of projects and improvements submitted or suggested by the public or the various city departments and agencies. The Planning Office reviews the projects based upon their compatibility with the comprehensive plan. The projects were discussed and evaluated by the Capital Improvement Administrative Committee during two meetings, with the committee making recommendations on the timing of some projects in an effort to make this document more fiscally attainable.
This set of projects represents a schedule of major public improvement projects and expenditures for the next six years. It is an attempt to look ahead to determine the needs for public improvements and then schedule them within the capabilities of the City's financial resources. The first year of the plan becomes the Capital Program for the next fiscal year, 2005, and contains the guidelines for the capital projects and expenditures.
The Capital Program is not a capital improvement budget separate from the City's annual operating budget. Rather, when approved, the Capital Program is intended as a guide to assist the City's departments and divisions in developing their annual budget. The appropriate department will present projects included in the Capital Program during the annual budget preparation process as part of the department or division's capital outlay items to the extent possible. Ultimately, the City Commission will make the decision of which projects will be undertaken during the next fiscal year.
The role of the Planning Commission in this process is to review the preliminary plan and program for consistency with the comprehensive plan and then submit a tentative plan and program to the City Commission for consideration. The City Commission either accepts the plan and program with or without amendments, or rejects it. Thus, the Capital Improvement Plan and Capital Program included in this publication becomes an essential guide to basic community improvements.
B. PROJECT REVIEW
There are 34 projects included in this document, representing a total estimated expenditure of $36,404,000. Ten of these projects are identified with some level of funding for the next calendar year. These ten projects are estimated to cost $4,117,000 in the year, 2005.
A variety of funding sources are identified so many of the projects’ expenses will not be borne entirely by the city. For example, the city’s share of the two identified airport projects proposed for next year is estimated to be $33,700 out of a total estimated cost of $675,000. The airport projects will be done using a Federal grant that would pay for 95 percent of the cost of these improvements.
Similarly, all but one of the Parks and Recreation Department projects are proposed to be funded with the money generated by a countywide 1-cent sales tax. The county is also be responsible for covering approximately 25 percent of the cost of the three Fire and Medical Department projects involving the new stations and remodeling of the existing station.
Attached with the report are three individual tables showing: the estimated cost of each project, by year they are planned to start; a table showing the total estimated cost of each project, by the proposed source of funds; and, a table of the projects proposed to start in 2005, by the source of funds.
Another table with the evaluation scores of each project, given by the Capital Improvements Administrative Committee during their review, follows those tables. Following this table, you will find the individual project sheets for each department.
Recommendation: Planning Staff recommends the Planning Commission find these projects to be in conformance with the comprehensive plan and forward a recommendation to the City Commission for approval of the 2005-2010 Capital Improvements Plan for these departments.