Capital Improvement Program

Summary

The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is a multi-year municipal capital planning and budgeting instrument covering infrastructure, government facilities, stormwater, wastewater, and other major projects. It was listed as a subtopic of the FY2026 Forecast at a City Council Retreat on November 9, 2024, with no outcome recorded. The five-year CIP (FY2027–2031) presented in the budget process carried a total of approximately $637.3 million across 84 projects, with an FY2027 appropriation of $83.1 million; a significant portion ($208 million) is associated with school renovations. At the March 24, 2026 work session, Council reviewed the CIP alongside the Stormwater Utility Fund and Wastewater Fund, with staff presentations by J.C. Martinez, Kyle Laux (Davenport and Company), and Satoshi Eto; the tax-supported general fund component was described as comprising roughly $22 million for general government capital projects. Council reached consensus directing staff to prepare a budget memo on the potential use of a referendum for capital improvement projects. The Planning Commission had previously sent CIP recommendations to City Council, which were noted as a resource during budget deliberations. On May 5, 2026, the City Council voted unanimously to adopt the FY2027 budget including the FY2027–2031 CIP, associated rates and levies, and all sub-budget funds.

Open questions & options on the table

• Staff was directed (March 24, 2026) to prepare a budget memo on the potential use of a referendum for capital improvement projects — it is not recorded whether that memo was completed or acted upon prior to the May 5, 2026 adoption.
• The February 10, 2026 discussion flagged a specific CIP item involving replacement of a fuel island and underground storage tanks at the property yard, raising a question about whether longer-term site plans should govern short-term improvements — no resolution recorded.
• The April 27, 2026 Planning Commission meeting was noted as potentially canceled, with uncertainty about whether pending agenda items (which may have included CIP-related topics) moved forward.

Recent updates

What members have said

Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.