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Council reviews 2026 capital improvement program and funding sources in work session
Summary
City staff presented the proposed five‑year CIP and funding plan, highlighting major street, drainage and downtown projects and projecting a healthy fund balance; no formal council vote was taken at the work session.
City staff presented the proposed 2026 capital improvement program (CIP) and a five‑year funding plan in a work session, outlining major street, drainage and downtown projects and the financing sources the city expects to use.
Director Celia Kumpke (Public Works) and Finance Director Megan Worth walked council members through priority projects, including downtown Merriam improvements tied to the Upper Turkey Creek work, Merriam Drive rehabilitation segments, various mill-and-overlay street projects, and stormwater and trail connections. Kumpke noted several projects rely on federal and county grant programs (for example CARS funding and a Planning Sustainable Places grant) and that timing may change depending on approvals and coordination with other projects.
Worth summarized the funding buckets — general non‑bonded funds (including a portion of the city sales tax), grants and external revenues, special street and highway sales tax, special sales tax dedicated to streets and drainage, and available TIF proceeds — and showed projected multiyear expenditures tied to those revenue sources. Worth said the city’s projected beginning and ending fund balances remain strong; staff presented a figure of roughly $30 million in overall fund balance as a cushion for years when expenditures may exceed revenues.
Kumpke walked through several near‑term projects: Merriam Drive (multiple segments with federal and county funding sources), Upper Turkey Creek alternatives and levee/floodwall options, and other medium projects including 40th Street and Carter Avenue. She also reviewed smaller annual maintenance programs (sidewalk maintenance, pedestrian and bicycle mobility, traffic signal repairs and a public art program).
Why it matters: The CIP presentation sets spending priorities for streets, stormwater and downtown revitalization and outlines grant dependencies and projected impacts on fund balances. Staff emphasized the city’s early prioritization of CIP work — identifying needs first, then building the operating budget around capital needs — to preserve infrastructure and delay more costly repairs.
Next steps: The CIP will return for council approval as part of the upcoming budget process. Staff said the formal budget and CIP adoption is scheduled in coming meetings, with final budget action expected during the June budget cycle.
