City staff releases 2026–2030 capital plan worksheets, schedules budget workshop

City finance staff on Tuesday walked the Common Council through a five-year capital improvement plan and showed members how to download detailed project worksheets for 2026 and projections for 2027–2030. Hannah Brauch, finance staff, said the materials include both city and utility projects and that each worksheet breaks project requests down by department, year and funding source.

The presentation matters because the capital plan serves as the city’s blueprint for major equipment and infrastructure purchases and guides decisions about debt, levies and use of fund balances. Brauch told the council the worksheets include a summary tab with links to department detail tabs and a funding summary that shows the city’s current funding mix.

“The first tab is the council plan; it’s the summary,” Brauch said, explaining how members can click to each tab for supporting detail. She said the worksheets also include fleet requests and that the utility worksheet breaks projects out by wastewater, water, electric and other (debt) columns.

Brauch said departments prepared capital requests for council review for 2026 and projected needs for 2027–2030. She said staff’s current funding proposal shows a mix of debt, estimated levy and fund balance and that the worksheet calculation produced about $28,000 available under the proposal. Brauch also identified other funding categories shown in the worksheet: $2,000,000 from transportation/highway impact fee funds and $50,000 in donations.

Council members were shown where to find the files on the city website (Departments → Finance → Budget and Financial Information → 2026 through 2030 capital). Brauch asked members to download, save and review the worksheets and to send questions to Mark (city staff) so staff can compile answers and return them before the council’s next capital meeting.

The council scheduled a budget workshop for the following week to review and discuss the proposed 2026 capital plans and to work toward a recommendation for council action. During the meeting several aldermen raised scheduling concerns about the workshop backup date; staff agreed to poll members and attempt an earlier start so as many members as possible can participate.

Staff emphasized these materials are for review and that questions should be submitted in advance to allow timely responses. Brauch and other finance staff offered to help members with downloads and to walk through any worksheet tabs on request.

Coming next: the council will use the worksheets at the scheduled budget workshop to review, discuss and recommend approval of proposed 2026 city and utility capital items and to seek consensus on the 2027–2030 projections.