Issaquah council adopts 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan; Fire Station 71 renovations left for later study

The Issaquah City Council on June 23 voted unanimously to adopt the 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), including the six-year Transportation Improvement Program, by approving the resolution as presented.

The CIP lays out the city's capital priorities for maintenance and larger projects through 2032. Deputy City Administrator Andrea Snyder told council the administration kept some high-cost, long-term projects in the draft to preserve eligibility for grant applications, while acknowledging the council's direction to prioritize maintenance and smaller, quicker-to-implement projects.

Snyder said the administration heard support for "upholding past commitments, such as Northwest Sammamish non-motorized project," and for maintenance-focused items. She told the council that Fire Station 71 was not placed back into the current CIP draft because the previous project page described new construction, and staff need time to work with Eastside Fire & Rescue and facilities professionals "to understand what those renovations are and if they meet the capital threshold, which is $50,000." Snyder said additional analysis is required before any renovation proposal is returned to the CIP.

The public hearing on the CIP had been opened previously and continued to the June 23 meeting after a Committee of the Whole discussion on June 16. With the hearing reopened, council then moved to adopt the plan; council discussion included appreciation for staff work in a difficult budget environment. Councilmember Hult thanked staff for identifying ways to keep rates as low as possible and said she would vote in favor.

The motion to adopt the CIP as presented was moved and seconded on the record; the council voted in favor and the motion passed unanimously. The administration and council noted that the CIP is a planning document and that specific funding decisions will be made through the budget process where officials will prioritize which projects to fund in the near term.

Administration said it will return with additional detail on any Fire Station 71 renovation options and with prioritized proposals during the budget drafting process.

What happens next: with the CIP adopted, staff can continue applying for grants and preparing project scoping; the city's budget process will determine which projects are funded in the coming biennia.