Council reviews 2027–2032 CIP draft; administration asks whether to prioritize maintenance, light‑rail supports or large visionary projects

Deputy City Administrator Andrea Snyder presented the draft 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to the Committee of the Whole on June 16 and requested council feedback on several policy choices: whether the administration should prioritize maintenance over new assets; how to prioritize transportation projects that support light rail; and whether to fund large, long‑term “visionary” projects or smaller immediate projects.

Snyder said the CIP reflects updated utility rate‑study inputs, a larger emphasis on facilities maintenance, and a continued mismatch between needs and anticipated revenues. “Needs continue to outpace the revenues,” she said, and the CIP departs from prior versions by not attempting to fully balance the first two years of the plan because of uncertainty about future revenues and grant prospects.

Nut graf: the CIP is a planning document meant to make the city eligible for grants and to show anticipated work across utilities, transportation, parks and city facilities; Snyder asked the council to weigh trade‑offs so staff…