Issaquah committee advances CIP update that prioritizes maintenance, leaves city hall, police facility timing unresolved

The City of Issaquah’s Services, Safety & Parks Committee on May 20 heard a two‑year update to the capital improvement plan that fronts maintenance of existing assets while flagging large unfunded needs for a new police facility and a replacement or relocation of city hall.

The draft Capital Improvement Plan, presented by Jennifer Rain, acting finance director, covers 2027–2032 and is intended to align with the adopted 2025–26 budget cycle and to inform the 2027–28 budget process. “The CIP outlines potential funding strategies for projects, though it does not guarantee funding or commit the city to specific timelines,” Rain said during the presentation.

The committee was asked for input on three broad areas: whether the CIP themes — especially prioritizing maintenance for city facilities — match committee priorities; timing and funding for a new police facility and city hall; and investments in parks, trails, facilities and information technology.

Why it matters: staff said needs are outpacing revenues, and several key revenue sources are constrained. Management analyst Jillian Straub told the committee that some revenue lines are “over tapped” in 2027 and 2028 and that the plan as drafted will likely require additional funding sources, project phasing, or further prioritization as the city approaches those years. She called out real estate excise tax (REET) projections of roughly $5.3 million in 2027 and $4.8 million in 2028 as amounts that cannot fully support the current requests in those years.

Committee members broadly supported the maintenance emphasis. Council Member Ray said, “I am 100% behind the notion of making sure we invest in maintaining what we have, particularly our facilities, before we start… investing in new things,” citing the city’s tighter fiscal situation.

Facilities and the task force: Autumn Monahan, director of administrative services, briefed the committee on facility priorities and the mayor’s Public Safety and Civic Facilities Task Force, which has met in March and is scheduled to hold additional meetings. Monahan said a space needs assessment and updated cost estimates will be presented to the council this summer after the task force completes its work. “A recommendation and new cost estimates will be presented to the council this summer following the task force work,” she said.

The CIP includes placeholder estimates for an IPD (police) facility and a city hall, but Monahan and others emphasized those projects are unfunded lines in a planning document rather than current budget authorizations. Committee members repeatedly said the task force recommendation is a necessary input before any final timing or funding decisions are made.

Public concern over City Hall South and Tibbetts Creek Manor: Public commenter Connie Marsh told the committee she was “disturbed” that demolition of City Hall South appeared on CIP slides without a separate council agenda bill and public discussion. Marsh also urged caution before investing in pavement at Tibbetts Creek Manor while the city’s long‑term plan for that property remains undecided. City Administrator Adam Ahan said the administration would return to council with an agenda bill before any decision to demolish the building and outlined the practical constraints of reusing the existing structure.

Parks, trails and access: Jeff Watling, director of parks and community services, said parks projects in the CIP emphasize preserving and improving existing parks, balancing active and passive recreation, and pursuing connections envisioned in the city’s “creeks to peaks” strategy. He identified one new near‑term project: planning for a West Issaquah Highlands neighborhood park on city‑owned land west of Swedish Hospital, and noted that some earlier ambitions were phased or delayed to match staffing capacity and revenue realities.

Watling also described ongoing interest in improving access to Squak Mountain from higher elevations and said recent land acquisitions could provide a corridor, but the park system plan had not identified expansion of the Mountainside trailhead as a near‑term priority.

Technology and systems: Autumn Monahan said the IT portion of the CIP similarly focuses on replacing aging infrastructure and “right sizing” as the city modernizes. New items include wireless meter reading, replacement of a server cluster, SCADA network replacement program, and upgrade of permitting and parks & recreation software. Monahan said the PC replacement program will be funded through an IT cost allocation rather than REET.

Budget and timeline: Jillian Straub said the CIP will be reviewed in full at a Committee of the Whole meeting on June 16 with potential council adoption June 23. The Transportation Improvement Program must be adopted by July 1, and staff said the draft timeline is intended to meet that deadline while allowing more detailed prioritization during the 2027–28 budget process.

What was not decided: There were no council votes on CIP adoption or on any individual projects during the committee meeting. Multiple committee members said the plan should remain in the CIP as a planning placeholder for major projects such as the police facility and city hall, but that funding timing and methods must await the task force recommendations and further fiscal analysis.

Next steps: staff will incorporate committee feedback, continue work on the task force recommendations for public safety and civic facilities, and present the consolidated CIP to the Committee of the Whole on June 16 with a potential council adoption vote June 23.