Lewiston Planning Board sends FY2026 capital plan to council, urges cuts attempt and highlights priorities

The Lewiston Planning Board voted unanimously to forward the FY2026 Lewiston Capital Improvement Program to the City Council, asking council to aim to bring the plan closer to the city's 80% funding target and highlighting several projects the board favors preserving or considers candidates for reduction.

The planning board, chaired by Shanna Cox, made the recommendation after a public hearing in which no members of the public spoke and after more than an hour of discussion about which LCIP line items the board would recommend the council preserve or consider cutting. The board also asked staff to prepare a list of the board's preserves and cuts to accompany the recommendation.

Why it matters: The LCIP recommendation is advisory but matters because the council will make final funding and sequencing decisions. Planning board members told staff they wanted to flag items the council should prioritize and to encourage close attention to the plan's overall cost relative to the 80% guideline.

Board members repeatedly named the same priorities: a…