Council reviews $45 million capital-improvement plan, asks members to rank projects

City Council members heard a presentation on the city—s capital improvement plan and were asked to rank 11 projects so staff can analyze cash-flow and borrowing implications.

Speaker 2, a staff member, told the council, "We want to take a step back because, if you look on that page we've got $45,000,000 worth of projects. And depending on how they are prioritized and how they are placed it has a direct impact on cash flows and future projects." The staff presentation walked council members through individual project scopes, timing and funding options and highlighted legal and fiscal constraints.

The council was asked to return written rankings (1 through 11) so staff can plug priorities into a model and show when projects could be designed, bid and built. "Why don't you just rank them?" Speaker 3, a presiding councilmember, said. Staff said it will compile members' rankings and publish a consolidated priority list at the next packet; members agreed to provide rankings by Thursday or by the end of the week.

Why it matters: The order in which the council prioritizes projects will affect whether items are paid from fund balance, bonded against sales-tax revenues, or delayed. Staff warned that statutory rules and prior referendum language limit what the council can approve in the near term for some projects.

Key points from the discussion

- Process and timeline: Staff asked each councilmember to rank the 11 listed projects; staff will model the effect of those priorities on cash flow and…