El Mirage adopts $64 million five-year capital improvement plan, council debates street projects and vehicle replacements
Loading...
Summary
The council approved a five-year Capital Improvement Plan totaling about $64.1 million and containing 45 capital items, while members questioned specific street projects, vehicle replacement schedules and grant restrictions.
The El Mirage City Council on April 15 adopted a five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for fiscal years 2026–2030 that lists 45 capital items and totals approximately $64,074,000.
City staff summarized changes to the draft CIP: removal of a planned city hall expansion and a police station expansion; adjustments to the Cactus Road pedestrian crossing; increases in funding for park improvements, Sundial Park renovations and council-chamber audiovisual upgrades; removal of some grant-dependent items after unsuccessful grant applications; and an increase in the neighborhood traffic-calming program. Staff emphasized that the CIP is a five-year roadmap and that individual projects still require separate council authorization before construction or purchase.
Council discussion focused on several items, including the proposed roadway reconstruction for 120 First Avenue and a package of vehicle replacements across departments. Council member Gentry criticized spending for the 120 First Avenue project, saying the roadway handles roughly 75 vehicles per day and questioning whether grant funds and additional city dollars should be used there instead of higher-need local streets. Public-works staff member Bryce responded that the ADOT-administered grant is project-specific and that the grant funds must be used to build the road as submitted; he said, “It’s about 75 cars per day,” and, when asked the grant amount, replied, “I believe it was 835,000.”
Members also questioned vehicle replacement estimates and the city’s replacement policy. Staff described a prior policy of 10 years or 100,000 miles that was later adjusted to 12 years or 120,000 miles; current fleet age and use had pushed practical replacement intervals closer to 15 years and approximately 150,000 miles for some units. Staff said the CIP lists replacement funding as a planning estimate and any specific vehicle purchase would be returned to council for authorization when the vehicle reaches the replacement threshold.
A motion to adopt the CIP was made by Council member Winston and seconded by Council member Dorsey. The motion passed on roll call; council recorded at least one nay during the vote but approved the plan by majority.
Ending: Staff said they will continue refining project scopes, pursue grant closeout funds where available, and return specific vehicle purchases and major projects to council for separate approval.
