Cascade Charter Township reviews $31 million draft Capital Improvement Plan, earmarks feasibility study and DDA placeholder

Cascade Charter Township staff presented the draft six-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to trustees, laying out a project list of just over $31 million and explaining how those figures will be incorporated into the township’s 2026 budget. Staff said $15 million of the document is a DDA placeholder for an envisioned village project, leaving roughly $16 million of other capital across six years; the draft shows about $19 million of projects presented for 2026, including the DDA placeholder.

Why it matters: the CIP sets multi-year priorities that guide project planning, budgeting and potential bonding. Staff and trustees emphasized that approving projects in the CIP places them in the draft budget but does not authorize purchases; items above the township’s purchasing threshold will return to the board for formal award.

Speaker 6, the staff presenter, said, “This is the planning document. These numbers, if you approve them, go into the budget that you would then review and approve.” He explained the plan is staff-driven and coordinated through the manager and the personnel & finance committee before being presented to the full board.

Key figures and projects included in the presentation: a $31,000,000 six-year total with a $15,000,000 DDA placeholder; about $16,000,000 in projects outside the DDA over six years; and approximately $19,000,000 shown for 2026 if the board approves the draft. Staff highlighted recurring infrastructure items (roads, sidewalks), replacement equipment (Bobcat/Toolcat, vehicle lifts), fire-rescue tools (battery-operated jaws of life) and longer-term projects such as radio replacements that will depend on the county 911 dispatch timeline.

The board also discussed emergency-capacity projects: the township hall generator (listed under the police fund because the hall serves as the backup emergency operations center) and a plan to add and replace tornado/emergency sirens to address dead spots. Speaker 6 said the police fund currently has dollars and staffing capacity to pursue the siren work sooner than spreading it over multiple years.

Feasibility study: staff proposed setting aside dollars from the infrastructure revolving fund to pay for an infrastructure/facilities feasibility study to assess fire station needs, park and maintenance facilities, and administrative space. Speaker 5 asked whether $150,000 was a reasonable estimate; staff said $150,000 is a plausible budget for a consultant-driven study that could include operational and administrative assessments as well as building needs.

DDA and bonding timeline: staff reported the Downtown Development Authority awarded a consultant contract and that preliminary design is expected this fall for presentation to both the board and the DDA. Staff said bonding would likely be pursued this winter after preliminary figures are developed and bond counsel and a municipal advisor have been engaged; the $15,000,000 figure was presented as an upper-bound borrowing estimate tied to the DDA’s revenue and debt capacity, not as a guaranteed project cost.

Brownfield and debt context: staff reviewed other debt timelines including a refunding bond in 2028 and a Fire Station 1 bond into 2042. The Brownfield Redevelopment Authority project (a dental office redevelopment) was financed through a state loan via EGLE (the state’s remediation financing program) and is projected to be paid off in the mid-2030s as tax increment revenues are captured.

Next steps: staff said the board is being asked to treat the CIP as a planning document and that plan adoption at the board level is targeted for September 10 (with September 24 as an alternative date if more time is needed). Staff reiterated that approving the CIP places projects in the draft 2026 budget but that individual purchases will follow purchasing policy thresholds and return to the board when required.

The meeting closed with a procedural motion to adjourn that passed by voice vote.