Urbandale council advances 2026–2031 CIP, accelerates water trails and adds solar planning

City staff on the Urbandale City Council presented a revised 2026–2031 Capital Improvements Program and the council took steps to advance the plan while scheduling follow-up steps and authorizing related public hearings.

"The CIP is a robust set of projects at $211,650,000," said Speaker 13 during the presentation, noting the figure is influenced by the inclusion of a police headquarters. Speaker 13 said the 2026 construction year shows about $35,500,000 in expenditures and described broad public outreach that included two work sessions, an interactive map and postcard mailings to roughly 14,000 households.

Staff described three principal changes from earlier drafts: explicitly calling for sustainability evaluations for the police station replacement and Fire Station 41; accelerating the water-trails project to 2028 to align with a potential $125,000 grant; and adding planning and budgeting pages for a solar array (including an example for Fire Station 42) with design in 2027. The recreation hub tied to the recently acquired 121st Street property was downsized in the CIP from a previously recommended $2,275,000 in 2026 to a $400,000 placeholder in 2027 to allow staff time for programming and more detailed planning.

During public comment, Tim Fitzgerald praised several proposed projects but urged caution on timing and costs. "I think this is a recipe for disaster if you guys move forward to the timing of those projects at the same time of the interstate close," Fitzgerald said, urging the council to avoid overlapping major street projects with anticipated interstate construction and to perform rigorous cost-benefit analysis on projects such as ground-mounted solar arrays.

Council members asked about the purchase timeline for the 121st Street property; staff said due diligence is underway with an anticipated closing on or before March 1 and that flooring and contractor scheduling could push programming to late spring or summer. Staff confirmed the water-trails timing aligns with the anticipated grant award process.

The council closed the public hearing, approved a council letter related to the CIP materials, and directed staff to follow up on public questions and next steps for design and grant administration. No formal votes altering the CIP totals were recorded at the meeting; several resolutions related to items in the packet were moved and approved as part of the meeting's routine actions.

Next steps: staff will continue due diligence on the 121st Street acquisition, finalize any add-alternates for police and fire projects, pursue the water-trails grant, and return additional details to the council as designs and funding agreements are refined.