Story County supervisors review multi‑year CIP; conservation acquisitions, facility upgrades and camera replacement among priorities

Story County supervisors and staff met in a CIP work session to review the county’s draft Capital Improvements Plan for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 and to set a schedule for public input and final adoption.

Sandra King, director of external operations and county services, said the county implemented a new CIP policy in 2024 with scoring criteria (a 175‑point maximum) and that the CIP is a dynamic list of projects ordered by potential completion year. The CIP committee met in January 2026 to review new FY27 applications and scores.

Why it matters: The draft includes bond‑funded park and conservation projects, large placeholder figures for McFarland Park master‑plan construction, multiple conservation land acquisitions, and a series of facility and fleet replacements that could affect county capital spending and grant requests over the next five years.

Major items discussed

Conservation and land acquisitions: Mike Cox, conservation director, reviewed a series of conservation projects and acquisitions. Staff reported the Skunk River Greenbelt Acquisition South Phase 1 (the Cambridge Tract) is about 250 acres with roughly $300,000 remaining of a $900,000 target; Phase 2 (about 120 acres) is being transferred at no cash cost but recorded as a $175,000 in‑kind match related to a previous DNR grant. Cox said deeds are in hand and the county attorney is reviewing them; disposition work on other…