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Southlake staff outline five-year capital improvements framework, emphasize cash-first funding and sequencing
Summary
City staff presented the Capital Improvements Program framework, describing how projects are scored, funded and sequenced, and said the full CIP will be filed with council by Feb. 1 with adoption targeted for the second February meeting.
City Manager Allison Orkowski and Chief Financial Officer Sharon Jackson presented the City of Southlake's framework for its five-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP), emphasizing a strategy that prioritizes alignment with council policy, objective project scoring, and a balanced use of cash and debt.
“All of the work that you do as a council set the policy direction to provide us the framework and information that we need to build the capital budget,” Orkowski said, describing the ‘translation’ process that converts strategy plans, technical studies and master plans into a sequenced capital program. Jackson said the city begins with an internal, department-led process that scores projects by alignment with strategy, risk of deferral, service impacts and interdependencies.
Jackson told council that cash funding remains the foundation of the CIP “whenever it's feasible,” with strategic use of debt aligned to asset life to control long-term costs. She said staff evaluates operating and maintenance impacts as well as construction costs to assess affordability over the asset lifecycle. The presentation noted the city’s AAA bond rating and pointed to upcoming debt retirements that will provide capacity for future issuance while remaining within adopted debt goals.
Staff gave high-level investment figures for major categories: just over $15,000,000 planned in the mobility category for the coming year with a five-year need of about $71,400,000; water/wastewater projects just under $10,000,000 in the next year and roughly $98,000,000 across five years; stormwater projects of about $3,600,000 for the coming year and $12,900,000 over five years; and approximately $7,600,000 in parks, community enhancement and facilities investments planned for 2026, notably to complete stadium property acquisition and finalize the North Park turf conversion.
On schedule, Orkowski said staff will file the full CIP package for council review no later than Feb. 1, with a work-session discussion planned at the first February meeting and adoption targeted for the second February meeting.
The presentation concluded with staff inviting council feedback as they finalize the CIP materials for submission.
