Council hears new five-year capital improvement plan process; staff urges shovel-ready submissions

The council met in a special session to discuss a revised five-year capital improvement program (CIP) process that city staff said is intended to make projects "shovel ready" and easier to fund.

Weimer outlined a two-part structure that separates capital assets from capital projects and described a project book and a fillable PDF form staff will use to collect site photos, estimates and notes on outside contributions. He said department heads will return forms that Sherry and finance will collate into a single spreadsheet and that staff will meet as a group on February 26 to prioritize projects. Weimer said he will present the compiled five-year plan to the council in March.

Why it matters: Staff said the change is designed to streamline grant applications and reduce time spent chasing ad-hoc projects. Once a project reaches roughly 90% planning readiness, Weimer said it can be handed to Michael, the grant administrator, for targeted funding searches.

Councilors asked how projects that include outside funding or donated structures should be recorded; staff said those commitments should appear in the form's notes and…