City engineer outlines $432M in FY27 work and five-year CIP totaling about $741M

City Engineer George Binger presented an overview of the draft FY2027 capital improvement plan to the Public Works Committee on April 13, outlining funding sources, project selection criteria and how residents can comment.

Binger said the draft shows roughly $432 million of work through fiscal year 2027 and a five-year total near $741 million; staff also noted 20 new projects (about $52 million) identified through 2031. He described the CIP as fiscally constrained — staff tied funding to projects and identified estimated annual operating and maintenance costs by project.

Why it matters: The CIP sets the city's multi-year infrastructure priorities and ties projects to available funding (transportation sales-tax revenue, grants and bond-authorized programs). It also guides when major neighborhood and arterial improvements are designed and built.

Key points from the presentation and committee exchange: - Project selection and funding: Binger said staff use condition indexes, service requests, strategic plans and grant opportunities to prioritize projects. Where required (for bond or grant commitments) projects appear in the CIP by necessity. - Public comment process: The draft is posted on the city's CIP web pages and can be located via the website search bar; staff encouraged residents to submit comments through the CIP site and noted some programs (like sidewalk-improvement lists or curb replacement programs) can be more responsive than large capital projects. - Timelines and responsiveness: Council members pressed staff on whether public comments would lead to near-term action. Staff said smaller maintenance issues typically go to operations (work orders) and often are handled quickly via LS Connect; larger projects can require years for design, right-of-way and construction and are sequenced by funding and capacity. - Examples and fiscal notes: Binger cited Ward Road Phase 1 as an example tied to prior sales-tax funding and noted the CIP holds detail sheets per project showing estimated schedules, funding breakdowns and estimated operating costs. He also said the 2017 transportation sales-tax program remains a primary cash source; staff reported about $30 million in grant-funded projects counted in CIP planning over recent years.

Next steps: Public comment remains open on the CIP site for the draft; staff will present the plan to planning commission and incorporate comments as appropriate before returning to council for adoption. Staff committed to responding to comments and to posting project maps and executive summaries on the CIP dashboard.

Limits and caveats: Binger cautioned that schedules are subject to change because of right-of-way, utilities or funding developments. He also said some items on the draft are unfunded and are included to "build a bench" of projects for future funding opportunities.