“This is a true CIP for five years. Will it change? Absolutely, it's going to change. There's going to be some projects that come up,” Norman McGuire, assistant city administrator and public works director, said. “We've been very aggressive with grant opportunities and we've been very successful in that. So we're going to continue our efforts with grant opportunities.”
Why it matters
According to the presentation, for fiscal year 2025-26, the city is planning $32.3 million in general government projects, including $16 million for streets, $6 million for signals, $1.2 million for parks and additional funds for drainage and facilities.
However, McGuire said the city is pivoting toward utilities to meet rapid population growth and future capacity challenges.
“We're shifting some momentum while trying to maintain an overall condition index rating that's healthy for our street mobility network and applying that to do the same objectives with our water and sewer infrastructure,” McGuire said. “So we can focus on a more sustainable long-term critical infrastructure needs, and in the water and wastewater industry.”
The water and sewer portion of the five-year CIP totals $375 million in new debt, with $78 million proposed for FY 2025-26. Officials said the plan includes drilling new wells, upsizing lines and redesigning aging systems.
Diving in deeper
A proposed new wastewater treatment plant is under preliminary planning, purchasing contract administrator Brandy Taylor said. Staff said a study will determine whether the city should expand existing facilities or construct a new regional plant.
“This is the first time our five-year CIP crosses the billion-dollar mark,” McGuire said. “It reflects both the urgency and scale of what we need to do.”
Council members also discussed the potential impact of future impact fees, which could help fund infrastructure without relying entirely on debt.
“We’ve made mistakes in the past by not having the right data,” Mayor Duke Coon said. “But now we do, and this council is committed to fixing what’s been overlooked.”
A final CIP adoption vote is scheduled for Sept. 11, according to the presentation.
