In early June, the Mayor proposed the 2020-2025 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to the City Council.
The CIP is a planning tool that lists Issaquah's planned infrastructure investments – from roads to parks – organized in a six-year timeframe. It includes things like project design, construction costs, and projected means of financing—providing a road map of capital priorities.
Over the last two months, Council has been discussing the Capital Improvement Plan, in addition to priority projects included in it and funding strategies.
On Monday, July 15, during the regular City Council meeting at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, Council will consider adopting the plan to serve as a steering document for the next six-years.
Leading up to the July 15 meeting during Council work sessions and other meetings, Council requested that the SE 43rd Street Signalization project be shown as a project to complete in 2020. That accelerated project schedule is now shown in the plan Council will consider on July 15.
If this project is funded now, it would require reductions in the amount of current funding available for the following projects:
- Valley Trail and Creekside Acquisitions
- Hillside Acquisitions
- Three Trails Crossing
- New Fire Station
Council will continue to discuss how other transportation-related projects can be funded in 2020 and beyond.
Earlier this year, staff provided the City Council with a potential plan to fund projects on the unfunded transportation capital needs list leveraging a combination of existing debt service capacity and a 0.2 percent increase in the sales tax rate—as part of a Transportation Benefit District (TBD). The sales tax increase would require community outreach and voter approval. This plan was brought forward by the city’s Ad Hoc Long-Term Finance Committee (learn more in this memo and video).
Even after adopting the CIP, Council and the community will still have various opportunities for input before most of the projects are implemented, including the annual budget process, subsequent CIPs, or future policy discussions.
Through these processes, project costs may be amended, new revenue sources may be identified, or new needs may be identified through community engagement.
City Council also requested one other notable change to the proposed CIP, moving Sycamore sewer extension planning and possible implementation from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025.
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