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 — 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.
On July 15, during its regular meeting, Council unanimously adopted the plan.
Leading up to the July 15 meeting, during work sessions and other meetings, Council members requested that the Southeast 43rd Street Signalization project be shown as a project to complete in 2020. That accelerated project schedule is now shown in the adopted plan.
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 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 the CIP adoption, 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.
Throughout this process, project costs may be amended, new revenue sources may be identified or new needs may be identified through community engagement.
The City Council also made one other notable change to the adopted CIP —
moving Sycamore sewer extension planning and possible implementation from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025.