City’s Capital Improvement Plan Discrepancy Resolved
Planning projects total $238 million
It was recently reported that the City of Traverse City had projected investments of over $490 million in their Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) with 271 projects. However, due to a glitch in the data transfer process, it was discovered that the actual total is $238 million for the six year plan with 137 projects.
The CIP serves as planning document to guide the development of the annual budget. After the CIP plan is prepared, it is the Planning Commission’s role to adopt the CIP. This process is to occur before the annual budget process in order to serve as blueprint to City Administration and the City Commission to develop and approve the annual budget.
The City’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Annual General Fund Budget, in the amount of approximately $24 million, will be considered for final adoption at the Monday, June 5, 2023 City Commission meeting. In addition, fiscal year budgets will be considered for adoption for Traverse City Light & Power and the Downtown Development Authority.
“We are grateful to have caught this error and that the City’s proposed investments are now more achievable. Many thanks to the City staff who quickly diagnosed the issue within the software to find a solution once it was brought to our attention,” stated Nate Geinzer, Interim City Manager.
Of the 137 proposed projects over six years, the City’s portion of the $238 million is approximately $133 million, the remainder is related to proposed projects associated with Traverse City Light & Power and the Downtown Development Authority.
A (CIP) serves as a planning document and contains all the individual capital projects, equipment purchases, and major studies for a local government; in conjunction with construction and completion schedules, and in concert with financing plans. The CIP document contains six years of projects with projected costs and financing and works as a blueprint for sustaining and improving the community’s infrastructure. It coordinates strategic planning, financial capacity, and physical development. The CIP is a “living document.” Projects and timelines may shift due to financing and the need to synchronize with other projects. The CIP is also important because it puts the City in a position to quickly take advantage of federal or state grant programs and opportunities. The Planning Department administers
the CIP by working with all City Departments on project submissions and coordinating reports.
This year, the City launched a CIP interactive map to better engage with citizens about upcoming infrastructure improvements being planned. The application provides a visual and interactive experience for end users to view CIP projects geographically as well as view information that is found in the CIP Report. Filters may be used to view projects by fiscal year, department, or by selecting a specific project. By clicking on the project extent on the map, a pop-up window will provide the detailed information. The map also contains a metrics tab that provides an additional breakdown of projects and is responsive to the filters.