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Democracy on the Front Lines
City Administrator’s Blog
Walter Denton
March 27, 2008
On Tuesday, my blog explained how the North Lincoln reconstruction project was moved up because of the severe deterioration of the pavement. That got me to thinking about how we decide to do projects in one year and not another. The City has a working document – called the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) – that provides a five-year guideline on which projects we are doing when. [Click here to view the CIP online.]
As you might expect, money is the primary factor in scheduling projects from year to year. We have more projects than we have money, so it is a matter of priorities. Priorities are determined by the City Council, residents, consultants, and staff.
A subset of the money factor is how much is in particular revenue funds. Public Works projects are funded from several sources: General Fund, Motor Fuel Tax, and Proposition S for street and stormwater projects; Water Fund for water projects; and Sewer Fund for sewer projects. Strict regulations define which funds can be used for which projects, including how they are approved, designed, and constructed.
With the warmer weather, construction season begins. In addition to North Lincoln, there are two major street projects this year: the State and Obernuefemann Roundabout and the Obernuefemann Road reconstruction.
The State and Obernuefemann Roundabout is funded mostly through a state grant with a local match funded through the Motor Fuel Tax. Construction is expected to begin on April 14, and while the intersection is to remain open during the construction period, there may be times when it is temporarily closed in order to complete segments of the project.
The Obernuefemann Road reconstruction also is funded through a state grant with a local match funded through the Motor Fuel Tax. This project will install new pavement, curbs, gutters, and sidewalks from the railroad tracks to Ogle Road. Construction is expected to begin later in the summer.
There are three large water projects currently underway. The French Village Pumping Station is under construction and should be completed by early summer. In addition, we are planning to build two one million gallon water storage tanks. All three of these projects are funded from a state-sponsored low interest loan and paid through water rates.
It is important to remember that the CIP is a planning document, not a budget or a law. Projects can move around according to changes in priorities or funding availability.
A good example is the North Lincoln reconstruction. The CIP has the project scheduled for next year, but circumstances necessitate that the project be moved up to this year. The project is funded from Proposition S, the ½-cent sales tax that was approved by voters in 2000. However, since North Lincoln is moved up to this year, that means another project scheduled for this year will have to be delayed until next year because there is only so much money from the sales tax each year.
The other major projects out of the Prop S sales tax are the Asphalt Paving Program and the Concrete and Sidewalk Replacement Program. These are annual programs that have been very successful over the years. Prior to the approval of the Prop S sales tax in 2000, O’Fallon streets had not been repaved in more than 30 years. Since the paving program began in 2003, more than 40 miles of streets have been repaved at a total cost of more than $7 million.
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