The FY 2016-17 Long-Range Capital Improvement Program Strategic Plan is now available online. It is being used to inform decisions about current and future capital investments that support and shape the Austin Around You.

The Long-Range Capital Improvement Program Strategic Plan takes a long-range, data-driven approach to planning the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and looks at how future capital improvements support the way Austin functions and grows in the coming years.

Planning the CIP involves balancing the need to take care of existing infrastructure, meet increased demands for service, and respond to the strategic priorities that result from policies adopted by the City Council and from Council-adopted plans such as Imagine Austin.

This Long-Range Plan not only provides an opportunity to plan for future capital needs but also examines and analyzes the environment in which the CIP operates.

In the Long-Range CIP Strategic Plan

Introduction to the Capital Improvement Program: An easy-to-understand explanation of what the Capital Improvement Program is, how it’s funded and the key drivers for capital investment.

Comprehensive Infrastructure Assessment: Information on infrastructure condition to help identify future infrastructure needs and prepare for future funding opportunities.

Strategic Investment Analysis: Geographical mapping and analysis of the alignment of identified capital improvement needs and City plans and policies.

Rolling Needs Assessment: Annually updated catalogue of long-term and unfunded citywide CIP needs, organized by infrastructure category.

Conclusions and Strategies: Summary analysis and recommended strategies based on the extensive data compiled in the plan’s other sections and objectives related to implementation of Imagine Austin through capital investment. 

Strategies

The plan includes strategies that the City can do, including:

  • Continuing to prioritize rehabilitation of infrastructure in poor and failing condition, and continuing to seek sustainable funding sources for capital renewal.
  • Continuing to seek opportunities to coordinate and leverage both public and private capital investment, particularly in centers and corridors where significant private development is expected.
  • Continuing to combine capital renewal projects with projects to expand infrastructure capacity whenever possible in centers and corridors where significant growth is expected.
  • Identifying and developing strategic projects that leverage routine capital renewal and capacity expansion projects in areas where those projects can achieve multiple priorities from plans and policy initiatives.
  • Taking a context-sensitive, area-based approach to developing a coordinated set of strategic projects to achieve the City’s adopted planning and policy priorities, as well as preparing for and responding to the increased pressures that growth places on infrastructure.

The City’s Planning Commission also makes recommendations related to the Long-Range CIP Strategic Plan and the Capital Improvement Program.

The City Charter requires the Planning Commission to make annual recommendations to the City Manager on capital improvements that are necessary or desirable to implement the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. The commission uses the Long-Range Plan to provide the necessary long-range perspective to develop those recommendations.

This year, the Planning Commission letter included recommendations to:

  • Identify specific future funding opportunities for strategic initiatives in Imagine Austin growth centers and corridors.
  • Prioritize use of Capital Budget funds to address the most critical capital renewal projects.
  • Study who pays for capital investment and long-term maintenance costs of infrastructure in different development patterns to better inform current and future policies that impact Austin growth patterns.
  • Include potential fiscal impact as a key consideration in the evaluation of CodeNEXT components.
  • Make housing affordability and transportation key filters in the planning and implementation of strategic CIP initiatives.

The City updates the Long-Range CIP Strategic Plan each year. We welcome your feedback or questions about the plan. You may email or call (512) 974-7840.