By By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
Washington officials are working to decrease the price tag for implementing the city’s capital-improvements plan.
That effort took a major step forward Monday night when the council met to begin its review of the five-year CIP. When council members received drafts of the CIP last week, the proposed CIP carried a $55 million price tag. The council was handed a revised draft of the CIP, a draft that had been whittled to $41 million.
That decrease can be attributed to reducing funding for some proposed CIP projects, moving some CIP projects to future years not covered by the proposed CIP (which covers fiscal years 2010-2011 to 2014-2015) or a combination of the two.
Mayor Archie Jennings said the city will “do things differently” when it comes to implementing the proposed CIP, compared to what it did with previous CIPs. The city will be aggressive in seeking ways to cut capital expenditures without sacrificing the services and quality of services it provides its residents and utilities customers.
“It’s going to take some bold moves. It’s going to take some bold thinking,” Jennings said.
The major and council members said they also will look at whether contracting with the private sector to provide some services now provided by the city is cheaper than the city providing those services.
Councilman Doug Mercer said it may be cheaper for the city to contract with the private sector to pick up trash in the city than for the city to continue to provide such service. His comments came during a review of a request to buy several trash trucks during the next several years.
By reducing the scope and funding for some projects, such as rehabilitating City Hall, and delaying other projects, such as circuit work and substation upgrades involving the city’s electric system, the revised draft the council received Monday reflects a decrease of $14 million.
City Manager James C. Smith said the $55 million CIP was a wish list that exceeds the city’s ability to pay for it.
In addition to the $14 million change recommended by city staff, the council indicated it will further decrease the CIP’s price tag with additional changes as it prepares to begin work on the upcoming 2010-2011 budget, which begins July 1.
The council is making changes that will result in the city spending less on capital projects in the 2010-2011 budget than it is spending this fiscal year.
The council uses the CIP, which provides a schedule and costs for major equipment purchases and/or construction projects, to help it put together budgets each year. By looking at each year of the CIP, the council knows what capital projects are scheduled for that year and how much each one is estimated to cost.
The council next meets at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building, 102 E. Second St.