Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) - City of Delaware

Executive Summary
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
City of Delaware
2009-2013
PART I. OVERVIEW
Each annual CIP that is adopted covers a five-year period. In 2008, the City prepared the
2009-2013 CIP. The CIP includes a listing of all the projects, equipment, land purchases,
and vehicles that departments plan to purchase or construct in each of the five years. The
plan also includes detail on available revenue sources to fund the capital expenditures, as
well as explanations on debt levels and debt service commitments. The 2009-2013 CIP
also includes reference to previously approved projects that are carried forward and their
completion schedules.
The City is making strategic efforts with the 2009-2013 CIP to establish clear linkages to
all other business plans, budgets, policies, and day-to-day operations and to develop and
implement a strategic approach to capital planning.
Purpose
The CIP is a planning document that presents a five-year overview of the scheduled
capital projects and equipment needs of the City. The purpose of capital improvement
planning is to review, prioritize and form the link between proposed needs, limited
financial resources, and the guidance in the City’s Comprehensive plan, adopted master
plans, and insight from City Council and the community. A properly prepared capital
plan is essential to the future financial health of the City and continued delivery of
services to citizens and businesses.
Capital planning also positions the City to react strategically to changing dynamics such
as the economy, new development opportunities, changes in the city’s financial
condition, and unforeseen emergency infrastructure problems. The city’s strategic
reaction involves adjusting project costs, project timelines, and possibly adding additional
projects if necessary.
Definition of a Capital Improvement
A capital improvement is a major fiscal expenditure associated with maintaining the
city’s infrastructure. In many cases, these expenditures are project related and typically
are non-recurring. However, in some cases the City does dedicate financial resources on a
recurring basis for capital projects such as road resurfacing, IT equipment;
police/fire/public works vehicles; and sidewalk repairs.
7