Title
Public Hearing on the Preliminary Capital Facilities Plan 2023-2028 Financial Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Hold the Public Hearing for the Preliminary Capital Facilities Plan, 2023-2028 Financial Plan, and allow additional written comments to be submitted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2022.
Report
Issue:
Whether to hold the Public Hearing for the Preliminary Capital Facilities Plan, 2023-2028 Financial Plan and allow additional written comments to be submitted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2022.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
The Capital Facilities Plan (CFP) is a chapter in the City’s 20-year Comprehensive Plan adopted by the City Council in 2014. The CFP portion of the Comprehensive Plan is updated annually.
The CFP identifies which capital facilities are necessary to support development and/or growth. Most projects listed are directly related to the applicable master plan or functional plan, such as the Parks, Arts and Recreation Plan, the Storm and Surface Water Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, and other similar plans. The Comprehensive Plan covers a 20-year time horizon; however, the Preliminary CFP, 2023-2028 Financial Plan is a 6-year financial plan. It is required by the Growth Management Act and includes specific projects, cost estimates, funding sources and strategies to implement the plan.
City staff annually reviews and updates the six-year plan to ensure it can fund and implement the Comprehensive Plan’s vision, showing how the City will provide governmental services at adopted levels of service standards for the existing and projected population growth in the City and Urban Growth Area. The plan must be financially balanced, with anticipated revenues meeting or exceeding the anticipated costs of the projects included in the plan.
What is New for 2023?
This year is the first year the City proposes to include the Capital Facilities Plan of North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS). This would allow the City to collect impact fees on behalf the NTPS, rather than collecting mitigation fees under the State Environmental Policy Act. This change would allow fee reductions for affordable housing projects.
Advisory Committees
Several of the City’s Advisory Committees review the CFP and provide comments to the City Council each year. The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on the CFP in September. Comment letters from the Planning Commission; and the Parks and Recreation, Bicycle and Pedestrian, and Utility Advisory Committees are attached.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Public comments received this year on the Preliminary CFP have primarily focused on two issues: sidewalks and potential funding impacts for parks if the Regional Fire Authority is approved.
Regarding sidewalks, the most common issues raised include the desire for more sidewalks in the City, for new sidewalks to be built more quickly, how the Voted Utility Tax is being used, the need for a sidewalk condition assessment, and challenges for sidewalk maintenance and repair.
Those who commented on the potential funding impacts of approval of a Regional Fire Authority noted a reduction in funding for park purposes and requested that any such reduction be mitigated in full.
All public comments received are attached for review and consideration. In addition, a response from Public Works Transportation staff is attached.
Options:
1. Hold the public hearing and allow additional written comments to be submitted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2022.
2. Decide to hold the public hearing at a later date.
3. Do not hold a public hearing.
Financial Impact:
The CFP identifies multiple projects, including project estimates, and identifies funding sources for capital projects. For year 2023, the City anticipates revenues and expenditures of $39,224,209. For years 2023-2028 the City anticipates revenues and expenditures of $225,679,950.
Attachments:
Budget Webpage
Planning Commission Letter
Park and Recreation Advisory Committee Letter
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Letter
Utility Advisory Committee Letter
Public Comment
Staff Response to Public Comments