Capital Improvement Program

Scope

The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has gone through many updates and changes since its first plan in 1965, but the overall goal has remained. The CIP is intended to be an actionable list of infrastructure projects based on citizen nominations and comprehensive plan priorities. The 2022 update to the CIP process is aimed at meeting that goal by introducing new processes, both internal and external, that will make a more transparent and robust program.

The first change comes in the form of nomination criteria. In the past, any project nominated would make it into the CIP. In an effort to develop a list that the MSB is legally capable of executing, we had to come up with some changes to how projects qualify. Nominations will now be accepted on a rolling basis, meaning you can submit your CIP nomination at any point in the year. August 1 will be the cut-off each year for evaluation and consideration for the upcoming fiscal year budget discussion. The CIP Committee will score and rank all public nominations that are valid. To be considered a valid CIP nomination, all projects must meet all five criteria as listed below: 

1. Project must fall within current borough powers as laid out by MSB Code, Title 1.10 Borough Powers, excluding service areas. 
2. Project cannot be considered routine maintenance or equipment replacement.  
3. Project must have a useful life of 5 years or more.  
4. Project must have a single cost of $20,000 or more.  
5. Project must represent a goal or objective of an Assembly-adopted plan.

The second change is happening within the MSB. Planning staff will work annually to produce a prioritized list of capital infrastructure projects that come directly from the 16 Assembly-adopted comprehensive plans for the communities of the Mat-Su! These projects will be evaluated by the CIP Committee against the same criteria as pubic nominations.

CIP Project Page

Finalizing the CIP

The CIP will consist of plan priorities and public nominations that meet the updated criteria and will be presented to the community for final input on project prioritization by September 1. This will happen by interactive project webpage on MSB website and community council outreach via email. Residents will have three weeks to provide feedback.  The Manager will then present the CIP to the Planning Commission no later than October 15 of each year and the Assembly no later than December 1 of each year. Once the CIP is adopted by the Assembly, it will represent the Planning Department priorities for the capital budget discussions in the winter/spring of 2023. A nomination to the Capital Improvement Program is in no way a guarantee for funding. 

Project Benefits

The MSB is dedicated to delivering high quality, transparent government services to the residents of the Mat-Su. One way the CIP will be used is by improving borough infrastructure that was prioritized by community nominations and prioritization. The CIP will also be used to prioritize projects that invest in tourism infrastructure, which works towards another strategic goal of fostering economic growth and diversification throughout the region. Lastly, the CIP will help support smart growth by using the CIP nominations to identify needed infrastructure, and to implement the community comprehensive plan recommendations from residents.

 

 

Project Status

The 2022 CIP was adopted by the Borough Assembly on December 20, 2022. The projects can now be discussed for possible inclusion in the upcoming budget.