Public Works Board and CIP

The Lake Mills Capital Improvement Plan is a tool to assess the long-term capital project requirements of the city and to establish funding of high-priority projects in a timely and cost-effective fashion. Development of the Capital Improvement Plan is intended to ensure that policy makers are responsible to residents and businesses of the community with respect to the expenditure of public funds. A Capital Improvement Plan also promotes the provision of continuous efficient services. The written plan identifies and describes capital projects, the years in which funding each project is to occur and the method of funding. While a Capital Improvement Plan may be designed to forecast any period of time, it generally extends beyond the current operating cycle and usually covers a three to five year time frame.
The Lake Mills Public Works Board prepares the Capital Improvement Plan and makes a recommendation regarding the Capital Improvement Plan to the City Council. The first step the PWB uses in the capital planning process is to have the city manager organize, direct and assist all other parties involved in the capital planning process. In addition, the city manager determines the content of the plan and oversees drafting of the plan. The other parties involved in the capital planning process are typically department heads and consultants.
The information included in the Capital Improvement Plan facilitates the prioritizing of projects. Accordingly, the requests include the following information:
Project Description: A description of the proposed construction project.
Existing Condition: A description of the existing condition to be alleviated by the project.
Goals And Benefits: The goals and benefits to be derived through the construction project.
Funding Schedule: The estimated cost of the project and the timing for funding are set forth. Project timing is based on the assessment of need by the department manager and may be changed through the prioritizing process.

The Public Works Board will be working on the 2010 CIP at their next meeting.