By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph city officials are currently in the early stages of planning the next round of the capital improvement projects.
City Manager Bryan Carter says the Capital Improvement Program has been renewed every five years to fund capital improvements throughout the city.
Carter says some past projects that benefitted from the CIP money are the new fire stations as well as the splash park at Hyde Park.
"It's a great source for doing those things that need to be done to replace or rehabilitate existing capital structures or programs," Carter tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "But, it's also great for those modern amenities that we need to add."
Carter says the concept of something like the splash park wasn't around years ago, but as that idea became bigger the CIP allowed the funds to add that to the city.
City Manager Bryan Carter says the plan normally receives strong support from the city council.
Carter contends it’s so well received because there is a good process in place, and that process shows good results.
"The process is very open to the public, we accept public submissions for different projects and programs, it's a group of citizens who come up with and identify which ones will be funded," Carter explains. "And that all comes out, you know what those projects are before you cast a vote, so it's a really good process."
Carter says it is also well received because the tax is so tangible and people can go out and see what that money is going towards.
Carter says money in the CIP goes towards projects to help improve the city, which, more importantly, includes money to help with the city’s basic infrastructure.
"Historically we've put quite a bit of CIP money into maintaining roads and streets, we have a program that funds curb and sidewalk replacement which is a property owner responsibility, but the CIP enables us to do a cost share program where the property owner pays a portion and the CIP pays a portion," Carter says.
Carter says these programs would not be in place if it were not for the help of the capital improvement program.