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| Public Works |
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| Long Term Capital Strategy
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 | General Fund:
The Public Works general fund six-year capital improvement project (CIP) plan is focused on enhancing public safety through the installation of street lights and improvements of flood control facilities. The goal is to accomplish these projects, as much as possible, by using grant monies and participating in partnerships. There are eleven CIPs included in the six-year plan.
Three of the lighting CIPs are funded from dedicated sources (trusts). The first trust has received money from developers building subdivisions outside the city limits. When the subdivisions are later annexed, additional streetlights are installed. Developers also fund the second trust as commercial subdivisions are built within the city. The monies are held until an entire subdivision is finished and permanent power sources are located. The last CIP is funded from excess interest monies earned from the first two trusts. This CIP will provide lighting in areas that are not lit and do not have trust funding set aside for future lighting.
One lighting project is scheduled to coincide with an Ada County Highway District (ACHD) project. This lighting project will be largely funded through federal grants. Overall, the project will cost less and be less disruptive to the neighborhood if it is incorporated into the overall roadway improvement effort.
The last two lighting projects have been continued from years past. The first provides for additional lights to be installed throughout the community at busy streets, intersections, and areas of nighttime pedestrian traffic adjacent to schools, hospitals, parks, libraries, and shopping malls. The second provides for repair and upgrade of the historic lighting system located in the downtown core. In particular, this project will replace five "shoe box" style lights with historic lights located adjacent to City Hall #2.
There are three projects related to flood control. Two provide for repairs or upgrades to existing facilities. The second is in the conceptual stage and will rely on funding from the federal government and the neighborhoods to develop flood control levees near the Warm Springs Woods/Hollow subdivisions.
The remaining two projects are miscellaneous in nature. The first will provide for a long term improvement program for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in City Hall #1. The second will provide improved fishery and/or riparian habitat along the Boise River. This is still conceptual a conceptual project and is not expected to begin for several years.
Sewer Fund:
The Public Works sewer fund six-year capital improvements project (CIP) plan is focused on maintaining the treatment plants and pipelines in good repair, and ensuring that facilities will meet regulatory requirements and provide for community growth.
Thirty-nine projects are included in the six-year plan. Seven of the projects provide for pipeline repairs or extensions. Aggressive maintenance programs ensure that pipeline failures, and consequently, service problems are kept to a minimum. Extensions are provided to serve new development and areas that are experiencing septic system failures.
Thirteen projects are scheduled for repair and maintenance at the treatment plants. Five of these are beyond the two-year budget period. One additional project is planned to accommodate growth - this project will not occur until late into the six-year planning window. The final four projects scheduled for the treatment plants are focused on treatment process improvements. They provide for phosphorous removal at West Boise and Lander Street, effluent filtration, and an improved discharge into the Boise River. Pilot tests and engineering for the phosphorous removal may occur during the two-year budget window. The other two projects are scheduled late in the six-year plan.
Proposed for the next two years are twelve projects related to the upgrade of the Twenty Mile South Farm biosolids application site. These projects vary from renovation or construction of new structures, to the upgrade and expansion of the irrigation system.
The final sewer fund projects include the initial design and construction of an Environmental Interpretive Center at the West Boise Treatment Facility, and the remodel of the City Hall #1 fourth floor entrance and computer server room.
Solid Waste:
There are no solid waste capital improvement projects..
Geothermal:
The geothermal capital improvement projects are focused on expanding geothermal service. There are two large projects that will provide geothermal service to the Water Center & Idaho Place, and to the new convention center. The third project will provide for miscellaneous service connections or miscellaneous repair and maintenance.
Irrigation:
The irrigation system is still in its infancy. The only capital improvement project provides for minor system modifications and interconnections.
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| Two Year Highlights
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| The general fund projects are largely safety related. The repair of the outlet pipe for the Main Stuart Gulch flood control structure remains the top Public Works priority. If not repaired, there is risk that leakage from the pipe may significantly erode the base of the large earthen flood control structure. The ACHD Lighting Project received a high priority ranking because it is a highly leveraged project using federal monies and a ten percent local match. The Boise River Levee Certification project is also a high priority project because it has the potential of being completely funded through Corps of Engineer funds and neighborhood contributions. Public Safety Lighting has typically been near the top of the priority list, but over the years many of the lighting concerns have been addressed. As a result, the amount of the CIP request has been lowered and the priority ranking has dropped. The lighting trust projects have dedicated funding and, therefore, do not compete for general fund capital monies. The remaining projects are important, but do not provide the same level of value that can be obtained by the higher priority projects.
Sewer fund projects and priorities have been set to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, to ensure that community growth is accommodated, and to ensure that the pipelines, treatment plants, and biosolids application site are in good repair. A significant amount of work is being proposed at the biosolids application site to provide for more efficient handling of the biosolids and to make sure that the life of the farm is maximized. Farm improvements are also being made as a result of transitioning away from the use of tenant farmers.
The solid waste fund has no planned projects. The geothermal and irrigation projects relate to growth of the systems.
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| Revenue Notes |
| In the general fund, the lighting projects have generated concern. Not only are additional lights added to our system through capital improvement projects (often at low cost due to grants and contributions), they are also turned over to the City by developers as new subdivisions are completed. Each new light adds about $85 to $125 per light to the base budget. At 400 to 600 lights per year, a base funding problem begins to emerge.
In the sewer fund, connection fees are collected to pay for expansion of the system. The challenge is to ensure that expansion projects are built consistent with growth in the system and with the amount of connection fees being collected. Repair and rehabilitation projects are funded through the collection of a monthly Operation and Maintenance fee. A component of the fee includes coverage of depreciation expense. The revenues created by this fee component are then set aside in a reserve for replacement that can later be used for replacement or repair of equipment. Because of the large amount of construction work that has taken place over the last several years, the reserve for replacement is being under funded. This is expected to be the case until about 2010 to 2012. This situation is not currently a concern, but should be watched closely over the next several years.
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