The city of Issaquah has begun its biennial process to update the six-year Capital Improvement Plan for 2020-2025.

As part of the Washington Growth Management Act (GMA), cities are required to do a six-year planning document to outline the capital projects on the horizon for the next several years.

The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a planning document that lists all of the upcoming capital projects the city aims to take on in the coming years and outlines expected costs and funding sources.

Finance Director Beth Goldberg said the CIP process is done in advance of the city’s budget process because it directly feeds into the budget discussions and serves as a road map for planning for the next biennium.

Goldberg said the city has identified a number of critical needs including improvements to transportation and city facilities. Other projects in the plan include the relocation of Fire Station 71, setting a priority list for projects in the Parks Strategic Plan, and the city’s utility obligations.

The transportation element of the CIP is also known as the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). The TIP is approved alongside the CIP and is sent to the Washington State Department of Transportation for inclusion in the state’s TIP.

“The way we set up the schedule now, the target for adoption is on July 15, assuming council makes the decision to adopt,” Goldberg said. “The operating budget we are working on will then reflect those capital (projects) in 2020.”

The staff made a CIP presentation at a city council work session on June 10 and will return to another council work session on June 24. A public hearing on the CIP is scheduled for July 1, where citizens can submit their comments and feedback on the projects within the plan. Goldberg is planning to bring the CIP for adoption by the council on July 15.