Section 10-A2509. IM-2.1 LINK TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING

 

2509.1A capital improvement plan (CIP) is a multi-year plan identifying capital projects to be funded during the planning period. Capital improvement planning provides one of the most important means to establish the Comprehensive Plan as the guiding document for future public investments. The CIP provides government with a process for the planning and budgeting of capital needs. It answers such questions as what to buy, build, or repair and when to buy or build it. The basic function of a CIP is to provide a formal mechanism for decision-making, a link to the Comprehensive Plan, and a financial management tool for setting priorities for capital projects. 2509.1

 

2509.2Most communities prepare a five- or six-year CIP. In general, only projects over a certain cost threshold and with a useful life of many years qualify for CIP funding. The CIP is generally organized around major program categories such as Parks and Recreation; Transportation Initiatives; Housing and Community Development; Public Facilities; Infrastructure, etc. 2509.2

 

2509.3The CIP identifies each proposed capital project to be undertaken, the year the improvements or assets will be acquired or the project started, the amount of funds to be expended each year, and the way the expenditure will be funded. A CIP is not a static document. It is reviewed and updated on a regular basis (commonly on a yearly or two-year cycle) to reflect changing priorities, unexpected events, and new opportunities. The CIP includes investments in the repair and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and facilities as well as the construction of new infrastructure and facilities. It can include capital items such as buildings, utility systems, roadways, bridges, parks, and other large investments such as land. 2509.3

 

2509.4All capital budget requests should be reviewed and considered for their consistency with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan. At this point in time, the District government develops an annual capital improvements budget but the link to the Comprehensive Plan remains weak. This is a critical gap in the city’s planning process that needs to be filled.  The development of a multi-year CIP that is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan’s policies, actions, and priorities will allow the city to make investments where they are needed most, and ensure a more logical allocation of funds. 2509.4

 

2509.5Policy IM-2.1.1: Capital Improvement Linkages

 

Link the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive Plan priorities should be more effectively embedded within the CIP to ensure that public dollars are spent as efficiently and effectively as possible. 2509.5

 

2509.6Action IM-2.1.A: DC Code Revisions

 

Revise the DC Code to formalize the link between the Comprehensive Plan and the multi-year Capital Improvements Plan. This link has been effective in other cities’ efforts to better tie capital expenditures to Comprehensive Plan recommendations and to increase the role and importance of the Comprehensive Plan. 2509.6

 

2509.7Action IM-2.1.B: Enhanced CIP Process

 

Develop an enhanced CIP process that:

 

a.Uses the Comprehensive Plan as the key guide t a. o capital investments;

 

b.Mandates a Public Facilities Master Plan - or, at least, an ongoing Master Public Facilities coordination program that assesses facility needs and coordinates the public improvement plans of multiple city agencies;

 

c.Develops criteria for the review of capital projects for inclusion in the CIP that allows for an objective and transparent evaluation process;

 

d.Includes an itemized allocation in the capital budget for  implementation priorities that are specifically called for in the Comprehensive Plan;

 

e.Clarifies the role of the Office of Planning in the CIP process;

 

f.Ensures adequate staffing is in place and is available to support the CIP process; and

 

g.Develops and maintains a multi-year capital improvements planning process based on the Comprehensive Plan. 2509.7

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.