CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

The county’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) details capital projects included in the 2023 budget as well as those under consideration for funding each year through 2027.

The first year of the CIP is included in the budget unless supported by bond proceeds, grants, another funding source not included in the annual budget submitted to Council. The remaining four years of the CIP lists the capital projects identified for implementation and their estimated cost. Each year, the list of projects is reviewed for need and cost. The CIP is not a commitment of funds for future years.

Cip Planning Cycle

The development of the CIP is a continuous process which attempts to compile, review, analyze, and justify information from numerous sources to forecast future capital needs. County departments are constantly working to identify, evaluate, and prioritize projects within the constraints of available funding.

In June, the Division of Performance Management and Budget provides departments with instructions on submitting their CIP proposals for the next five‐year period. Proposals must be submitted by departments in June/July and are reviewed and summarized for consideration by the County Executive. Final funding recommendations are submitted to County Council through the County Executive’s recommended budget.

Project Prioritization

Capital projects are prioritized in different ways, depending upon the specific needs of a department and the source(s) of available funding. The following describes how projects within the Department of Transportation & Public Works are prioritized.

 Transportation Projects

Projects typically address a safety, congestion, maintenance, multimodal or access need. Once a potential project is identified by staff, via programmed maintenance, public input, at the request of the County Council, or some other avenue, the department gathers data on the issue which may include current and future land use, the number and severity of accidents, topography, number of access points, type of access, existing traffic volume, condition ratings, anticipated future traffic demand, relationship with and integration of multiple modes, and coordination with county, department strategic initiatives, and funding opportunities. This data is evaluated and where possible

“weighted’ to sufficiently compare competing needs. Many projects address a combination of needs.

For complex projects, the department develops a concept plan and cost estimates. For jobs that are typical road rehabilitation in scope, cost estimates are generated from historic bid data. The department determines if funding exists to advance a project further in the project development stage of design. Through various means, the department will engage interested stakeholders including the appropriate council member. In instances where the project includes extensive property acquisition or impact to residences, businesses, and parkland, or involves new concepts that may alter travel patterns or mode choice, the department will engage the public for feedback If funding is available through outside partners who have a mutual interest in a project (Missouri Department of Transportation, municipalities, Metro/Bi‐State, etc.), a project could be moved to a higher priority status.

For maintenance projects such as County Road System (CRS) concrete replacement or Arterial Road System (ARS) infrastructure projects, road ratings show which roads need to be included in the 5‐year plan. Road ratings will determine which roads are selected for inclusion in the Capital Program. It is more likely that roadways with a lower pavement condition rating will be considered for preservation treatments as appropriate and as funding allows.

 Public Works Projects

County facility capital projects typically address safety issues, equipment or structural deterioration, equipment upgrades, or space requirements. Potential projects are identified by facility experts, department directors, or tenants. The department evaluates options to address the issue and estimates the project cost.

Projects are not prioritized using a formal scoring system – they are ranked based on the impact on safety and environmental quality for visitors and employees. This includes access to facilities for all and attention to deteriorating structural elements. Deteriorated equipment and weatherproofing of facilities are the next focus as the failure of these items can cause valuable equipment, records, and workspace to be compromised. When multiple projects of similar priority are being compared and limited funding will not allow all projects to move forward, the department favors projects which affect the greatest number of people and protect the most valuable resources.

Project Funding

Capital projects may be funded through annual appropriations, master lease financing, general obligation bonds, certificates of participation, special obligation bonds, or other financing tools. The decision to use a specific method is made depending upon the size, cost, and useful life of the project, coupled with available funding and debt capacity. Following is a description of available financing options:

 Annual Appropriation

Projects may be financed through an appropriation within the operating budget of the user department.

 Master Lease Program

A master lease program can fund capital projects with a useful life between three and ten years. The county contracts with a vendor to provide project financing with annual principal and interest payments budgeted in the operating budget of the user department. The county does not have an active master lease program currently.

 Certificates of Participation (COPs)

COPs are financing arrangements where an individual or entity purchases a share of the lease revenues of an agreement made by the county, rather than the bond being secured by those revenues. The county has no active COPs currently.

 Special Obligation Bonds

Special obligation bonds are bonds where an investor’s sole security is the county’s promise to make annual principal and interest payments. All outstanding special obligation bonds are summarized in the debt management chapter of this document.

 General Obligation Bonds

General obligation bonds are bonds backed by the taxing power of St. Louis County. All outstanding general obligation bonds are summarized in the debt management chapter of this document.

2023 Capital Improvement Budget

The 2023 capital improvement program budget includes $68.5 million in capital project funding. All projects are summarized on the following pages. Note that this includes $8.6 million in project financing provided by bond proceeds, grants, other third‐party sources. These moneys are held in funds not included in this presentation. 

Operating Budget

The 2023 operating budget includes $14.9 million in appropriations for capital improvement projects (this excludes projects funded by bond proceeds, grants, and other third‐party sources.)

 Transportation Capital Budget

The 2023 budget for the Transportation Capital Construction Program (CCP) is $45.0 million, an increase of $4.1 million or 10.1% compared to the 2022 revised budget. The 2023 CCP is appropriated from the following funds1: o Federal Aid Urban Trust fund

(5080): $19,685,722 o Transportation Highway Fund

(5590): $25,342,802

Table A provides a summary of the 2023 work plan and budget. The budget is in accordance with the Department of Transportation & Public Works’ 5‐year CCP. The 2023 CCP will support project activity of $102.3 million, including $13.7 million of construction work on 2022 and prior year awarded construction projects. The 2023 budget will allow the department to commence and continue design, acquire right‐of‐ way, and let construction contracts for system maintenance, traffic safety, pedestrian and bicycle enhancements, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvement projects.

The 2023 CCP supports the County Executive’s strategic priority of rebuilding infrastructure by including projects and programs the rehabilitate aging infrastructure while enhancing mobility and connectivity throughout the county. These projects and programs include arterial road maintenance, collector road maintenance, subdivision street maintenance, Complete Streets improvements related to sidewalks, trails, bicycling and transit, as well as ongoing efforts to improve ADA compliance within the county’s right‐of‐way.

Maximizing federal funding opportunities is forcing the department to spend less on maintenance activities on roads (not eligible for federal funding) such as subdivision streets. The department is also spending less on maintenance activity for minor streets and other projects which are not competitive for federal funds. In 2023, the department has budgeted $5 million for subdivision street maintenance countywide despite over $44 million needed to rehabilitate subdivision pavement currently rated in poor condition.

The department is committed to maximizing the impact of every

**Includes taxpayer dollar and will continue to work to obtain funding from alternative sources for all candidate projects to maximize the ability to provide a safe, flexible, efficient, and well‐maintained transportation system. This includes the utilization of federal funding programs such as the Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ), Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), and the Highway Bridge Program (HBP) whenever prudent. The department will continue to market the county’s needs to leverage alternative funding.

Despite a transportation work plan of more than $408 million over the next 5 years, there are still hundreds of millions of dollars in needed improvement and enhancements on the road network. The department currently estimates that $267 million is needed to complete the ADA transition plan, which is federally mandated; in addition, it has identified $273 million in pedestrian and bicycle enhancements which would benefit the region and is tens of millions of dollars short annually for basic system maintenance.

The department needs additional funding to maintain and enhance the road system. This will require a funding source to be identified and must be coupled with a substantial increase in the department’s project development and construction staff to deliver an annual program appropriately sized while continuing to ensure that the county receives quality work and meets Missouri Department of Transportation requirements for projects utilizing federal funds.