In mid-January, Garland’s City Manager, Bryan Bradford, presented the proposed Capital Improvement Program budget to Mayor Douglas Athas and the City Council members. Since then, council has discussed it at several work sessions and public hearings. Residents who had ideas and opinions about the CIP budget and projects were encouraged to share them with council and the mayor at the public hearings.
The CIP is a list of planned capital projects for the next five years. To qualify as a capital project, the expenditure must have a useful life of more than five years and must exceed $25,000. The CIP budget is for the calendar year.
The CIP budget was approved at the Feb. 20 council meeting. Listed below are city departments along with some of the projects included in their approved CIP budgets. The approved budget amounts are also listed.
Parks – $9,615,000 — Includes improvements at the Atrium, Granville Arts Center and Plaza Theatre. The Granville Arts Center sculpture project will be completed. The continuation of renovations at Granger Rec Center, the dog/skate park and various other park and athletic field improvements are on the list.
Library – $4,898,000 — Includes RFID inventory control system and upgrades at library buildings.
Street/Transportation – $35,661,000 — Includes street construction and repair along with alley and sidewalk programs, traffic signal installation and emergency services signal equipment installation.
Drainage – $7,202,000 — Includes bridge remediation, flooding programs and street drainage improvements.
Public safety – $5,156,000 – An additional $1,028,000 was added to proposed total of $4,128,000 for the purchase of two ambulances and ambulance maintenance due to closure of Baylor Scott White Garland. Transport of citizens to hospitals farther away will increase trip time and wear on
existing ambulances. Fire station No. 5 will be completed. Installation of P25 standard radio system will be included.
Economic Development – $10,777,000 — Includes improvement of neighborhoods and businesses with focus on catalyst areas. Downtown landscaping, sidewalks and fencing will be included as well as improvements to gateways at downtown entrances. Neighborhood Vitality Program will continue. City Center project will be completed. Construction of offices for Economic Development Department.
Municipal facilities – $8,068,000 — Includes improvements to city facilities, code updates to city hall, renovation of Carter Senior Center. Also includes golf carts at Firewheel along with four vehicles for golf course maintenance.
Miscellaneous revenue supported and internal services – $6,654,000 — Includes telephone system replacement, completion of renovations at Fleet Services facility and network and cabling upgrades. Also includes various service vehicles for Stormwater and Environmental Waste departments.
Water – $24,838,000 — Includes completing west pressure plane as well as transmission mains, water distribution lines, pump station equipment and radio-read water meter installation.
Wastewater – $40,299,000 — Includes improvements at Rowlett Creek and Duck Creek and wastewater treatment plants. Also includes relocation of sanitary sewer interrupter (Keen Branch Draining Creek), construction of new Field Operations Center and renovations at Rowlett Creek Operations Center and
Administration Building.
Landfill – $2,448,000 – Includes replacement of compactor
Internal service programs – $1,510,000 – Includes IT and fleet services
Electric – $134,421,000 — Includes construction of transmission lines for Houston Import Project, upgrades to facilities, construction of new substations, continued funding of LED street light replacement and overhead and underground distribution line replacement programs.