You are invited to share your thoughts on what should be the City’s capital improvement priorities during two public forums on Feb. 19 and Feb. 23.

Each forum will begin at 6 p.m. The forum on Thursday, Feb. 19, will be at the McNease Convention Center, 501 Rio Concho Drive. The forum on Monday, Feb. 23, will be at Lincoln Middle School, 255 Lake View Heroes Drive.

City staff is preparing the 2015-20 Capital Improvement Plan, which prioritizes the addressing of large capital needs. Eligible projects must have a useful life of at least three years, have a total estimated cost of more than $25,000 and require six months or more to complete. Street, water, drainage and park projects are included in the CIP, as are the ongoing renovations of San Angelo Regional Airport’s terminal and the impending improvements at City Auditorium.

The city charter requires that a five-year CIP be published and available to citizens – which it is in hard copy form at City Hall, 72 W. College Ave., and online at cosatx.us/budget. The charter further mandates that public input be sought to ensure it addresses citizens’ needs and wishes. Input may also be offered via an online form at cosatx.us/CIPinput.

Once the City Councilapproves the plan this spring, it will be used to help shape the budget for fiscal year 2016, which begins Oct. 1, 2015. CIP projects have a wide range of funding sources, including grants, designated revenue, debt instruments, fund balances, and sales and property taxes.

For more information about the CIP or the public forums, contact City BudgetManager Morgan Chegwidden at 325-653-6291.

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