Capital Improvement Program development: Implementation of a portion of the 2008 Park County Growth Policy prioritizing the development of a county-wide Capital Improvements Program, including, but not limited to: (1) bridges, (2) roads, (3) water and sewer, (4) public buildings and facilities, (5) parks and Recreation capital planning, (6) update of airports capital needs, (7) capital equipment acquisition, (8) fairgrounds, and (9) solid and hazardous waste disposal
Park County has never had a capital improvements program. The urgent need for a capital improvements program is identified throughout the voter-approved Park County Growth Policy:
1. Plan for delivery, extension, and installation of utilities, water supply, and wastewater systems consistent with infrastructure planning. (Chapter 3.7 – Public Utilities).
2. Develop a capital improvements program to provide the foundation of future applications for funding assistance from local, state and Federal funding sources. (Chapter 3.7 – Public Utilities)
3. Maintain and improve the condition and operational level of service of the existing and future road systems. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).
4. Identify costs and revenue sources for maintaining and improving all roads and for accepting new roads into the Park County road system. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).
5. Determine costs for maintenance and improvement of County roads and compare to revenues from federal, state, and local taxes on an annual bases. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).
6. Conduct a cost of services study to determine the costs road maintenance and upgrades in comparison to fees and taxes paid by residents and landowners. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).
7. Develop a plan for road and bridge management and maintenance. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).
8. Work with the County road department to create and maintain an inventory of roads, bridges, and culverts. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).9. Develop a maintenance and improvement plan for County roads, bridges, and culverts to identify and prioritize projects based on public safety and need. Traffic safety problems may take precedence over general maintenance projects. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).
10. Make provisions for road systems to accommodate current and future needs and meet emergency service standards. (Chapter 3.8 – Transportation).
11. Develop a Capital Improvement Plan for extension of infrastructure, including roads and utilities, for future growth. (Chapter 4.1 – Livingston Neighborhood Plan)
The Growth Policy goes on to emphasize that "Park County is directly responsible for roads and bridges, two airports, two county parks, solid waste disposal sites, fairgrounds, and manages various other properties. These constitute valuable assets that can benefit from planning and management for both the short-term and the longer term. The annual planning now occurring is necessary to avert such emergencies as the 2008-2010 collapses of, or severe damages to, the 9th Street Island bridge, Miller Road and Carabella bridges, the most immediate maintenance and operations needs.
. . . ."Long-term planning is essential for considering County-owned facilities and for assessing need for additional facilities. Existing assets can be examined for life cycle/life expectancy, cost of maintaining the asset in good condition, and eventual replacement of parts of or all of the asset. Long-term planning could be accomplished with a Capital Improvement Plan. (Chapter 6.6- Conclusion & Implementation)