Making the best use of scarce resources was an objective March 10 of a special Town Council meeting where the town’s capital improvement plan was trimmed.

Staff went to the council seeking direction to help refocus and prioritize capital projects on the lengthy list.

Some items are not viable, have been completed or are being completed in conjunction with other projects.

Staff presented 70 items from the project list and asked the council to cancel them.

Nearly 10 years ago, shortly after the adoption of the town’s Strategic Plan, staff prepared a list of capital projects that constituted a 25-year plan totaling more than $100 million.

At the time it was viewed as more of a general guide with no funding identified.

However, some of those projects still haunt the capital improvement shorter-term plans and Town Manager Ken Buchanan said it was time to clean it up.

“Some of these (projects), we don’t even know what they are,” Buchanan said.

The council agreed and voted to cancel those proposed for elimination.

The council also approved a list of capital projects for the upcoming 2015-16 fiscal year. Staff will come back to the council with a new list of priority projects for its consideration.

The council also used the meeting to approve an amendment to the Pavement Management Program related to the asphalt replacement program (see separate story).

Staff is proposing $14.2 million in capital projects for the next fiscal year. That would include about $4 million in bond funding for the Saguaro Boulevard reconstruction that will carry over into next fiscal year.

Staff has also included $3.4 million for the relocation of Fire Station No. 2. This is about $1 million more than has been allocated. Buchanan said the $2.5 million estimate they were working with was done in 2009 and needed updating.

Buchanan also said that staff continues to work on due diligence related to questions the council had regarding the siting for the new fire station.

There are questions related to comparing costs and viability of two potential locations for the facility.

Staff is also working on a land swap with MCO Properties for one of those two sites.

There is $1 million in next year’s capital plan for the completion of the Shea Boulevard improvements currently under construction. Half of that is grant funding and the other half from the town’s capital fund.

An additional $2.1 million is designated for the Ashbrook Wash drainage improvements. The town is working with the Maricopa County Flood Control District on this project with partial funding from the district ($835,000).

The Ashbrook project was to be done concurrently with the Saguaro Boulevard reconstruction, but has been somewhat delayed over legal discussions with Salt River Project.

Development Services Director Paul Mood said that Nesbitt Contracting is leaving the portion of Saguaro that crosses over Ashbrook Wash unimproved until the drainage work is done.

The project calls for new concrete culverts under Saguaro at the wash, as well as similar work upstream at Bayfield Drive.

There will also be work to clean up the drainage basin through the wash including the removal of numerous palm trees.

Mood said the objective of the wash project is to eliminate concerns about flood water overtopping the streets and protecting private residential property along the wash from flooding.

Improvements at Fountain Park, scheduled to get under way within weeks, will have $700,000 allocated from next year’s capital budget.

The town also has $600,000 set aside for a shoulder improvement project on Fountain Hills Boulevard between Cholla Drive and Kingstree Boulevard. Of that total funding, $255,000 is grant money.

Mood said that if the town does not continue to pursue this project it will be in danger of losing the grant money due to the lapse in time.

This project would pave the shoulders to improve the surface for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as correct erosion issues.

Buchanan said this is an important safety issue for cyclists and pedestrians.

“We are not just in the business of moving vehicles,” Buchanan said. “We are multi-modal and need to consider bicycles and pedestrians.”

Next year’s capital improvement program also includes some funding ($200,000) for Fountain Lake water quality improvements. There is also money for paving dusty alleys ($200,000).

Staff also noted that future capital improvements are in danger of being underfunded. Currently there is a fund balance and a portion of construction sales tax revenue is being allocated to the Capital Improvement Fund.

However, the State Legislature is once again considering legislation that would deal a serious blow to the sales tax revenue from construction in the community.