San Angelo Public Forums to Explore City Projects

San Angeloans are invited to share their thoughts of what should be the City’s capital improvement priorities during a pair of public forums on Feb. 18 and Feb. 23.

Each forum will begin at 6 p.m. The forum on Thursday, Feb. 18, will be in the cafetorium at Lincoln Middle School, 255 Lake View Heroes Drive. The forum on Tuesday, Feb. 23, will be in the City Council chambers at the McNease Convention Center, 501 Rio Concho Drive. That forum will be televised live on SATV, Suddenlink channel 17, and rebroadcasted in the weeks afterward. It will also be made available on the City’s website at cosatx.us and on its YouTube channel at youtube.com/CityofSanAngeloTx.

City staff is preparing the 2016-21 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 renovation and expansion of City Auditorium and the impending completion of the Red Arroyo Trail.

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 Council approves the plan this spring, it will be used to help shape the budget for fiscal year 2017, which begins Oct. 1, 2016. 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 Budget Manager Morgan Chegwidden at morgan.chegwidden@cosatx.us or 325-653-6291.