Planning Process
Capital Implementation Program
The Capital Implementation Program division of the Department of Municipal Development administers the process by which capital improvement projects are planned, selected and proposed for adoption by the City Council. The capital plan covers a ten-year period, and is reviewed and updated biennially. Under the guidelines proposed by the Mayor and adopted by the City Council on January 18, 2012, city departments developed and extensively reviewed projects and programs to arrive at the 2013-2022 capital improvements program. The project proposals contained in this document encompass the capital requirements for the City of Albuquerque to be funded with general obligation bonds. These projects represent the first two-year cycle of the current Decade Plan.
Selection of Projects
The general obligation bond projects summarized in this document have been through several stages of review and public comment including:
- Staff Review Committee
Selected staff members rated all projects based on City Council adopted criteria. Individual ratings were averaged to determine the overall rank of the projects. Members of the committee included staff from the capital implementation program, office of management & budget, the planning department and the environmental health department. City departments made informal presentations to the staff review committee. Rated and ranked projects were forwarded to the CIP Review Committee.
- CIP Review Committee
Ranked projects were evaluated by senior city management (CIP Committee.) The Director of City Council Services and her staff also participated in this process. Funding recommendations were made to the Mayor by this committee.
- Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) Public Hearing
EPC reviewed the Mayor’s proposed capital program at a public hearing on November 8, 2012. The commissioners found that the program conformed to the policies and criteria established by the City Council.
- Albuquerque City Council Review and Program Adoption
Following review and public hearing by EPC, the Mayor forwards his recommended program of capital improvements to the City Council. By ordinance the Council must also conduct at least one public hearing. As the governing body of the City of Albuquerque, the City Council has the responsibility to finalize the plan that will be placed on the ballot.
The City Council considered the 2013 capital program during meetings of the Committee of the Whole on February 7, 2013 and February 14, 2013 and they amended and adopted the program at a regular meeting on March 4, 2013. Two public hearings were conducted, one during committee deliberation and one during final action.
Voter Approval
All general obligation bonds must be approved by the voters in the municipal election, scheduled for Tuesday OCTOBER 8, 2013. They have been grouped into 10 ballot questions. Ballot questions were approved by the City Council on June 24, 2013.
If these ballot questions are approved by the voters, the City Council will make corresponding fund appropriations, during the first quarter of 2014. At this time, implementing agencies throughout the City will begin to take action on the authorized capital improvement projects.