Identifying and tackling infrastructure projects will help to provide the foundations necessary for any society to function and thrive.
It has been proven in towns and cities all across the country that any given community will see increased revenues if their infrastructure and related services are attractive to businesses, and that revenue will be spent on more sustainable improvements. The impact of taking on these challenging yet rewarding projects requires careful planning, financing, and implementation to manage a municipality’s largest asset, its capital infrastructure.
A capital improvement plan (CIP) is a critical budgeting tool, and a good plan saves your taxpayers money. As you know, the assets which your community owns include municipal buildings, roads, bridges, equipment, vehicles and much more. All of these items have a life span and your CIP provides a working blueprint for how to sustain and improve these assets. It also aids your community in planning for the expansion of assets during a time of growth. Understanding and planning for the replacement of equipment or maintenance of buildings will help your community budget for those larger costs. For example, by doing so before something has reached the end of its useful life, a community can avoid an emergency repair or purchase.
CSS understands common challenges presented in government…
Infrastructure projects can be expensive, and governments at every level have to balance limited funds across a range of competing priorities. This can make it difficult to secure the necessary funding for infrastructure projects, especially in the times of supply chain issues and economic uncertainty which we are living in. Another common challenge of infrastructure projects is the shifting priorities of government policies. The process of planning, funding, and implementing infrastructure is often lengthy, involving multiple layers that lead to delays and other obstacles.
Don’t sweat it! CSS offers public administration, finance & grant management solutions.
We have good news! You don’t have to let the time to develop a plan for your community pass you by. Why? The CSS team develops and executes cost-effective public policy initiatives and services that ensure the financial stability, efficiency, and effectiveness of state and local government. Our staff will also identify which funding sources and grant opportunities to focus on to achieve your community’s goals (ARPA, federal infrastructure, various state programs).
Check out an example of something awesome our staff of municipal and state government experts did for the City of Lynn, MA.
Working with input from the City’s designated staff members, CSS developed a comprehensive recovery funding portfolio for the City of Lynn with funding streams to support the City’s COVID-19 pandemic disaster response and economic recovery. The portfolio included reimbursement programs, stimulus funding, grants/loans from various federal or state programs, especially those identified in COVID-19 related state and federal legislation. Funding streams included ARPA, Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, SLFRF and other future federal acts that may provide funding to the city. CSS also designed and formulated a monumental process for gathering public input with regard to this funding.
“My Administration’s partnership with Capital Strategic Solutions allowed our goals of transparency and inclusion to be at the forefront of community engagement. The CSS team always kept our goals in mind and has made a perceptible mark as we worked with residents to develop the City’s vision.”
Contact Capital Strategic Solutions
Gathering your staff and stakeholders together with the support of our experienced team can help you catalog your assets, prioritize your needs, coordinate those with your financial plan and put you in the best position to seek out other funding opportunities. With competing demands for every tax dollar, rating agencies place emphasis on a community thinking ahead regarding its capital needs. Contact us today by emailing info@capital-strategic-solutions.com or call us at 508-690-0046 ext 702.