Comprehensive Plan Policies - Capital Improvements Element

Capital Improvements Element

With an operating budget in 2003 of about $11 million, excluding separate utility funds, the city budgets another approximate $3 million for capital improvement projects annually. The following goals, objectives and policies have been adopted to guide decision-making regarding those expenditures:

Goal 1

The City shall undertake fiscal actions necessary to provide and maintain public facilities for all residents, within its jurisdiction, at the adopted levels of service.

Objective 1.1

Capital improvements will be provided to correct existing deficiencies, to accommodate desired future growth, and to replace worn out or obsolete facilities, as indicated in the five-year schedule of improvements which are designed to correct existing deficiencies identified in this element.

Policy 1.1.1

The City shall maintain a Capital Improvements Advisory Committee for the purpose of evaluating and ranking, in order of priority, projects proposed for inclusion in the five-year schedule of improvements.

Policy 1.1.2

The City shall annually develop and update a multi-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

Policy 1.1.3

Proposed capital improvement projects shall be evaluated and ranked in order of priority according to the following guidelines:

Project is needed to eliminate a proven or obvious hazard to public health and safety; o project is needed to fulfill a legal commitment by the City;

Project is needed to preserve, maintain, refurbish, achieve full use, or replace existing facilities;

Project will provide or bring an existing facility up to an adopted level of service;

Project will increase efficiency or use of existing facilities, prevents or reduces future improvement cost, or provides service to all residents equitably;

Project furthers policies adopted in other elements of this plan;

Project needed to accommodate facility demands resulting from new development or re-development;

Project will increase the economic base or quality of life of the residents; o budget impact of project, both capital and operating, will be considered and committee will consider financial feasibility of project; and

Project will be reviewed for consistency with plans of other agencies having responsibility for public facilities within the jurisdiction.

Policy 1.1.4

As appropriate, efforts shall be made to secure grants or private funds on a continuing basis whenever available to finance capital improvements.

Objective 1.2

The City shall manage its debt in a manner to retain the integrity of its fiscal resources.

Policy 1.2.1

The City shall not incur any form of indebtedness that would result in reducing its ability to be rated for a bond issue.

Policy 1.2.2

The City shall confine long-term borrowing to capital improvements too large to be financed from current revenues.

Policy 1.2.3

The City Commission will only approve bond issues structured to be paid back within a period not to exceed the expected useful life of the capital project.

Policy 1.2.4

Where possible, special assessment, revenue, or other self-supporting bonds will be used instead of general obligation bonds.

Policy 1.2.5

Total debt service for general obligation debt shall not exceed 10 percent of net operating revenues.

Objective 1.3

The City shall utilize its fiscal resources to eliminate any identified existing deficiencies and ensure the provision of needed capital improvements at adopted levels of service as specified in the elements of the comprehensive plan.

Policy 1.3.1

The City, through its representative on the PPC, shall work with other governmental jurisdictions to establish a strategy to ensure that the entire cost of providing necessary capital facilities, at adopted levels of service, for any future development or redevelopment within the jurisdiction shall not be borne by existing residents.

Policy 1.3.2

The City shall coordinate with the County, other state agencies, water management district, and other municipalities that provide public facilities within the City's jurisdiction to ensure projects are funded in a fiscally equitable manner, apportioning the costs of growth among those who are responsible for it.>

Policy 1.3.3

The City shall, when appropriate, collect impact fees in cooperation with other levels of government.

Policy 1.3.4

The City shall issue development permits only when required capital facilities are present or will be available concurrent with the impact of development. All new development and redevelopment proposals shall be reviewed under the City's Concurrency Management System Ordinance to ensure the level of service standards established in this element shall be maintained.

Policy 1.3.5

Land use decisions and available or projected fiscal resources shall be coordinated with the schedule of capital improvements to ensure that level of service standards will be met.

Policy 1.3.6

The adopted levels of service for public facilities within the jurisdiction of the City of St. Pete Beach shall be those adopted in the other elements of the comprehensive plan.

Objective 1.4

In recognition of the fact the entire community is located within the identified Coastal High Hazard Area, as redefined by Rule 9J-5, F.A.C., public expenditures that subsidize development in Coastal High Hazard Areas shall be limited, to the extent practical, to those improvements necessary to existing development or new development that is consistent with the Future Land Use Map, adopted in 1998.

Policy 1.4.1

The City shall expend funds in Coastal High Hazard Areas only for existing development or new development that is consistent with the Future Land Use Map.