04. Capital Improvement Committee Discussion Staff Report
Date of Meeting: September 3, 2026
For: Honorable Mayor and Council
From: Kyle Morell, City Administrator
Subject: Capital Improvement Committee Discussion
Background:
New Scandia Township and the City of Scandia have held Capital Improvement Committee
meetings on and off for the last 25 years. Typically, the Committee will review the CIP fund
spreadsheets prior to the preliminary budget presentation to the Council. The projects
included in the funds are suggested by staff and the Parks and Recreation Committee. Over the
last couple of years, the focus of the meetings has been on the condition of the City's roads and
the amount of money the City spends on maintaining them.
At last week's meeting, in response to Council’s concern about the amount of debt the City has
issued over the past 24 months, I suggested that the Committee consider creating a debt policy
for Council's review. This policy could help limit future debt issuances and help guide future
spending. The Committee did not necessarily see a point to this, stating that any policy they
suggest can simply be ignored by the City Council. Ultimately, one of the Committee members
asked what the City Council expects from the Committee. The Committee has no bylaws, so
there is nothing to provide guidance on appropriate discussion items.
Question:
What does the City Council want from the Capital Improvement Committee? What does the
Council view as its purpose, and what value can it add to the City?