City of Amarillo looks to the future with Community Investment Program

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - As Amarillo continues to grow, the City is looking to the future with a five year plan.

The Community Investment Program (CIP) is a document laying out the needs of Amarillo.

The City is looking at a five year window for planning major capital projects and purchases.

The plan is updated on a yearly basis, year one of that plan is approved into the annual city budget.

City departments were asked to identify their priorities and needs and then those are listed in order in the plan.

“Like a new bus for the transit department or loaders for trash trucks for the solid waste, police cars, fire trucks, even facility type stuff, you know, carpet at the library or maybe a roof on one of the club houses at the golf courses,” said Kyle Schniederjan, director of capital projects and development engineering directory, City of Amarillo.

It also includes infrastructure such as, water, sewer or street projects.

The plan also helps with turnover in the departments, ensuring everyone is aware of future needs.

Schniederjan says the total projected value for the five year program is $545.9 million.

“We’re constantly working on how we’re going to fund those needs, because again, only year one of that five year plan is actually funded,” said Schniederjan.

Something that is new in this year’s plan is that the City is looking even further into the future, looking out about 20 years.

“There’s about $1.7 billion worth of projects that were identified by the departments as needed projects that there is no identified funding source for and so we have 20 years to work that out and to work through those,” said Schniederjan.

Right now, the CIP is in its council review stage, questions and comments will be taken not only by council members, but the general public as well.

The timeline is as follows:

• First public hearing: March 28
• Second public hearing and proposed adoption: April 11

Then the department will be underway with 2022-2023 project coordination activities and soon after the city will work on next years budget and CIP.

To read the CIP draft and learn more about future projects, click here.

Copyright 2023 KFDA. All rights reserved.