(1) Capital Facilities Program. The Capital Facilities Program within this element is a six (6) year financing plan for capital expenditures to be incurred each year. It sets forth each capital project which the jurisdiction plans to undertake and presents estimates of the resources needed to finance the project. The Capital Facilities Program will reflect the goals, policies, and implementation strategy of the capital facilities element. The first year of the Capital Facilities Program will be converted to the annual capital budget, while the remaining five (5) year program will provide long-term planning. Only the expenditures and appropriations in the annual budget are binding financial commitments. The projections for the remaining five (5) years are not binding, and the capital projects recommended for future development may be altered or not developed due to cost or changing circumstances. The Capital Facilities Program is a six (6) year rolling plan that will be revised and extended annually to reflect changing circumstances.

(2) Definition of Capital Improvement. This capital facilities element is concerned with needed improvements which are of relatively large scale, are generally nonrecurring high cost, and may require multiyear financing. The list of improvements has been limited to major components in order to analyze development trends and impacts at a level of detail which is both manageable and reasonably accurate.

Smaller scale improvements of less than $10,000 in cost will usually be addressed in the annual capital budget as they occur over time.

For the purposes of capital facility planning, “capital improvements” are major projects, activities, or maintenance, generally costing over $10,000, requiring the expenditure of public funds over and above annual operating expenses. They have a life expectancy of more than ten (10) years and result in an addition to the City’s fixed assets and/or extend the life of the existing capital infrastructure.

They do not include capital outlay items such as equipment or the City’s rolling stock, nor do they include the capital expenditures of private or nonpublic organizations. Minor projects, activities, or maintenance costing less than $10,000, are considered minor maintenance and are not a part of capital improvements.

Capital projects may include design, engineering efforts, permitting, environmental analysis, land acquisition, construction, major maintenance, site improvements, energy conservation projects, landscaping, initial furnishings, and equipment.

(3) Projection of Capital Facility Needs Identified in Adoption of Capital Improvement Plan. A major source of information for the projection of capital facility needs was the City of Forks Capital Improvement Plan, adopted in March, 1993. This document served as a five (5) year projection of capital facility needs for water, sewer, parks, streets, drainage, airport and buildings and grounds. It was developed in collaboration with city department heads and the Forks City Council.