Green Oak Township residents will soon be able to view an outline of future and ongoing projects in the municipality, as well as each one’s cost, funding source and objectives.

A Capital Improvement Plan is mandated by the state and aims to secure project planning in local communities. Green Oak Township currently has a master plan, but it’s over 100 pages long and is considered to be not as user-friendly as a CIP. The township’s Board of Trustees met Wednesday and approved a resolution to comply with the state’s planning requirement, after reviewing a basic outline of what will be the municipality’s first CIP.

A CIP functions as a financing tool for the township’s Board of Trustees and residents by offering a snapshot of improvement projects scheduled within the next six years and sometimes beyond. Officials will update the plan annually around budget-planning time.

The plan was developed by Chuck Fellows, a member of the Planning Commission, Treasurer Susan Daugherty and Supervisor Mark St. Charles. St. Charles says the board has been “dragging their feet” when it comes to the CIP as they tried to determine the best way to approach it. The goal was to make it accurate, but also easy-to-read and understand.

Township officials are still finalizing the document but hope to have it posted on the township’s website within the next 30 days. The CIP lists each project by priority, cost, funding source, and start and end dates. St. Charles says though the plan is still being edited, he’s certain that Green Oak’s new police station will be listed as the first priority, and likely followed by additional parking spaces at township hall. (DK)