By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

County officials have reviewed Livingston County’s new Capital Improvement Plan and process.

Principal Planner from the County Planning Department, Rob Stanford delivered a report on the 2022-2027 Capital Improvement Plan to the Board of Commissioner’s Finance Committee, Wednesday. Stanford delivered the planning commission’s findings and provided an overview of the process to the Board, many of which are relatively new to their seats.

Livingston County defines a capital project that costs in excess of $50,000 and has a useful life greater than 3 years. Standard operational and routine, reoccurring costs are excluded. Stanford went through the interactive PDF that departments fill out when requesting a major job. Along with a name and picture, the planning department is looking for a total 6-year cost, project alternatives that have been sought out, and how it connects to the county’s strategic plan. Applicants also rank the need of the project on a four point scale and list any other planning projects it may be tied to in order to help with coordination.

The county has been using this general process for a few years, and with Stanford explaining how the pandemic has affected their total cumulative proposed expenditures. This year, they are projecting roughly $38.7-million dollars in expenditures, compared to $23-million and $25-million the previous two years. He said they were very cautious with COVID, and that’s why the previous numbers were so low. Going back to the two years prior, expenditures more closely match the 2022-2027 plan.

The current plan includes 48 proposed projects, with 19 of them being new this year. Stanford pointed out that Commissioners were approving the plan in general, and not final approval of projects. That is done during the budget process.

The plan was approved by the Finance Committee, unanimously.