The Community Improvement Program (CIP) manages the programming of funds for the City’s capital projects and special programs. Each year the Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopts a CIP that includes both a current year appropriation and a long-range capital planning component. The Plan also looks several years into the future to insure that long term community development needs of the City are met while minimizing tax impacts.
Funding in the CIP includes: grants from various federal, state and private sources; City bond funds; City operating cash funds; and capital funding for the City’s enterprise funds such as the Airport, Environmental Protection Division, the Manchester Water Works and the Recreation Enterprise.
Purpose of the Community Improvement Program:
- Coordinate Improvement Projects
- Provide access by the BMA and public to information on all projects and funding
- Provide streamlined accounting procedures
- Maximize federal & state dollars for needed projects
- Minimize tax rate impact of capital projects
- Provide for long-range planning of capital needs
- Establishes a means of setting overall community development priorities
The CIP staff of the Planning and Community Development Department are available to assist in answering questions on the CIP or in the process for applying for CIP funds.
The Community Improvement Program and Budget is a planning process which coordinates the service demands of the City with the available resources. It relies upon the active involvement of the Community Improvement Program Aldermanic Committee and the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen in major policy areas and assists the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in the coordination of departmental requests and provides relevant and concise information for decision making.
The Community Improvement Program (CIP) integrates the planning and policy aspects of the capital improvements budget and the service requirements that are beyond basic departmental needs.
SERVICE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
These services the City provides through the CIP have been grouped into seven major areas. They are: health and human services; education; public safety; recreation and leisure; housing and community development; transportation and the environment; and community management.
Goals and objectives have been identified within each of these seven major service areas. These goals and objectives are based upon a series of citizen workshops conducted from 1975 to 1983 where needs, demands and opportunities for Manchester were identified and discussed. Following review and comments by City departments and agencies, the goals and objectives were adopted by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
PROGRAM AND PROJECT PLANNING
Based upon community goals and objectives adopted by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, department heads and program managers each year develop specific programs and projects which are designed to meet specific service objectives. These program and project requests are submitted by department or agencies heads to their boards or commissions which recommend priorities to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
CRITERIA
In determining which programs or projects most effectively and efficiently address objectives, a series of program/project selection criteria are employed to evaluate each budget request prior to recommendation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
IDENTIFYING RESOURCES
What funds are available to the City to meet objectives? Operating within the financial constraints set by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, certain monies may be used to address objectives as identified. What federal and state grants may be available to the City? What is Manchester's allocation under the federal Community Development Block Grant, Home and other entitlement funds for this fiscal year? How much additional bonded debt might the City safely assume for the next multi-year planning period? To what extent are General Fund revenues available to fund high priority services?
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
A single resolution of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen provides authorization to initiate the entire program. Related action is necessary as part of the adoption of the Operating Budget and in authorizing the issuance of municipal bonds and notes.
The Community Improvement Program staff within the Planning & Community Development Department conducts the overall administration of the program. Prior to issuance to the Finance Department of authorization for projects, each entity must submit specific information on scheduling, budget, federal grant authorization, etc., and must formally reaffirm that the program/project will achieve the results promised at the time the program was initially considered or adopted.
As specific programs and projects are initiated, this budget and performance information is submitted to the Finance Committee for approval prior to expenditure. During the budget year, the Committee on Community Improvement Program additionally reviews new project initiations prior to the Finance Committee.
Based on these statement of accountability and performance, the departments or agencies must periodically submit on 30, 60 or 90 day basis, concise program/project reports. The reporting system serves to provide meaningful information and ensures that departments are achieving the milestones that they have outlined.
At the end of the fiscal year, an evaluation is undertaken to determine if the proposed outcomes have, in fact, been achieved. The evaluation reports are used in determining subsequent action with respect to continuing the program.
The CIP staff ensures that funded programs and projects are administered by their respective departments or agencies in a manner that ensures flexibility while meeting standards for accountability, performance, applicable regulations and budgetary limitations.