From Virginia State Codes:
§ 15.2-2239. Local planning commissions to prepare and submit annually
capital improvement programs to governing body or official charged with
preparation of budget.
A local planning commission may, and at the direction of the governing body
shall, prepare and revise annually a capital improvement program based on the
comprehensive plan of the locality for a period not to exceed the ensuing
five years. The commission shall submit the program annually to the governing
body, or to the chief administrative officer or other official charged with
preparation of the budget for the locality, at such time as it or he shall
direct. The capital improvement program shall include the commission's
recommendations, and estimates of cost of the facilities, including any road
improvement and any transportation improvement the locality chooses to
include in its capital improvement plan and as provided for in the
comprehensive plan, and the means of financing them, to be undertaken in the
ensuing fiscal year and in a period not to exceed the next four years, as the
basis of the capital budget for the locality. In the preparation of its
capital budget recommendations, the commission shall consult with the chief
administrative officer or other executive head of the government of the
locality, the heads of departments and interested citizens and organizations
and shall hold such public hearings as it deems necessary.
Localities may use value engineering for any capital project. For purposes of
this section, "value engineering" has the same meaning as that in §
2.2-1133.
(Code 1950, § 15-966; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-464; 1975, c. 641; 1976, c. 650;
1996, c. 553; 1997, c. 587; 2006, c. 565.)
Once again, if you head back to the minutes and documents of the past, this is something that has been only partially done (at best) or all but ignored (at worst). Many of the items included in the Town's alleged Capital Improvement Plan are not even Capital Improvements! Capital Improvements do not include money to non-profit agencies and the Planning Commission has no business offering decisions/suggestions to the Town Council on that. Heck! It's not a land use issue.
This is one of the reasons why we desperately need to get Planning Commissioners to complete the certification program. They have little knowledge of what their role is and boundaries are crossed on a routine and regular basis.
Since this is where most of of Town Council members come from, it creates an even worse issue when the people they are reporting to have the same lack of training as the people doing the reporting. This lack of knowledge serves to encourage BAD decisions. This tool, if it were provided as it is intended, would help the Town Council make fact-based decisions that are in the benefit of the public while maintaining a high level of accountability to the taxpayers for use of tax funds.
Although the Town Manager has informed me that the Town does a Capital Improvement Plan instead of a Capital Improvement Program, there is no separate distinction with the State Codes. Why even Wikipedia shows the terms are interchangeable. In fact, Wikipedia does a superb job of clarifying the purpose and components that comprise a Capital Improvement Program/Plan. You really should take a few minutes to read this. Then you'll know more than the Planning Commission and Town Council members about the topic:)
After having raised this issue several times over the last year, I had hoped to see some positive movement on this front. Alas, I am again disappointed. Maybe next year....may the next NEW TOWN COUNCIL!
Come watch the festivities on Monday afternoon, maybe...just maybe, they will prove me wrong. (I keep hoping.)