Brady PieperNew York’s Poughkeepsie Common Council has approved a $170.6 million Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that will identify capital projects and serve as a roadmap to substantial infrastructure undertakings over the next five years.
The approved CIP outlines the city’s strategy and funding needs for 2025 through 2029. One of the main goals is to address city engineering initiatives such as bridges, public buildings, parks, costly equipment and land acquisition—all of which will request the largest allocation of funds. Other departments requesting funding include public works, fire and police, information technology, joint water funds, corporate councils and development services.
Capital projects, defined as having useful life for no less than five years and budgets over $10,000, will maintain necessary upkeep and continue the modernization of infrastructure, capital equipment and public buildings. Projects must involve assets that are essential to the social and economic wellbeing of Poughkeepsie.
The development of this CIP is essential to pursuing federal grants for unfunded projects. According to the proposed plan, only 24% of capital projects are currently funded for 2025. Poughkeepsie and the Commons Council are still pursuing sponsors and grant programs to fund the remaining $47.5 million requested.
Over the next five years, the CIP is requesting over $243 million to fund their various capital projects. Year-to-year spending will include:
- 2025 – $62.1 million
- 2026 – $64.5 million
- 2027 – $45.2 million
- 2028 – $33.6 million
- 2029 – $37.9 million
Reinforcing Poughkeepsie’s climate and social wellbeing goals, the city is seeking additional funding for water and sewer projects aimed at addressing redevelopment and environmental issues. These include eliminating combined sewer overflows and lead pipes, modernizing the city’s transfer station, upgrading water production and pollution control facilities.
The plan also calls for renovating firehouses, purchasing heavy equipment, improving pedestrian and traffic flow on sidewalks and streets and investing in other infrastructure.
As one of the CIP’s main priorities, a three-phase lead pipe replacement plan will lay the groundwork for replacing all lead service lines in the next 30 years. This project is receiving nearly $26 million to catalog service lines, develop a service plan for the estimated $163 million worth of line repairs and to set the foundation for service replacements to begin.
Two water and sewage projects are set to receive a combined $86.3 million to improve water distribution systems and replace vital infrastructure at the water pollution control plant. The two projects will support the Common Council’s mission to innovate city utility infrastructure.
Public works initiatives call for $44 million and include projects such as pool rehabilitations, sidewalk programs, Kaal Rock Park shore stabilization and heavy equipment replacement.
Other projects from the approved CIP include a new fire engine and ladder truck for the fire department, a police vehicle replacement plan, an information technology infrastructure improvement plan and Joint Water plant filter, underdrain and sludge tank replacements.
