The essential components of this Capital Improvements Plan (CIP or Plan) include identifying projects, evaluating and prioritizing projects, and developing cost estimates and funding approaches. Ultimately, the plan is intended to ensure the Town of Circle is positioned to:

▪ Improve its infrastructure through construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance.

▪ Maximize the useful life of capital investments by scheduling major renovation, rehabilitation, or replacement at the appropriate time in the lifecycle of the facility or equipment.

▪ Identify and examine current and future infrastructure needs and establish project priorities to use available resources to the community’s best advantage.

▪ Improve financial planning by balancing needs and resources and identifying funding options; and

▪ Develop an implementation schedule for prioritized projects.

While much of the Town of Circle budget and financial planning efforts are by necessity focused on one or, at most, two-year intervals, capital planning can still help focus attention on the Town’s long-term objectives and financial capacity. This will help balance operating and capital needs. Like many communities in Montana, the Town of Circle is often faced with the option of reducing its capital plan objectives to balance the operating budget. A formal and adopted Capital Improvements Plan will help maintain a consistent spending level for capital needs, barring any unforeseen events.

The Town retained Great West Engineering to assist in preparing the CIP. The Mayor, Public Works Director and Town Clerk worked with the staff from Great West Engineering to identify needed projects and to provide cost estimates for as many as possible. In addition, existing information, such as the Town’s Park Inventory, was used to develop this plan. A MCEP planning grant and local resources funded the CIP.

The Town evaluated the individual projects identified in this plan with a view to long-term objectives and how they relate to each other. The evaluation resulted in a list of the highest capital improvement priorities determined by the Town Council in consultation with Town staff and residents. The Town reported that the main priority would be the improvements to the water and sewer systems, followed by items relating to public safety.