The District is involved in a continuous process of evaluating infrastructure maintenance and capital improvement needs. An updated 5-Year CIP plan must be submitted to New Mexico Department of Finance & Administration (DFA) each year, typically in September. As a result, the planning, review, and approval of the 5-Year CIP Plan consists of:

Initial Planning: In this stage, projects are identified and need is determined.  A  budget-level estimate of costs is determined for planning purposes. These projects are listed on the 5-Year Capital Improvement Project (CIPs) Plan for review and discussion by the Board.

Prioritization: Project prioritization is a Board activity based on recommendations by operations staff, consultants, and other agencies.  Budget limitations and funding availability are taken into consideration at this point (e.g., does the District have capital or grant funds available, should we apply for a grant, etc.).  The Board then reviews and approves the 5-Year CIP Plan at a Board meeting. The Board must select, at least, the five CIPs with highest priority for submittal within the 5-Year CIP Plan to DFA for potential funding by the State.

Approval to Proceed: Board approval is required to proceed with major maintenance or replacement projects or with any CIP. Due to the limited funding and staff to manage the various projects, Board approval is often given for phases of a project; for example, initially the Board might approve the planning, design, and engineering phase before proceeding with procurement, construction, and/or installation phases. Although needs are usually recognized early, funding and staff limitations have historically determined if and when a project will proceed.

The 5-Year CIP Plan is maintained as the master list of identified capital improvement projects (CIPs).  This Board-approved list is [approved by the Board and] reviewed and updated as circumstances change (e.g., a grant or other funding is received, critical maintenance issue arises). You may view or download the most current 5-Year Capital Improvement Project Plan from the link in the Key Resources column at right.