The City of Saint Augusta started taking it's first steps into the future last night as the City Council held a workshop about the city's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP is a 'road map' of the vision for the city. Input from the community will be vital for decision-makers as this process plays out over the next several months and years.

What is a CIP?

According to OpenGov.com: A capital improvement plan typically consists of one or more capital improvement projects, which are financed through a capital budget. CIPs are important tools for local governments, allowing them to plan strategically for community growth and transformation.

The City of Saint Augusta's City Council met last night at 7pm for their monthly scheduled workshop. This month's workshop revolved around the CIP. On hand besides the councilmembers were members from Moore Engineering, Tyson Hajicek and Chris Bunders.

The workshop was an exercise for the council and Moore Engineering to find what items were priority items for the City of Saint Augusta moving forward over the next several years, even decades into the future. The council was focusing on ways for the community to come together, as well as enticing new residents to live and work in Saint Augusta. Some examples that the council discussed were adding sidewalks and trails to connect neighborhoods, as well as eventually connecting the trail system to the Beaver Island Trail in St. Cloud.

Another item that had the council's focus was utilities, specifically water and sewer. The city currently gets its water and sewer from the City of St. Cloud. One of the ways to grow commercial development, whether that is along Highway 15 or I-94, would be to invest in more water and sewer being put in along those corridors.

The third item that came up towards the end of the worksession was prioritizing street repair, and regular street maintenance.

Moore Engineering will take the feedback and ideas that were generated and work to put those into a Capital Improvement Plan for the city, for leaders to plan for the future more accurately and more transparently.

At some point, residents of Saint Augusta may be asked to supply feedback to the council and city staff as to what they would like to see come to or grow in Saint Augusta.

It should be noted that nothing was voted on, nothing as of now will change but the path towards potential future growth for the town of 3,000 residents took the first step last night at City Hall.

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The next Saint Augusta City Council meeting will be on May 6th at 7pm in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.

(It should be noted that the author, Paul Shea, is also a member of the Saint Augusta Planning Commission.)