City of Delaware Finance Committee Meeting - August 31, 2026

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Review

The Finance Committee met on August 31, 2026, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers to review the proposed 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). City Manager Paul Brake, Assistant City Manager Andy Beare, Director Alycia Hefner, Parks Superintendent JP Lincoln, and Police Chief Adam Moore presented the plan. The meeting included elections for committee chair and vice chair, approval of prior meeting minutes, and detailed presentations on proposed capital projects across multiple departments.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Motion Summary (November 14, 2025): The motion summary from the November 14, 2025 Finance Committee meeting was approved with two abstentions (Councilmembers McClellan and Haynes) and one affirmative vote (Mayor Rickel). The motion passed.
• Election of Chair and Vice Chair: Councilmember Adam Haynes was unanimously elected Chair, and Councilmember McClellan was unanimously elected Vice Chair for the committee.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public offered comments.

Discussion Items

Capital Improvement Plan Overview

• City Manager Paul Brake outlined the CIP as a multi-year tool to preserve existing city assets, adapt to financial forecasts, and leverage funding sources (e.g., grants, impact fees). He noted that approximately $4 million from the general fund is used to secure many times that amount from other sources.
• The 2027-2031 CIP introduces a seven-year planning horizon for infrastructure projects and organizes projects by geography rather than by department, aiming to improve transparency and coordinated planning (e.g., combining road paving with waterline replacements).
• Assistant City Manager Andy Beare and Director Alycia Hefner presented three themes: addressing safety and security, leveraging grant and utility funds, and emphasizing regional planning.
• Hefner showed a general fund summary highlighting a significant starting fund balance (due to lower-than-expected roof repair costs) and a projected deficit in out-years, which serves as a roadmap to identify grant needs or project adjustments.

Parks and Recreation Presentation (JP Lincoln)

• Building Maintenance: Projects include air handler and north entry remodel at City Hall, Justice Center jury room remodel, snow/ice guards at Public Works, HVAC and insulation at Unity Community Center, and exterior tuck-pointing and roof/HVAC at Fire Station 302.
• Equipment: Purchase of zero-turn mowers (annual replacement to maximize trade-in value), a turf sprayer (new), and replacement of a 23-year-old John Deere tractor and two-wheel-drive finish mower.
• Play Equipment and Courts: Resealing and relining basketball courts at Kensington Park and Stratford Park.
• Park Improvements: A new pre-fab restroom at Blue Limestone Park (to replace a 1950s-era facility), replacement of bonded rubber surfacing at Veterans Park (10-year lifespan), and trail construction along the Olentangy River and Delaware Run corridor (including a bridge from the golf course to Grady Hospital, contingent on Willowbrook property acquisitions).
• Kingsbury Park: Additional funds requested for site preparation due to higher-than-expected dirt work costs.
• South Community Park: Funds set aside for potential land acquisition for a large community park with a spray park, gym space, and recreation center, similar to Mingo Park.
• Councilmember McClellan asked clarifying questions about equipment replacement (all but the turf sprayer replace existing items), the Blue Limestone restroom age, and partnership with Willowbrook for trail access.

Police Department Presentation (Chief Adam Moore)

• 2026 Accomplishments: Purchased two medium-sized drones (Matrix 30T and 4T) instead of replacing a large drone, expanding deployable drone assets to four. Renewed DroneSense streaming capability, allowing real-time video to command staff cell phones. Issued RFP for parking kiosks; a vendor selected for 34 kiosks (budgeted $50,000, advanced $350,000 via second-quarter supplemental).
• 2027 CIP Requests:
  • Speed Technology ($30,000): To purchase equipment such as additional stealth stats (portable radar boxes) or a system that records speeds and sends friendly notices to violators. Not for red-light or speed-enforcement cameras (require officer presence under Ohio law).
  • Four Patrol Cruisers: Annual replacement of frontline cruisers (12 total, hot-seated 24/7, replaced every 3-4 years). Current fleet vehicles are reused by school resource officers, then transferred to public works. Future growth may require adding cruisers to the fleet.
  • Specialty Vehicles ($130,000): Replacement of a 14-year-old Ford Expedition (currently used for drone operations) and a 12-year-old E250 van (evidence transport). Also replacement of one unmarked detective vehicle (10-year cycle).
• Future Needs: Replacement of tasers (model being phased out in 5-7 years), duty pistols (every 10 years), large drone, canine units ($25,000 per dog plus vehicle), and Justice Center improvements. Chief Moore emphasized the Justice Center (34 years old) is at capacity with 63 sworn officers (vs. 29 when built in 1992). Desks are full; two new hires will require relocation. Future capital needs include a carport (to protect $1.2-1.5M worth of cruisers) and security upgrades segregating police parking from public parking.
• Councilmember McClellan asked about drone use policy (Chief confirmed only for reactive, tactical missions, not ongoing surveillance), return on investment for digital parking system (Chief noted only about 50% of current meters are functional, so new kiosks will improve revenue collection and reduce maintenance from 365 units to 34), and reliability of speed feedback trailers (one had been blown sideways by wind; Chief said it was repaired).
• Chief’s Assessment: The department is well-equipped for now, but future challenges include replacing large batches of equipment (e.g., 63 tasers at once) and meeting growing demand for police presence (e.g., two high school football games, First Friday events). He stressed the need for long-term planning for a new or expanded Justice Center.

Key Outcomes

• Votes: The motion summary from November 14, 2025 was approved (with two abstentions). The election of Chair (Haynes) and Vice Chair (McClellan) was unanimous.
• Directives: The committee accepted the CIP presentations as informational; further review will occur at upcoming council meetings (e.g., Thursday for Engineering and Fire). The committee decided not to alter the agenda to include IT presentations that evening, keeping the advertised schedule.
• Next Steps: The CIP and associated budget will be incorporated into the city manager’s budget letter expected by the end of October 2026 for City Council consideration.