Virgin — The council’s May 14 budget work session turned to capital projects, where staff presented a five‑year plan that would spread road maintenance, stormwater, water and parks projects over multiple years.

Major proposals and priorities

- Roads: Staff and the town engineer proposed a multi‑year program to chip‑seal town streets, with an estimate near $400,000 per year over five years. Councilors discussed whether to prioritize a set of particularly deteriorated segments — notably 100 West, Cemetery Road and the 175 North loop — and whether to spread work over two years.

- Water connections and safety: Councilors elevated a water‑line connection (identified in the plan as work to link lines behind Buffalo Trails to the Highway 9 main) and a separate set of dead‑end lines (noted as the Don Butler connector and two other line extensions) to top priorities. Staff described these projects as improving water pressure and eliminating a possible cross‑connection that poses public‑health and safety concerns; the council asked that the Don Butler connection be treated as a first priority for year‑one funding.

- Stormwater and drainage: The capital plan includes a stormwater drainage master plan already under way; councilors decided to await the study’s final recommendations before committing some of the heavier‑cost stormwater projects, though they agreed to monitor two drainage fixes flagged as potentially urgent.

- Parks: Staff proposed park improvements including a playground replacement and a shade structure. Councilors moved the proposed shade structure and a larger bridge repair to year two pending the outcome of the parks master plan (the “post plan”) and potential grant opportunities for shade/playground equipment.

Budgeting and funding questions

Councilors and staff discussed use of impact‑fee accounts for some road projects and asked staff to report available balances for roads and other impact‑fee funds at the next meeting. They also asked for clearer separation of capital outlay (items above the town’s capitalization threshold) and equipment maintenance (smaller operating expenses) so that the capital plan and operating budget do not double‑count items.

Next steps

- Staff to supply cost estimates for high‑priority items (Don Butler water connection, 100 West repairs), provide current impact‑fee account balances, and identify which road projects can be advanced with available funds.

- Council set a June 3 follow‑up session to finalize priorities after the staff updates and to prepare the public hearing packet.

Ending

Councilors emphasized safety and practical sequencing: projects that remove immediate hazards or resolve infrastructure failures should receive the highest priority, with larger, discretionary upgrades scheduled after the stormwater and parks plans are complete.