2008-2012 Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan
for Local Governments

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ICIP process?  In the ICIP process, an entity creates an individual entity infrastructure capital improvement plan.  The plan includes information that describes the entity’s planning process, goals, trends, inventory, as well as a summary and details of projects planned for the next five years, including project priority, description, budget, possible funding sources, operating expenses, and implementation schedule.  From this information the entity picks its top five state fiscal year projects (Year 2008, which runs from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008) that they wish to earmark for funding consideration during the January 2007 legislative session. 

The ICIP data is entered onto forms at a website provided by Local Government Division/Dept of Finance and Administration.  The website can be accessed at www.lgd.state.nm.us as a link under Community Development Bureau.  This year the website should be available around June 16, 2006.  Pertinent data is published as Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan and placed on the web (last year’s copy is found at http://www.state.nm.us/capitalprojects/external/docs/ICIP2007Doc.pdf ).  In the meantime, you can download a worksheet that contains the questions asked on the forms (with slight modifications regarding form and substance) at www.leg.state.nm.us at Community Development Bureau.  This worksheet can be distributed to department heads, board members, council and commission members, and others so that they can understand the ICIP and provide the information necessary for the ICIP coordinator to produce the ICIP plan.

How does an entity get its planning information in the state ICIP publication?
By entering information onto the forms in the ICIP website, the information will be accessible to Local Government Division, which takes pertinent information from the ICIPs and publishes them as Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP).  The ICIP publication is made available for your entity’s use on the website and is distributed to the legislature, governor, and funding agencies. 

Who can participate?  Each year New Mexico municipalities, counties, tribes, and other New Mexico local governments (such as mutual domestic water associations, soil and water conservation associations, acequias, land grants, flood control districts, water sanitation districts) participate in the ICIP process.  State agencies also complete ICIPs.

How can the ICIP website help in developing a plan?  The Local Government Division/Department of Finance and Administration, which coordinates and assists in the development of local plans, provides an ICIP website with forms, which, when completed can be assembled and printed together as an ICIP planning document.  Guidelines to the ICIP process and web entry instructions are available under Help.

How is the ICIP website accessed?  A code and a password are needed to access the webforms for your entity.  Your entity may use its code/password from last year.  If your entity did not participate last year, please contact Jesse (see contact information above). 

What if my entity does not have access to the web?  We will be able to enter information for you.  Please contact Jesse or one of the other assistance providers (see contact information above) for assistance well in advance of the due date.

How often does a local government complete an ICIP?  Each year.  ICIPs are currently five year plans.  Because plans can change from year to year, however, ICIP planning is done every year.  For example, an entity that went through a planning process in 2005 to develop its 2007-2011 plan will go through the planning process again this year (2006), look at its project priorities in light of current needs, and develop a new plan, which will be a plan for the years state fiscal years 2008-2012 (July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2012).

What are the benefits of participating in the ICIP?

• At the community level, infrastructure planning fosters agreement and gives direction to an entity’s future.  This plan prepares the way for rational development with community support.
• At the state executive level, the plan can determine whether entity projects are funded.  Most recently, the Capital Outlay Division, Department of Finance and Administration, used the ICIP to inform the Governor and the Legislature of priorities within our communities.  In the last few years the Governor’s Office has reviewed projects submitted in the ICIP when considering the merits of capital outlay bills.  Additionally, in the Local Government Division/DFA, applicants for Community Development Block Grant monies receive evaluation points for participating in the ICIP.
• At the state legislative level, the ICIP is distributed to each state representative and senator at the beginning of each legislative session so that the legislators can identify and plan for improvements in each district.  The ICIP is used by the Legislative Finance Committee.
• In the private marketplace, a well-prepared capital improvement plan is viewed positively by bond rating agencies and credit markets.  For the New Mexico Finance Authority, a community that participates in the ICIP is looked upon favorably during grant evaluations.  Because funding sources, in general, favor entities that plan, the ICIP is a perfect document to add or refer to in grant proposals.
• The ICIP is one of the few documents of its kind produced by any state government.  It is considered to be a comprehensive and easily available document for reference by citizens, non-profit agencies, engineering and architecture firms, and others.

When is the ICIP due?  For all local governments and tribes, the ICIP is due
Thursday, August 31, 2006, 5 pm.  By that time,
1) all webforms must be completed and
2) Local Government Division (see address above) must have received
a. a hard copy of the complete plan from the website (see info on website below);
b. the entity’s signed resolution of approval (a copy is acceptable; see guidelines     under the Help section of the ICIP website for a suggested resolution); and
c.  if no inventory is placed on the webforms, an inventory or fixed assets list

Approvals may be faxed to the above fax number; however, copies of plans and inventory/fixed asset lists must be mailed in time to be received at the above office by August 31, 2006.  Inventory/fixed assets lists may also be emailed to Jesse.Bopp@state.nm.us on or before August 31, 2006.

Are there workshops?  What preparation assistance is available? 
Workshops are held each spring to acquaint participants with the process, its benefits, and provide step by step instructions on how to enter information into the website.  The list of workshops, with registration forms, will soon be available http://www.state.nm.us/capitalprojects at Community Development Bureau.  Further assistance is available through Jesse Monfort Bopp (see contact information above), Local Government Division/DFA.  Local technical assistance is also available through Councils of Government, the New Mexico Acequia Association, and the Navajo Nation (local assistance contacts listed below).

Councils of Government by county:
San Juan, McKinley and Cibola counties—Northwest NM COG/Gallup:  Jeff Kiely; jkiely@nwnmcog.com; 722-4327
Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos, Colfax, Mora and San Miguel counties—North Central NM Econ. Dev. Dist/Santa Fe:  Arturo Archuleta; rlf@nm.neet; 827-7313
Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia, and Torrance counties—Mid Region COG/Albuquerque:  Ann Simon; asimon@mrcog-nm.gov or Joe Quintana, jquintana@mrcog-nm.gov ; both can be reached at 247-1750
Union, Harding, Quay, Curry, Roosevelt, Guadalupe and De Baca counties—Eastern Plains COG/Clovis:  Iantha Hicks; ihicks@epcog.org; 762-7714
Catron, Hidalgo, Luna, and Grant counties—Southwest NM COG/Silver City:  Gloria Terrazas; gterrazas@gilanet.com; 388-1509
Lincoln, Otero, Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties/Southeastern NM Econ. Dev. Dist/Roswell:  Beth Pappas: bpsnemdd@plateautel.net or Dora Batista; dbsnmedd@plateautel.net, 624-6131
Socorro, Sierra, and Dona Ana counties—South Central COG/Mesilla office:  Jim Seewald; econplan@zianet.com; 647-2335

New Mexico Acequia Association/Santa Fe:  Janice Varela, organizer@acequiaweb.org; 995-9644

Navajo Nation (chapters)/Shiprock:  Denise Copeland, drecopeland@nncio.org; 368-1059

Who should attend the workshops?  What kinds of topics are discussed?
The workshops are open to all New Mexico local governments and tribes.  These entities are welcome to attend any or part of a workshop.  The eight workshops planned for around the state are identical, except for the Santa Fe workshop, which will provide information on special district budgets for Local Government Division, and the acequia workshop, which is geared especially toward acequias.  The workshops last most of a day and include information on plan development, the link between ICIP and capital outlay, website usage, budgeting, cost estimation, integration of asset needs, and funding..  Legislators, community officials, staff, and coordinators are welcome, and encouraged, to attend a workshop.  The first hour and a half presents the planning process and its benefits, which would be relevant to all.  The latter part of the workshop would most likely be most relevant to coordinators.  See the notice of workshops at www.lgd.state.nm.us under Community Development Bureau.

Updated June 6, 2006

 

.