HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 04-07-2026; 4-b - Presentation of Manager’s Recommended FY 2026-36 Capital Investment Plan (CIP) 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 7, 2026
Action Agenda
Item No. 4-b
SUBJECT: Presentation of Manager's Recommended FY 2026-36 Capital Investment Plan
(CIP)
DEPARTMENT: County Manager's Office
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Attachment 1. County Manager's CIP Travis Myren, County Manager, (919)
Transmittal Letter 245-2308
Caitlin Fenhagen, Deputy County
UNDER SEPARATE COVER Manager, (919) 245-2303
Attachment 2. FY 2026-36 Capital Investment Kirk Vaughn, Budget Director, (919)
Plan Presentation 245-2153
Attachment 3. Manager Recommended FY
2026-36 Capital Investment
Plan
Attachments 2 & 3 To Be Provided Prior to
or in Conjunction with the Meeting; Will
also be Available Electronically at:
https://www.orangecountync.gov/budget/cip
PURPOSE: To receive the Manager's Recommended FY 2026-36 Capital Investment Plan.
BACKGROUND: Each year, the County produces a Capital Investment Plan (CIP) that
establishes a budget planning guide related to capital needs for the County and Schools. The
10-Year CIP is evaluated annually to include year-to-year changes in priorities, needs, and
available resources. Approval of the CIP commits the County to the first-year funding only of
the capital projects; all other years are used as a planning tool and serves as a financial plan.
Capital Investment Plan — Overview
The FY 2026-36 CIP includes County Projects, School Projects, and Proprietary Projects. The
School Projects include Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Orange County Schools, and
Durham Technical Community College — Orange County Campus projects. The Proprietary
Projects include Water and Sewer, Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, and Sportsplex projects.
The CIP has been prepared anticipating moderate economic growth of approximately 2% in
property tax growth and 4% in sales tax growth annually over the next ten years. The CIP will
rely substantially on debt financing to fund the projects and these required debt amounts are
fully integrated in the County's Long-Term Debt Model.
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FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no immediate financial impact associated with the presentation
of the FY 2026-36 Capital Investment Plan. It is a long-range financial planning tool with a
financial impact in Year 1 (FY 2026-27), if the first year of the CIP is approved by the Board of
County Commissioners with the adoption of the Annual Budget.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports:
• MISSION STATEMENT — Orange County is a visionary leader in providing governmental
services valued by our community, beyond those required by law, in an equitable,
sustainable, innovative and efficient way.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board receive the presentation of the
Manager's Recommended FY 2026-36 Capital Investment Plan and provide direction to staff in
preparation of the April 16, 2026 Budget work session.
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ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
April7, 2026
TO: Board of Orange County Commissioners
FROM: Travis Myren
County Manager
RE: Manager's Recommended FY2026-36 Capital Investment Plan
I am pleased to submit the Recommended Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for FY2026-36 for
your review and consideration.The CIP serves as a multiyear blueprint to advance the goals
and priorities of the Board of Commissioners while consciously monitoring the impact the
capital budget has on the Operating Budget in the form of debt service and new operating
costs.
This memorandum is comprised of four sections.
1. The first is a summary of key investments recommended by the Long Range School
Optimization Plan and the County's Long Range Facility Plan.
2. The second section identifies other significant projects in ten year capital plan that
are not a direct product of those plans but directly respond to Strategic Plan
priorities.
3. The third section analyzes the totality of the Capital Investment Plan over time and
indicates how the Recommended CIP translates into operating budget impacts and
conformity with the County's debt to general fund revenue policy.
4. The final section is a reference guide for all of the County projects contained in the
first year of the plan.
Alignment with the Countywide Strategic Plan
The FY2026-36 CIP works to implement the Board's six strategic priorities:
• Environmental Protection and Climate Action
• Healthy Community
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• Housing for All
• Multi-mod alTransportation
• Public Education/Learning Community
• Diverse and Vibrant Economy
These priorities are reflected throughout the CIP, but the most pronounced examples
include investments in public safety and school facilities. Each project page contains a
header that indicates alignment with the Strategic Plan and the Climate Action Plan.
1. Implementation of the Long Range School Optimization and
Long Range County Facility Plans
The Long Range School Optimization Plan and the County's Long Range Facility Plan
continue to serve as the guiding documents for the most significant capital investments in
the ten year Plan. Following the recommendations contained in those plans, significant
work is underway for two major school projects, the Behavioral Health Crisis Diversion
Facility, and the Durham Technical Community College expansion on the Orange County
campus.
The borrowing contemplated in the current year as well as capital investments in prior years
will increase debt service expenditures in the FY2026-27 operating budget by$6,782,032 or
the tax rate equivalent of 2.01 cents next fiscal year.
School Long Range Optimization Plan
The first year of the FY2026-36 CIP includes construction financing for two major school
construction projects.
• Carrboro Elementary School Replacement($47.7 million)
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is planningto build a replacement forthe Carrboro
Elementary School at the existing campus while the current facility is in use. The
District is currently working with a design firm and a construction manager at risk on
planning and design with the intention of beginning construction in spring 2027.
• New Elementary School Orange County Schools ($50.9 million)
Orange County Schools is planning to build a new elementary school adjacent to the
County's Soccer.com facility and the existing Gravelly Hills Middle School. This
facility will allow the district to close one of its oldest and highest need elementary
schools. Orange County Schools is also in the design phase of this project and has
been working collaboratively with the City of Mebane and Orange County on land use
considerations and design option for joint recreation facilities.
These major debt financed commitments are coupled with $3.5 million in cash or pay-as-
you-go funding in FY2026-27. Pay-as-you-go funding is intended to pay for planning and soft
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costs associated with future construction activity. The recommendation for FY2026-27
represents a $3 million increase in pay-as-you-go funding compared to FY2025-26. This
additional cash investment equates to a tax rate of approximately .89 cents per $100 of
assessed value in the upcoming FY2026-27 Operating Budget.
Pay-as-you-go funding is planned to grow by $3 million in FY 2027-28 and by an additional
$3.5 million FY 2028-29 to reach an annual contribution of $10 million which is planned to
be maintained throughout the remaining life of the Recommended Plan.
Future Major School Projects are distributed over a seven-year period as required by the
North Carolina Local Government Commission (LGC) for projects funded with general
obligation bonds. This implementation timeline may be extended to ten years with approval
by the LGC. The Major Projects are programmed to continue throughout the FY2026-36 CIP
as detailed in the following table.
School . •
126-36 CIP Recommended
Year of Project Cash Financing Debt Financing
_Construction
FY2026-27 Carrboro $0 $53,000,000
Elementary
FY2026-27 OCS Replacement $2,500,000 $54,500,000
Elementary
FY2027-28 Estes Hills $3,319,063 $59,510,937
Elementary School
Replacement
FY2027-28 AL Stanback HVAC $2,180,937 $3,100,000
replacement
FY2029-30 Chapel Hill High $5,000,000 $1,000,000
School Roof
Replacement
FY2030-31 Orange Middle $12,300,000 $67,700,000
School Major
Renovation
FY2031-32 Frank Porter $8,952,237 $61,189,063
Graham Elementary
School
TOTAL $34,252,237 $300,000,000
Orange County Schools had originally planned for an elementary school renovation in FY
2033-34, but those funds were largely crowded out by the increased cost of the Orange
Middle School renovation planned for FY2030-31.
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The remainder of the Pay-go funds will be used to supplement the traditional sources for
High Priority Needs and allow the schools to fund much larger HVAC and roofing projects.
CHCCS will use a total of $33,482,699 of its remaining funds for High Priority Needs, and
OCS will use a total of$17,065,064 over the ten year plan.
• High Priority Needs-$6.4 million
High Priority Needs are defined as projects where a system failure would impact the
facility's abilityto remain open, impairthe health of major systems, reduce the efficiency
and usefulness of the facility, or are necessary life cycle replacements of major
components with one to three years of remaining useful life. High Priority Needs are
requested by project for the coming fiscal year and planned as a total appropriation in
future years. This methodology provides the flexibility to fund the most urgent high
priority needs each year.
For FY2026-27, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is requesting to replace the roofing
system at Carrboro High School ($1.2 million) and East Chapel Hill High School ($3.0
million). Orange County Schools is requesting heating, ventilating, and cooling (HVAC)
replacements at A.L. Stanback($2.1 million).
High Priority Needs in FY2026-27 are financed by debt($4.6 million) combined with $1.8
million in lottery proceeds. The Plan assumes that the amount of debt financing
increases by 2% each year.
County Long Range Facility Plan
The first year of the FY2026-36 CIP funds planning and design activity for a new headquarters
for Emergency Services and builds on planning and design activity currently underway for
the Sheriff's Office relocation to the Link Center.
• Emergency Services Headquarters Planning and Design ($3.9 million)
The Emergency Services Department has been headquartered at 510 Meadowlands
Drive since 2009. The County's Long-Range Facility Plan recommended replacing this
facility with a new headquarters to meet security standards for emergency
communication and operation centers and to accommodate future growth.
The Project will also include an embedded EMS substation to serve northern Orange
County. Constructing a substation within the Headquarters eliminates the need for a
standalone substation in the northern part of the County that had been included in prior
Capital Investment Plans. The cost of the embedded EMS substation is approximately
half of the cost of a stand-alone station.
Following the design phase, the construction phase is scheduled to be financed in
FY2027-28 at a total cost of $44.5 million. This funding estimate has been updated to
reflect a 35% increase in public safety facility construction costs following recent
construction experience in other counties. For example, in the past six months,
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renovations have been completed at similar facilities in Buncombe and Polk Counties at
a cost of $791 and $709 per square foot respectively. Since the Orange County facility
will be new construction instead of a renovation, the cost per square foot would range
from approximately $1,200 per square foot for hardened, secure spaces and $600 per
square foot for general use space bringing the cost of construction to $39 million.
• Link Center Renovation ($15.5 million)
County staff are currently collaborating with the Sheriff's Office to relocate the Sheriff's
Office from the Justice Centerto the Link Center.This renovation will provide appropriate
space for existing Sheriff's Office functions while utilizing an existing County asset in
need of extensive renewal.
Once the renovation is complete, the CIP anticipates remodeling the existing Sheriff's
Office in the Justice Center to accommodate other criminal justice functions such as the
District Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's Office, and the Criminal Justice
Resource Department at a total cost of approximately$4 million. This strategy provides
space that is adequate to situate current staffing levels and averts the cost of
constructing new facilities.
Based on existing facility conditions and demand for services, the County's Long Range
Facility Plan recommends other long term facility investments. These investments are
detailed in the following table.
County • - Facility Plan Projects
Recommended 1 • CIP
Year of Construction Project Amount
FY2026-27 Link Center Renovation $15,514,576
FY2027-28 Emergency Services $48,360,000
Headquarters
FY2028-29 Justice Center Renovation $3,936,312
FY2029-30 Cedar Grove Document $2,635,200
Storage
FY2029-30 510 Meadowlands Admin. $3,641,385
FY2029-30 Southern Human Services $11,406,900
FY2030-31 Recreation Facility $21,630,703
FY2033-34 Deconstruct Old $1,095,784
Recreation Facility
TOTAL $96,813,960
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2. Significant Projects Responsive to Strategic Plan Priorities
The FY2026-36 Plan includes additional projects that are not specifically captured in the
County's Long Range Facility Plan or the Long Range School Optimization Plan but are
recommended to operationalize the County's Strategic Plan priorities.
• 2700 Homestead Road—Housing for All Objectives 2& 10
This facility is owned by the University of North Carolina. County staff have negotiated a
10 year ground lease to use this facility as the southern location for the cold weather cot
program starting in the winter of 2027. The lease is pending approval by the UNC Board
of Governors and the Board of Commissioners.
If the lease is approved, staff would also request authorization to sublease
approximately 30%of the facilityto the Town of Carrboro for its Public Works department
which was displaced by Tropical Storm Chantal. Carrboro's lease arrangement would
help offset the County's costs, including a prorated share of the facility's operating
costs.
The FY2026-27 CIP requests funding in two stages. First, funding is requested ($30,000)
to renovate a small portion of the facility to be used for the County's Cold Weather Cot
program. This work can be accomplished without additional improvements to the
building.
The second stage of funding in FY2026-27 would pay for planning and design work to
improve the facility for broader use. County staff will present a concept plan to the Board
of Commissioners in the Fall of 2026 to use the facility to house additional housing and
human services resources. If the concept plan is approved, the Board could authorize
and additional $309,500 for detailed planning and design to repair the HVAC system,
replace the roof, and renovate the interior for routine use. These improvements are
estimated to cost approximately$3.3 million in FY2027-28. If the sublease with Carrboro
is also approved, the Town would contribute a proportionate share of the system
replacement costs. Carrboro would be solely responsible for any additional renovations
within its space.
• Affordable Housing— Housing for All Objective 1
The FY2026-36 CIP contains a total of $15 million in staggered funding over the 10-year
planning horizon. Consistent with the Strategic Plan, this funding is intended to provide
a predictable source of subsidy for affordable housing developers. The next $5 million
allocation is recommended in FY2027-28.
• Community Centers - Public Education/Learning Community Objective 4
The FY2026-36 CIP includes an expansion of the Community Center in the Rogers
Eubanks neighborhood with design scheduled to begin in FY2028-29. An initial cost
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estimate of$2.9 million envisioned a two story structure. In preparation for the FY2026-
36 CIP, County staff engaged the facility users to develop a concept design that could be
accommodated in a one level building. The resulting cost estimate is approximately$2.5
million.
County staff have engaged with Chapel Hill and Carrboro staff to determine the Towns'
interest in developing a funding partnership to finance the expansion, consistentwith the
cost sharing agreement that was in place to finance construction of the original
Community Center.
The FY2026-36 CIP also contains $2.5 million to replace the septic system at the Cedar
Grove Community Center to accommodate increased use and larger scale gatherings
and events.
• Emergency Radio System Build Out- Healthy Community Objective 7
Emergency Services has continued to evaluate the most effective and efficient approach
to improving emergency radio coverage throughout the County. The initial cost estimate
for this system was proposed to cost over$32 million starting in FY2027-28.
The department was subsequently tasked with creating an alternative plan that
maximized the use of existing assets and spread system development costs over phases
to smooth the fiscal impact. The project now consists of two phases with professional
services recommended in FY2026-27 and a total cost of approximately $25 million
spread over four years.
This project also anticipates a funding partnership with the Towns based on the number
of public safety radios utilized by each jurisdiction. As a result,the County's share of the
cost of this project may be offset by municipal contributions.
• Emergency Services Substations- Healthy Community Objectives 6&7
The CIP includes three Emergency Services Substations. The first project is being
designed as a colocation with the Town of Chapel Hill at a total cost of$5.1 million.
The second substation is budgeted to begin in FY2029-30 with a combined design and
construction budget of$4.4 million. The concept for this substation is to serve as a hub
for EMS resources in the southern part of the County as well as a home for community
risk reduction services such as the post overdose and mobile crisis response teams.
The third substation is budgeted in Years 9 and 10 at a total cost of $4.4 million. This
station is contemplated to be a standalone station at a location to be determined by a
forthcoming EMS Systems Analysis.
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• Historic Courthouse—Environmental Protection &Climate Action Objective 2
Design funding is requested in FY2026-27 for the exterior restoration and interior
improvements for the Historic Courthouse and grounds. This design will serve as the
basis for construction and improvements in FY2027-28 which is estimated to cost $4.5
million.
Exterior construction will include foundation drainage, sidewalk repairs, landscaping,
improved lighting, new public seating, and landscape plantings.
Interior improvements will focus on enhancing accessibility and safety, including
upgrades to the elevator, electrical, HVAC, fire alarm, audiovisual, and lighting systems
to meet court requirements.
• Lake Orange Dam Phase 2— Environmental Protection & Climate Action Objectives
6&7
Phase 2 of the Lake Orange Dam project is scheduled to begin in FY2033-34 at a total
budgeted cost of approximately $4.2 million. This phase will address the complete
replacement of the existing emergency spillway weir and existing concrete spillway
channel.
3. Long Range Projections and Impact on the Operating Budget
The first year of the recommended FY2026-36 CIP totals $150.8 million across County,
School, and Proprietary funds. This represents an overall increase of approximately $71.5
million compared to the FY2025-26. As a planning document for significant capital
improvements, annual expenditures will fluctuate considerably from year to year. The chart
below shows the recommended County and School expenditures for each year of the
FY2026-36 Plan.
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County and School Funding by Year
$180.0 M
$160.0 M
$140.0 M
$120.0 M
$100.0 M
$80.0 M
$60.0 M
$40.0 M .69 M $23.51 M
$20.0 M a $4 $43.27
$.0 M
FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28 FY 2028-29 FY 2029-30 FY 2030-31 FY 2031-32 FY 2032-33 FY 2033-34 FY 2034-35 FY 2035-36
■County ■School
Of the total $150 million expenditures recommended in the first year, $29.5 million is
recommended for County capital projects, $2.5 million is recommended for proprietary
fund spending including Solid Waste, and Sportsplex, and $118.8 million is recommended
for the replacement and improvement of school facilities.
Ten Year Plan - Focus on Schools and Public Safety
The FY2026-36 Plan recommends a total of$837.2 M in School and Capital projects over the
ten year planning horizon. A large share of planned future spending (79.4%) is dedicated to
school and public safety projects. Of the total$837.2 million in total expenditures, the Plan
designates a total of $526.7 million for major school construction, high priority needs, and
other improvements and a total of$138 million in County projects that support public safety
functions.
School Projects
School Major Projects
Carrboro Elementary Replacement $ 47,700,000
OCS Elementary School Replacement $ 50,900,000
Estes Hills Elementary Replacement $ 62,830,000
Frank Porter Graham Replacement $ 70,141,300
Orange Middle School Renovation $ 80,000,000
Project Management $ 10,000,000
School High Priority Needs $ 130,359,821
School Other Capital $ 74,757,988
Total School Capital Funding $ 526,689,109
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FPublic Safety Projects Amount
9-1-1 Backup Center $ 1,459,885
Emergency Services Headquarters $ 48,360,000
Emergency Services Renewal&Replacement $ 9,727,452
Emergency Services Substations $ 14,010,769
Justice Facility Renovations $ 3,936,312
Link Center Renovations $ 15,514,576
Public Safety Vehicles $ 20,051,224
VIPER Radio Tower Construction $ 24,942,956
Total Public Safety Projects $ 138,003,174
Debt Modeling
The principal funding source for the Capital Investment Plan is County funded debt. The 10-
year plan includes a total of $596.2 million County funded debt. Although the Board
appropriates funding for projects in the firstyear of the Plan,the CIP is a long-range planning
tool that projects future needs as well as the financial capacity required to meet those
needs. This is done using a debt modeling tool that takes the expenditure amounts and
project timing contained in ten year plan and translates those variables into future debt
service requirements.
This debt model shows the amount of debt service funding that will be needed in the
operating budget each year and monitors compliance with the County's ability to pay that
debt service. The ability to pay is expressed as a percentage of general fund revenue that is
consumed by debt service each year.
• Debt Service Projected Tax Rate Impact
Projected debt service ultimately requires a tax rate equivalent to pay the annual
installments on borrowing. The table below illustrates an incremental tax rate
equivalent that would be required to pay debt service based on the FY2026-36
recommended project amounts and sequencing.
Fiscal Year Incremental
Tax
2026-27 2.01
2027-28 1.09
2028-29 4.58
2029-30 1.61
2030-31
2031-32
2032-33 1.48
Total 10.77
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• Debt Capacity Target
County policy has established a debt service capacity target of 15% of general fund
revenues. Based on prior borrowing approved by the Board, this target is achieved in
FY2026-27 at 12.78%. However, as money is borrowed for new school and County
projects, the debt to general fund revenue ratio exceeds 15% starting in FY2028-29
and may reach as high as 19.71%in FY2032-33 based on the incrementaltax increase
approach detailed above.
Fiscal Year DS to GF Revenue '
2026-27 12.78%
2027-28 13.64%
2028-29 17.31%
2029-30 18.61%
2030-31 18.30%
2031-32 18.60%
2032-33 19.71
2033-34 19.51
2034-35 18.63%
2035-36 17.71
Both the projected tax rate impact and the debt to general fund revenue ratio are
subject to change. Both are sensitive to factors such as tax base growth and project
timing.As the tax base grows, each one cent on the tax rate generates more revenue.
In addition, if project implementation lags the projected implementation date, the
taxes required to pay for that debt would also be postponed.
4. Reference Guide for Recommended Year 1 (FY2026-27) Projects
The FY2026-36 CIP continues to recommend repair and critical maintenance of County
facilities and infrastructure. Many of the County maintenance and repair projects
throughout the 10-year plan were recommended through a Facility Condition Assessment.
This Assessment identified and prioritized the replacement of heating and cooling
equipment, building fagades and windows, electrical systems, and roofing and created a
10-year replacement schedule for each category based on existing conditions, age, and
expected useful life. These investments are intended to improve resiliency, extend the life
of facilities, and improve service delivery to residents. The County projects contained in the
first year of the Plan are summarized below.
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2700 Homestead Rd $339,500 • $30,000- Renovation for Cold Weather Cots for
Facility winter 2027
• $309,500-Design of HVAC, roof replacement,
renovation for housing human services resources
Climate Change $211,110 • Grantfunds for community Climate Change Mitigation
Mitigation Project Project annual competition
Electrical Upgrades $350,000 • $300,000 - Server Room Uninterruptable Power
Supply(UPS) replacement
• $50,000-West Campus Office Building LED Upgrades
Emergency Services $3,900,000 • Professional design services to construct new
Headquarters Emergency Services Headquarters with EMS
Substation to serve Northern Orange County
• Year 2 construction cost-$44.5 million
Emergency Services $533,817 • $106,095 - EMS video laryngoscopes and toughbook
Renewal and replacement
Replacement • $123,771 - Animal Services new portable radios to
move to the Viper/800mHz.
• $145,430-Sheriff's Office portable radio replacement
• $158,521- Emergency Services portable radio and
consolette replacement
Facades $71,040 • $13,040 - Animal Control replacement of vehicular
access gate to secure Animal Control vehicles.
• $58,000-Ef Land Cheeks Community Center dumpster
enclosure
Facility Accessibility, $100,000 • 36,000 - Chapel Hill Courthouse security system and
Safety and Security cameras
Improvements • $39,000 - Drakeford access control for staff parking,
elevator, and stairwell
• $25,000-Countywide accessibilityimprovements
Fire Alarm, Fire $25,000 • Countywide fire door repair and replacements
Suppression System
Replacements
Fuel Station- Pump, $297,200 • Replacement of underground fuel storage tanks at the
tanks and Tank Monitoring end of life with above-ground fuel storage with barriers
Replacement
Historic Courthouse $371,243 • Historic Courthouse design for exterior restoration and
Square structural repairs, interior upgrades to elevator,
electrical system, HVAC system, fire alarm,
audio/visual devices and lighting
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• Construction costs in Year 2 - $4.5 million Justice
Facility - Fan Coil Unit, Unit Heater Replacements,
HVAC
Hollow Rock Nature Park $224,000 • Accessible loop trail, restroom facilities, and barn
conversion for nature programming
$112,000 • Costs are shared equally with Durham County
OC Share
HVAC Projects $1,472,540 • $50,000—Countywide component replacement
• $37,380 — Efland Cheeks Community Center HVAC
replacement
• $198,400 - Justice Facility - Fan Coil Unit, Unit Heater
Replacements
• $285,000 — West Campus Server Room HVAC
replacement
• $42,000 — Whitted professional services for
comprehensive HVAC replacement over four years
• $859,760-Whitted Complex Boilers & Pumps
o Total four-year project cost-$6.1 million
Information Technologies $197,128 • Tax Office - Advanced aerial imagery and change
Governance Council detection software to enable the Tax Department to
Initiatives improve visual access to properties and help identify
previously unassessed property improvements
• New technology initiatives are programmed for up to
$250,000 annually
Information Technology FY2026-27 • $1,089,000 for server upgrades, laptop replacements,
Infrastructure expenditures data storage, software implementation, network
of $1,089,000 improvements,wireless expansion and replacements,
will be funded time clock devices and cybersecurity prevention and
using mitigation
balances from
prior year
appropriations
Interior Finish $157,000 • $115,000 - Passmore Center to replace movable
Replacements partition wall
• $42,000 - Fleet Services renovation to create office
space
Link Center Renovation $15,514,576 • Link Building Renewal to relocate the Sheriff's office,
and Evidence Storage providing more adequate and functional space
Facility o Create vacant space in the Justice Facility for
DistrictAttorney's Office,the Public Defender's
Office, and Criminal Justice Resource
Department
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o Renovation of prior Sheriff's Office is scheduled
in Years 2 and 3 at a cost of$3.9 million
Neuse River Nutrient $175,000 • Projects to reduce total nitrogen and phosphorus
Management Rules levels in Falls Lake Reservoir according to the Upper
Neuse River Basin Association implementation
approach
• Includes a mix of stormwater control or wetlands
creation improvements, conservation acquisitions
and practices
OCTS Bus Shelters $68,750 • Funds the procurement and installation of two (2) bus
shelters to improve access to transit services
$13,750 . Partially funded ($55,000) by Federal Transit
OC share Administration (FTA) Section 5339 grant
o Future funding programmed to install two (2)
bus shelters annually over the next four years
OCTS Grant Funded $367,919 • Funds 2 replacement ADA minivans for Mobility on
Vehicles Demand/Demand Response and 1 replacement ADA
$73,584 bus for Fixed Route Services
OC share . 80% of cost is reimbursable through Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) Section 5307 and North Carolina
Department of Transportation (NCDOT) FTA 5339
grants
Parking Lot Improvements $55,000 • $25,000 —Animal Services study for potential parking
expansion
• $30,000—Countywide parking lot patching and paving
Parks Facility Renovation, FY2026-27 • Funds ongoing safety, lighting, park infrastructure,
Repairs, and Safety expenditures signage, preventive maintenance in the County's ten
Improvements of $215,000 parks identified in the 2030 Parks & Recreation Master
will be funded Plan
using
balances from
prior year
appropriations
Piedmont Food $98,944 • Replace the condensing units for the walk-in freezers
Processing Center and update the existing security camera system
Article 46
Sales Tax
Plumbing Repairs $38,400 • $3,400 — Cedar Grove Community Center sewage
pump ejector
• $15,000—Seymour Center shower drains
• $20,000—Seymour Center dedicated water heater for
showers
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Register of Deeds $80,000 • $80,000 is programmed in each fiscal year to acquire
Automation technology for the preservation and storage of public
records in the Register of Deeds Office
• Project is funded with fees collected by the Register of
Deeds as mandated by NC General Statute 161-11.3
Roofing $55,000 • Countywide roofing inspections and minor repairs
Staff EV Chargers $373,321 • Install six electric charging stations at Southern
Human Services
• Install four stations at Whitted Human Services
• Install one station at the Parks Operations Base
• Funding in future years will be guided by the charging
station feasibility study
Transit Plan Update $300,000 • Update the Orange County Transit Plan to build upon
the growth and improvements and adjust to current
Article 43 financial parameters
Transit Sales . The annual work plan authorizes specific service and
Tax infrastructure investments each fiscal year
Twin Creeks District Park $325,000 • Funds renovations&repairs to the farmstead buildings
to maintain historic features as well as permitting &
replacement of a culvert for the main east-west entry
d riveway
• Following repair of the farmhouse, the County is
investigating the possibility of renting to a Caretaker to
prevent vandalism and using rental income to offset
some of the renovation and repair expenses
Vehicle Replacements $2,399,424 • Replace 21 vehicles in the overall County fleet
• 34% of total cost is for Emergency Services vehicles
• Continues the Sheriff's Office allocation of $600,000
to replace vehicles as the Sheriff determines.
• Of the 17 non-emergency response vehicles, 13 will
have Electric Vehicle (EV) or EV hybrid vehicle
replacements.
VIPER Radio Tower $1,365,292 • Project is programmed to be completed over a four
Construction year period in two phases at a total cost of$25 million
• FY2026-27 funding ($1,365,292) includes project
management, permit development, technical bid
specifications, and pre-construction engineering
services for Phase 1, the replacement of the Eno
Mountain Tower and equipment upgrades at existing
tower sites
• FY2027-28 request of $11,270,478, funds for
construction and equipment costs for Phase 1
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• FY2028-29 funding of $1,875,333 is requested for
Phase 2 professional services, new tower sites
• FY2029-2030 - $10,431,853 is requested for the
construction and equipment of 3 new tower sites
o This project is expected to improve on-street
radio coverage from 88.6% (existing) to 96%
and in-building coverage from 69% (existing) to
78%.
TOTAL $29,446,204
Gratitude and Appreciation
The FY2026-36 Recommended CIP is the culmination of long-term planning, creative
thinking, and problem solving by numerous County staff.The County's Budget Office, led by
Kirk Vaughn and supported by Christy Dodson, provided exemplary support, advice, and
attention to detail. In addition to the work of the Budget Office, this document includes
valuable contributions from Alan Dorman, Director of Asset Management Services, Angel
Barnes, Capital Projects Manager, and Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer. This year's
planning process was further enhanced by the input from the County's Sustainability
Manager, Amy Eckberg, and the Strategic Planning Manager, Kelly Guadalupe. They were
integral in advising on aligning the Plan with Climate Action Plan and Countywide Strategic
Plan objectives.
We look forward to working with you over the next several weeks to improve upon the
Manager's Recommended Capital Investment Plan. Please contact me if you have any
questions.
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