The City of Kirkland Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is a six-year plan that addresses construction, repair, maintenance and acquisition of major capital facilities and equipment. It reflects the collective efforts of the City to plan for capital improvements for transportation, utilities, parks, buildings and equipment. The goals of this process are to protect the City's investment in infrastructure and to build new capacity to meet the needs of a growing community. The City's CIP is organized into seven project areas:

Transportation includes improvements to streets, sidewalks, intersections and non-motorized facilities.

Surface Water Management Utility projects include improvements to the City’s storm drain system including streambed mitigation on private property.

Water and Sewer Utility projects include replacement and enhancement of the City's water conveyance and sanitary sewer systems.

Park projects include renovation, replacement and construction of park and recreational facilities and acquisition of park and open space lands.

Public Safety projects address construction and improvements to fire and police facilities and the acquisition of major new equipment with a value greater than $50,000.

General Government projects include three areas - technology system acquisition and replacement, general government facility construction and renovation, and the Neighborhood Connections program.

Equipment Rental includes the purchase of major fire apparatus and the replacement of City vehicles.

A capital improvement is defined as the construction of new facilities; the expansion, large scale renovation, or replacement of existing facilities; the acquisition of land; or the purchase of major pieces of equipment, including major replacements funded by the Equipment Rental fund or those that are associated with newly-acquired facilities.

A capital improvement must meet all of the following criteria:

• It is an expenditure that can be classified as a fixed asset.

• It has an estimated cost of $50,000 or more (with the exception of land).

• It has a useful life of ten years or more, with the exception of certain equipment that may have a shorter life span