Cycle Step 1
Toolbox Elements |
PLAN FOR SUCCESS
|
| General Planning Resources |
Resources to connect utilities with general planning and training resources to support all components of utility management |
| Governance Summaries |
An overview of options, benefits, and steps required to form various types of service entities. |
| GIS Maps |
Census, legislative, and other public data to help agencies access information needed for applications. |
Cycle Step 2
Toolbox Elements |
NEEDS IDENTIFICATION
|
| Technology Overviews |
Overviews of common issues, technologies, and evaluation factors to help select alternatives. |
| General Cost Estimating Strategies |
Cost estimating charts to help develop order of magnitude estimates for various types and sizes of infrastructure to begin scoping overall funding strategies. |
Cycle Step 3
Toolbox Elements |
FINANCE STRATEGIES
|
Funding Program Summaries
|
A one-stop information shop about funding programs suited to small community infrastructure projects. |
| Capital Recovery Tables |
Lookup tables to translate the portion of total project costs not paid by grant into annual debt service requirements met through a revenue mechanism. |
| Capital Improvement Financing Summaries |
Summary of strategy options for generating revenue to pay the annual debt service associated with capital improvement. |
| Cash Flow Considerations |
Assists entities in understanding the funds needed to move a project through planning, design, and construction. |
Cycle Step 4
Toolbox Elements |
PROJECT PLANNING
|
Consolidated Preliminary Engineering
Report Template |
Consolidated report outline, with model tables that will meet the needs of commonly used funding programs. |
CEQA/NEPA
Exemptions and
Checklists |
Summary of CEQA/NEPA exemptions and checklists to aid in meeting State and Federal environmental requirements and funding program requirements. |
| Common Permit Triggers |
Summary of typical permits and what project components trigger them. |
Cycle Step 5
Toolbox Elements |
PROJECT DESIGN
|
| Guidance for Hiring Professionals |
As a project moves from initial planning towards implementation, detailed, community-specific designs are required and communities will need to retain professional support. |
| Public Bidding Process Overview |
Understanding how the public bidding process works, how to set up a successful project bid, and how the low bid contractor is selected. |
Cycle Step 6
Toolbox Elements |
OPERATIONS |
| Technical, Managerial, and Financial Resources |
Tools to help agencies be organized and managed to improve overall operations and funding competitiveness. |
| Regulatory Resources |
Sources to provide information to the utility operator on various federal and state regulations. |
| Rate Setting Guidelines |
Linking the costs of projects to the need for rate increases and methods to set and change rates. |
| Capital Improvement Planning Resources |
Part of the on-going Utility Management Cycle of planning for future system improvements. |
