Capital Improvements Program

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The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) is part of the City of Dover's annual community planning process. This six-year program links infrastructure spending to the goals and values outlined in the city’s Master Plan.

The proposed FY2026-2031 CIP was presented by City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., during a joint session of the City Council and Planning Board on Oct. 16, 2024. Click here to watch a video recording of the workshop.

The City Council will hold a workshop on the CIP on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 at 7 p.m. in City Hall's Council Chambers. At its regular meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 the Council will hold public hearings on the CIP. The Council is tentatively scheduled to adopt the CIP documents at its Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024 meeting.

Click here to review the online version of the CIP booklet. Physical copies are also available at City Hall and the Dover Public Library.

The Planning Board reviewed the CIP on Oct. 22, 2024 and concurred the proposed projects are based on the priorities established by the city's Master Plan and provided its endorsement to the City Council.

The City Council’s CIP adoption process includes three resolutions: adopting the six-year document, approving FY26 capital reserve fund appropriations for non-debt financed projects, and authorizing appropriation and bonding for FY26 debt-financed projects. The CIP’s first-year projects and appropriations will become part of the FY26 municipal budget that City Manager Joyal will present to the City Council in February 2025.

The CIP was the topic of the Oct. 15 Dover Download podcast.

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Current and previous fiscal years' CIP are available online.

Understanding the CIP

The CIP prioritizes all capital spending of $25,000 or more for items with a useful life of three years or longer. Based on City Council financing policy, funding for these items includes bonding, the annual operating budget or other types of financing. This six-year program links infrastructure spending to the goals and values outlined in the city’s Master Plan. Through this process, we identify projects within the six-year timeline, based on the priorities established in our Master Plan.

Once adopted, the first year of the adopted CIP is built into the proposed citywide operating budget, which is presented to the City Council in February.

Many of the items included in the CIP are annual, ongoing capital projects, such as improvements to streets and sidewalks, wastewater and water system maintenance and improvements, police cruisers, facility maintenance and more.