Capital Projects

The District's annual expenditure budget exists in two funds: an operating budget that funds routine operations, and a capital project budget that funds the District's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The operating budget is generally fixed by an annual operating target; revenue in excess of the operating target is typically available for the CIP. The CIP budget is set to ensure the District's overall annual expenditure budget remains structurally balanced or results in a satisfactory ending fund balance. Long-range financial planning aims to maintain a relatively constant CIP irrespective of economy-driven fluctuations in the flood control secondary tax levy, which provides primary District funding. CIP budget documentation is available among the “Related Document” links on this page.

CIP management requires the tracking of schedule and funding for all District capital projects, design project management, and construction project management. Project schedule and funding are subject to change as a result of changes in project cost, partner agencies' funding availability, public support and priority with respect to competing projects.

Project Initiation

All projects in the District's CIP have been identified by the District's planning process, operations and maintenance staff, or project partners, and all projects are evaluated through one of two annual evaluation procedures prior to their initial inclusion in the CIP:

• The District's Capital Improvement Program Prioritization Procedure evaluates regional projects. The District attempts to support and recommend flood control projects that, whenever possible, will provide a regional flood control benefit, and that will also contribute to community development, maintain the benefits of existing watercourses, help protect natural habitat and landscapes, and provide multiple-use opportunities for flood control facilities. Prioritized regional CIP projects are “approved” through Resolutions by the District's Board of Directors, when appropriate, and approved projects are implemented subject to the successful negotiation of Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with project partners.
• The District's Small Project Assistance Program evaluates local drainage projects. In all cases, these projects must be proposed by municipalities, with municipalities being responsible for all project and construction management aspects and retaining operation and maintenance responsibilities. For these projects, the District acts solely as a funding partner. Project recommendations under this program are subject to the successful negotiation of an IGA, where IGA terms are strictly limited by program guidelines.

Project Design

The Project Management branch of the District develops and manages the design phase of CIP projects, with the exception of dam safety projects managed by the District's Dam Safety branch, to enable the project to be constructed in a timely manner in accordance with budget expectations. The branch creates construction documents and, whenever possible, utilizes interagency collaboration in the design and construction of a project to minimize the cost to the taxpayer.

The project management design team, including the project manager, outside consultants, construction managers and municipal partners accomplish the following:

Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) Negotiation. An IGA establishes terms and identifies and defines responsibilities of each project partner. The IGA is first presented to the Flood Control Advisory Board for endorsement and then to the Board of Directors and municipal councils for approval.

Pre-Design. The District examines and validates project functions and features, including landscaping and aesthetics features and multiuse opportunities, in early design stages.

Final Design. Construction plans and specifications and cost estimates are prepared for all project features, and value engineering exercises are conducted to reduce costs or increase performance where possible. Final design typically includes 30%, 60%, 90%, 100% and final submittals. Conditional Letters of Map Revision are prepared when needed.

Environmental Investigations. Where applicable, District environmental staff conduct archeological, biological, environmental and hazardous materials surveys and procures U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water Act Section 401 and 404 permits.

Utility Relocations. Coordinating with utility companies, the District investigates utility impacts and prior rights, locates and designates conflicts and orchestrates relocations.

Rights-of-Way Acquisition. Working in concert with Maricopa County Public Works real estate staff, the project team coordinates the acquisition of rights-of-way needed for construction and operation and maintenance of completed projects.

Project Construction

The Construction Management branch of the District facilitates the construction of all District projects. District construction projects may last several months or span multiple years and range in cost from under $100,000 to $20 million.

Subsequent to the bidding of a construction project, the construction process involves three phases:

Pre-Construction Phase. Bids are scrutinized for inconsistencies and irregularities which would disqualify a contractor from performing the work. The Board of Directors of the District gives the final approval on establishing the contractor that offers the best and lowest bid. The contractor that is the low bidder is interviewed regarding its background, experience, qualifications and ability to complete the project in the specified time frame. Electronic forms and databases are set up in preparation for work to commence on the project. The contract is awarded, and a notice to proceed is issued.

Construction Phase. This phase involves several ongoing processes:

• Partnering Meetings: At the start of the construction phase and at monthly intervals thereafter, all the primary partners in the project meet to discuss the details of the project. Partners include the District project manager and construction manager, contractor and subcontractors, and city representatives.
• Progress Meetings: Each week the contractor provides the District and other project partners with project updates and future work schedules.
• Contract Administration: Documents are generated throughout the construction phase, including payments to the contractor, project updates, change orders and RFI (Request for Information) forms from the contractor.
• Pay Estimates: Contractors and consultants working on the project are paid on a monthly basis until the project is completed.
• Project Status Updates: The District provides internal tracking of each step of construction progress.
• Inspection: This important quality assurance inspection occurs periodically during the construction phase until the project is completed.

Post-Construction Phase. Once construction is completed and the final inspection has occurred, the District ends its management of the project with the following close-out actions:

• Project Document Close Out: The as-built document, which is the blueprint of the project in its completed form, is printed and a copy archived at the District administrative office. All financial records are balanced and finalized. The District receives a Certificate of Performance (COP) from the contractor which indemnifies the District and provides a one-year warranty period from the date of the COP.
• Hand Over of the Project to Owner: Typically the District manages a construction project that will ultimately be owned and operated by a city or municipality. In these instances, the District provides the owner with all of the necessary documentation, as-builts, manuals, and training to operate and manage the project after completion.
• One-Year Warranty Enforcement: At the time the project is completed and the COP received, the District performs a walk-through to inspect for defects or other problems per the one-year warranty on the project. The contractor is responsible to make any necessary repairs. A second walk-through is performed at the end of the one-year warranty period and repairs are made by the contractor if necessary.
• Final Partnering and Lessons Learned Meeting: In this meeting, all the partners and stakeholders in the project gather to review the good and bad aspects of the construction process. The discussion and analysis among the parties results in lessons learned, or ways to do things better, that can be applied to future projects.

The updated status of current and previous District CIP projects is available at the Projects & Structures page.