STRATEGIC FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS: MODEL DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT THE CITY OF ATLANTA'S CSO-SSO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

The City of Atlanta faces unprecedented financial challenges in implementing proposed alternatives for the City's combined sewer overflow (CSO) and sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) programs. Preliminary cost estimates for these programs range in the 2.0 to 3.0 billion range for capital infrastructure spending alone – representing a potential doubling of the City sewer system's asset base over the next decade and a half. These programs represent perhaps the single largest investment ever in protection of Atlanta area watersheds, and will require a full portfolio of financial resources to enable affordable program financing.A Strategic Financial Planning model (hereinafter ‘SFP model’) has been developed to support construction of financial plans and analyses for program implementation. The SFP model, and linked project scheduling and controls database, represent an important planning tool for communities faced with particularly acute financial challenges that will require use of alternative revenue sources, project delivery options, debt management protocols, and grants management strategies. The SFP model enables program planners and policy makers to efficiently construct and evaluate financing plans and rate increase projections associated with alternative capital programs and schedules involving literally hundreds of individual projects. In so doing, questions regarding the affordability of program requirements, of the potential rate impact benefits of alternative revenue sources, or the need for Federal and State financing assistance may be readily addressed.