The Planning Commission gave its unanimous recommendation Tuesday to the proposed Capital Improvements Program and Plan for the next 10 years.

The plan would see the city spend 8 percent less on capital projects than in the current plan. Over the next five years, the proposed CIP would decrease from $316.4 million to $289.7 million, with about $195.6 million proposed for general government projects such as the new library, transportation, public schools and village and neighborhood projects.

Finance Director Tealen Hansen said that over the next five years, the city could afford to take on $150 million in debt, and it has proposed issuing $139.9 million in bonds over that time period.

Hansen said 62 percent of the general government project money in the first five years of the proposed CIP would come from debt financing, with another 24 percent coming from state and federal sources such as grants, with 14 percent coming from the general fund.

In the first year of the CIP, there is $44.1 million in general government spending proposed, including about $19.7 million for transportation, $7.6 million for public buildings and facilities, $7.4 million in public safety, $4.1 million for parks and recreation, $3.6 million for public schools and $1.7 million for village and neighborhood initiatives.

In all, there is about $55.7 million in the CIP for the first year, inclusive of nearly $9.8 million in the public utilities fund, $1.25 million in the information technology fund and $500,000 in in the stormwater fund.

“That is the total of all projects proposed to be included as part of the capital budget in year one, when the capital operating budget is approved by City Council,” Hansen said of the first year of the plan.

In the next 10 years, the proposed CIP would drop by $79.7 million from $963.6 million to $883.9 million.

Hansen said she would be reviewing the CIP with City Council at its Feb. 5 meeting.