Dream big – and cover your bases.

We love audacious thinking. It’s what leads to monumental improvements in the places where we live, work and visit. Often the realities of financing and budgeting play as much of a role as creating the idea in the first place.

At RPI Consulting, we run the numbers, set expectations and assure that big ideas are doable and sustainable. By examining infrastructure, support services, priorities, funding resources and maintenance costs, projects are kept within the bounds of real-world implementation.

The end results of our process are realistic, actionable goals. That’s why we coordinate with stakeholders early and often, so everyone is working toward the same outcomes. We’ll leave you with a clearly defined strategic implementation plan, with task assignments and timeframes, to make the most efficient use of your existing resources.

Past Projects: Archuleta County, CO; Beaverhead County, MT; Gallatin County, MT; Glenwood Springs, CO; Lake County, MT; Madison County, MT; Mineral County, MT; Natrona County, WY; Teton County, ID

CASE STUDIES

With real estate developers poised to build rural settlements in remote areas, Madison County officials engaged RPI Consulting to gauge the impact on county roads and highways. After comparing the current trend of dispersed development to the alternative scenario of compact development near towns and highways, RPI Consulting found the latter far more efficient. Our analysis showed that a home constructed more than eight miles from town produced a deficit of nearly $3,000 per year. As the length driven on county roads increases, so does the per unit deficit. If the 4,000 vacant lots in Madison County were to build-out, it would result in about 70,000 additional vehicle miles traveled, nearly doubling travel currently occurring on county roads.

Services provided:

  • Fiscal Impact Analysis
  • Compact versus Dispersed Residential Development Fiscal Impact Study
  • Alternative Development Scenario Analysis
  • Services and Revenue Demand Projections
  • Case Study Analysis

With 7,000 vacant subdivision lots already platted, Teton County sought to project fiscal impact on the county government at build-out. RPI Consulting used observable trends and available data to calculate the additional funds required to provide adequate county operations, infrastructure and capital investments. Our findings showed that residential development grows more expensive the farther away a development is from a municipality or arterial highway. Due to longer drives on county roads, new houses more than three miles out would account for only 18% of the inventory, but disproportionately cause 50% of the shortfall. Our analysis provided Teton County with the evidence needed for a coordinated re-assessment of land use policies and revenue structures.

Services provided:

  • Vacant Lot Build-Out Fiscal Impact Analysis
  • Compact versus Dispersed Residential Development Fiscal Impact Study
  • Services and Revenue Demand Projections