01/14/2011

Capital Improvement Plan for coming years a 'work in progress'

The Town Council on Jan. 10, 2011 accepted as a "work in progress" a capital improvement plan for 2012-2016, one that Town Manager Michael McGovern said looks to take care of the millions of dollars worth of land, roads, buildings and equipment that are entrusted to the Town.

McGovern told councilors that he troubled over the plan, and asked that they acknowledge receipt of it rather than adopt it. "We're going to continue to work on it, particularly between now and when the (2012 budget proposal) is submitted to you," McGovern said.

In the near term, the plan calls for a $825,000 investment in capital projects, most notably $260,000 for road paving and drainage; $140,000 to replace a 41-year-old road grader with a used grader; and, $125,000 for library building repairs, energy and boiler work.

Capital needs of the library remain a question for both councilors and for Town staff. After a months-long study, a 2009 report from the ad hoc Thomas Memorial Library Study Committee is recommending a new library building. "Over the next few months we will struggle to figure out how much we should be investing in boilers and other things at the library," McGovern said. But not knowing what the long-range plan is, we just don't know," he said.

The does plan include a $4 million bond proposal which McGovern called a "placeholder" for councilors to keep before them as a possible way to help fund capital needs at the library.

Town and School officials are also looking to clarify needs for boilers and other capital needs of the School Department.

"The important piece of this is is that we do have quite an infrastructure of land, of buildings and equipment," McGovern said. "This plan looks to take care of those assets," he said.

Town Council goals adopted at the same meeting call for officials to look at additional metrics, such as mileage and engine time, when making capital planning decisions.