As the clock ticks down to the Annual Town Meeting, municipal departments including local schools, natural resources, water and sewer, and police and fire are busy tweaking FY18 budgets.
To that end, the town’s Capital Planning Committee has met with department heads who presented their lists of needs for the upcoming fiscal year.
On March 29, CPC members Alan Apperson, Ellen Driscoll, Gerry Johnson, and Robert Ball met with Town Administrator Michael Gagne to discuss the list and rank the top 14 requested items.
Coming in at the top of the list was $40,000 for the construction of enhanced security at Center School.
Gagne said construction should have taken place during the week of February school vacation; however, cost estimates had been much higher than anticipated so the project was not done. Gagne surmised that the plan to complete the work in one week had been too aggressive and most likely would have incurred overtime expenses, pushing the estimate higher than expected. He said the plan now is to do the work once school has closed for the summer.
Number two on the list was $13,000 for new fire hoses. Gagne said this request was the third and final phase needed to bring the fire department hoses up to national safety standards.
Coming in number three was a packaged bundle of small necessities needed by various departments for items such as new office desks and chairs, file cabinets, and a copy machine. He noted that the copy machine used by the building department was nine years old.
Number four was $60,000 for roof repairs to Old Hammondtown School’s kitchen. While this sum had been voted on during the FY17 town meeting, during the special town meeting the monies were moved from that line item to school security upgrades, a more pressing issue, Gagne said.
And number five was $10,000 for software upgrades needed by the fire department. Gagne describe the technology as part of the GIS system. He said the department would be able to input data that will make responding to emergencies safer for the firefighters. Gagne said, “They can upload the location of burn permits and hazardous chemicals so that when a call comes in they will know what to expect at the scene.”
The remainder of the list was ranked as follows: $25,000 – local school floor tiles; $14,400 – ambulance infusion pump; $40,000 – Phase 3 highway barn updates; $91,000 – two new police cruises; $19,000 – police station window replacement; $70,000 – highway department truck replacement; $14,100 – highway department sander/spreader; $24,000 – COA replacement vehicle; and $13,000 – fire station roof repairs.
The list totals out at $474,050.
Regarding the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund and its capital needs, Gagne reported that two line items are proposed to be funded via debt service: a water tank replacement on Jane Lane for $1.2 million and Fairhaven sewer line relining for $2.1 million. Other FY18 needs for the department are: $10,000 – GEO graphic system; $80,000 – backhoe/excavator; $30,000 – grinder pump repairs; and $30,000 – water well updates.
On the horizon for FY19 and beyond, the Capital Planning Committee will be asked to consider a new vehicle for natural resources, the replacement of roadway guardrails at various locations, upgrades to the building at the Holy Ghost grounds, sewer catch basin cleaner, and highway yard upgrades.
Members of the CPC are scheduled to meet with the Finance Committee to present their findings on Thursday, April 6, at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell