HomeMy WebLinkAboutCapital Program Committee Minutes - 09 28 2010_20140212133825349809/28/2010 Capital Programs Committee meeting minutes
Members Present: Peter Hoey, Rick Atherton, John Tiffany, Peter Boynton, Robert Schwartzenbach, Phil
Stambaugh.
Absent: Linda Williams
Others attending: Libby Gibson, Town Manager; Diane O’Neil, liason to Town Administration; Irene
Lynch‐Larivee, liaison to Town Finance Department; Robin something, Finance Department.
Call to order: Acting Chair, Peter Hoey called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM. Since this was the first
meeting, there were no minutes to approve. Officers were elected: Peter Hoey as chair, John Tiffany as
vice chair, Phil Stambaugh as Recording Secretary. Minute‐takers will rotate among the committee.
Each new Member and Member beginning a new term is to pick up a copy of the new Committee
Manual from the Town Clerk upon being sworn in. Peter Hoey handed out the FY2012 Capital Program
Committee binder; minute requirements were reviewed; Conflict of Interest brochure was distributed.
Mr. Hoey emphasized that Commonwealth of Massachusetts law requires all Town Committees and
Departments to record, distribute and approve minutes of each meeting in a timely manner. Failure to
do so is a violation.
Capital Requests for 2012‐2021. Ms. Gibson commented that 4 items are being discussed, but no action
is required from this committee at this time
1. Surfside Area Roads improvements. These are private roads and the abutters have not agreed
upon the improvements and their share of the costs. Approximately $140,000 was spent on
some drainage issues, but approximately $300,000 remains of the original appropriation. No
further action is called for until the abutters agree on improvements and cost sharing, if any.
2. Madaket Water Treatment facility. Cost is estimated to be $60 million. Town is discussing
purchase from the GSA, hopefully for a price of $1.00.
3. Wind Turbine at the Landfill. Cost is estimated to be $4‐5 million. Proposal is being researched
and prepared. It will not be ready for Spring Town Meeting.
4. Downtown Parking. Implementation of paid parking is being discussed. Estimated cost is
between $50,000‐$200,000.
Capital requests for years beyond the next fiscal year. Mr. Hoey observed that there were none for the
Wannacomet Water Co. and four Town departments: Police, Marine, Our Island Home, and Visitors
Services. Ms. Gibson will speak with the department heads about this. Mr. Hoey expanded on this
longer‐term theme for this committee, in that Capital requests would be better evaluated in the context
of the longer term, and not just the immediate needs for the next fiscal year. Consistent with this, Mr.
Hoey requested that the four departments be added to the schedule of presentations, with the
understanding that discussion will be informal, will be 30 minutes, and will be related to out‐year capital
needs. Mr. Hoey will contact Bob Gardner, Pres. of Wannacomet Water to request his visit.
Relevance of the Capital Program Committee. A summary of the observations were that the
Committee plays an important role by:
‐easing the load on the Finance Committee by thoroughly researching the larger capital requests
‐spreading the influence on Town matters more broadly
‐placing capital spending in a longer term context
For further background, Rick Atherton suggested the Members review the Capital Programs work being
done in the Towns of Wellesley and Newton by visiting their respective websites. It was also suggested
that the Committee review our Debt Policy Statement and review our debt servicing for possible savings,
now that interest rates are at an all time low. The committee may informally pursue this for FY2012, but
it is currently beyond the scope of the Capital Program Committee (“CapCom”). Members and Ms.
Gibson will review the section of Town Code that relates to CapCom and make recommendations as to
changes to the Code that would expand the duties of the committee. These recommendations will be
discussed with the BOS and an Article may be submitted for next April’s Town Meeting.
Committee’s Report: The Committee is to rank the rank the projects for capital spending and make the
recommendations to the Finance Committee.
Action items for the next meeting:
1. Ms. Gibson will email her September 22 Selectmen meeting PowerPoint presentation to
Members.
2. Ms. O’Neil will issue a schedule of Department Head meetings with the Committee
3. Ms. Gibson will ask Department Heads to review out‐year capital needs and schedule a visit with
CapCom.
4. Mr. Hoey will forward the Bylaws to the Members
The meeting was adjourned at 10:12 AM.
Respectfully submitted by Phil Stambaugh