Capital Planning Committee working on prioritizing projects

Date: 3/22/2010

March 22, 2010

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



EAST LONGMEADOW - With the Annual Town Meeting approaching, the Capital Planning Committee has an important task on its hands. Its members must decide which capital projects will be funded in fiscal year 2011 (FY11).

A total of 43 requests were submitted this year but the committee, which works with the Appropriations Committee, has a finite budget to work with. That budget is currently estimated to total $2.8 million, or 4 percent less than what was budgeted in FY10, based on budget projections, according to Rocco Carabetta, chair of the Capital Planning Committee.

"We've been reviewing the requests since November," Carabetta said. "We're coming up with a list of the top projects to be recommended [by the committee at the spring Town Meeting]."

The projects currently being considered as top priorities include two new police cruisers, the renovation of trailers at Meadow Brook, a new heating system at Mapleshade, repairing one of the Department of Public Works' (DPW) dump trucks, replacing the fuel pump control system at the DPW, continuing building renovations at the senior center and a variety of Information Technology (IT) Department projects, including phone, clock and intercom upgrades at Mapleshade and Meadow Brook, police and fire department phone upgrades, server technology upgrades, public safety radio upgrades and new computers and equipment to be used throughout town.

The total cost of the listed projects is approximately $1.71 million.

Two other projects, the replacement of water meters and a pump station rehabilitation, totaling $1.254 million, would be paid for through the water and sewer funds.

"We also want to investigate the $1.3 million being requested for a new artificial turf field and track at the high school," Carabetta explained. A Field Committee, consisting of members of the high school's athletics department, the DPW and the town's Parks and Recreation Department, originally made the request for the same amount in 2006.

If approved, this project would be paid for through a 20-year bond, according to Town Accountant Tom Caliento.

"We will present a list of projects to the town and go through our recommendations looking at the town's five-year plan," Carabetta said. "It's possible that projects not approved this year may or may not fit in that five-year plan."

An open budget hearing, which will include discussion of capital projects, is scheduled for March 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

The Appropriations Committee will be finalizing the town's FY11 budget on April 7. Carabetta said the Capital Planning Committee will have their final recommendations on which projects to fund before that time.