[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Fairhaven 5-3-2014 by Art. 26. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A Capital Improvement Program is established for land purchases, construction and renovation of buildings, major equipment and machinery purchases, road and drainage reconstruction, and the construction and reconstruction of special facilities such as local school projects, sewer and water mains, and water treatment and sewage disposal facilities.
[Amended 5-7-2016 ATM by Art. 36; 6-14-2021 ATM by Art. 46; 11-14-2023 STM by Art. 13]
The Select Board shall appoint a Capital Planning Committee ("Committee") consisting of seven voting members to assist and advise the Town Administrator in preparing a five-year Capital Improvement Plan. The voting members shall serve terms of three years. Initially two voting members shall serve for one year, two for two years, and three for three years, and they may be reappointed. The Committee shall be comprised as follows:
A. 
Voting members:
(1) 
One member of the Board of Public Works or an appointee thereof;
(2) 
A person who is a member of the Fairhaven local School Committee or an appointee thereof;
(3) 
A resident of Fairhaven who represents the business, financial, or banking community;
(4) 
A resident of Fairhaven with experience in the management of construction activities;
(5) 
A resident of Fairhaven knowledgeable about the Town's needs in the areas of open space and recreation facilities or activities;
(6) 
A designee of the Finance Director, or, in the absence of a Finance Director, a Town financial staff member, designated by the Town Administrator, said financial designee to act as Chair of the Committee; and
(7) 
One resident member appointed by the Select Board.
[Amended 6-14-2021 ATM by Art. 46; 11-14-2023 STM by Art. 13]
The Committee shall:
A. 
Study proposed capital projects, improvements, and equipment purchases that have a useful life of at least five years and cost over $20,000 per item;
B. 
Consider the relative need, impact, timing and cost of these expenditures;
C. 
Prepare an annual report recommending a Capital Improvement Projects Plan for the next fiscal year and a Capital Improvement Program Plan, including capital improvements for the next five years. The report shall be submitted to the Town Administrator who shall then submit it to the Select Board along with the budget for the next fiscal year each year for consideration and approval;
D. 
The Capital Improvement Projects Plan and Capital Improvement Program Plan are to be presented at the Annual Town Meeting for its approval of fiscal year expenditures;
E. 
Explain and defend to the Town Meeting any deviation which the Committee proposes from the Capital Improvement Plan.
[Amended 11-14-2023 STM by Art. 13]
Each year, each department, board, committee and commission shall provide to the Committee information concerning all anticipated capital outlays requiring Town Meeting appropriation for the ensuing five-year period.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 40-5, Public hearing on Capital Improvement Plan, as amended, which immediately followed this section. was repealed 11-14-2023 STM by Art. 13. This article also renumbered former § 40-6 as § 40-5.
[Amended 6-14-2021 ATM by Art. 46; 11-14-2023 STM by Art. 13]
Every capital improvement request by a department, board or commission shall be considered in the Committee’s Capital Improvement Plan unless the Committee shall have provided a report to the Select Board explaining the omission of the proposed capital improvement from its Plan.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 40-7, Expenditures in preparation for capital improvements, which immediately followed this section. was repealed 11-14-2023 STM by Art. 13.