[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]
The Select Board shall appoint a Capital Planning Committee
("Committee") consisting of seven voting members, and three or more
nonvoting ex officio 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)
The Finance Director/Treasurer/Collector;
(7)
The Town Administrator; and
(8)
Such other nonvoting ex officio members as the Select Board deems
appropriate from time to time.
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.
Work with Town departments and officers to compile an inventory of
the Town's facilities, equipment, machinery and other capital assets;
C.
Consider the relative need, impact, timing and cost of these expenditures
and the effect each will have on the financial position of the Town
of Fairhaven;
D.
Prepare an annual report recommending a Capital Improvement Budget
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 Select Board on or before December 31 of each year
for consideration and approval;
[Amended 6-14-2021 ATM by Art. 46]
E.
Present the Capital Improvement Plan to the Annual Town Meeting for
its approval of fiscal year expenditures;
F.
Monitor the execution of projects authorized;
G.
Explain and defend to the Town Meeting any deviation which the Committee
proposes from the Capital Improvement Plan.
By October 15 of 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.
[Amended 6-14-2021 ATM by Art. 46]
After the annual presentation of the Capital Improvement Plan
by the Committee to the Select Board, the Select Board shall, within
30 days of the receipt of the plan, hold a public hearing to present
the plan for public comment.
[Amended 6-14-2021 ATM by Art. 46]
No appropriation shall be voted for a capital improvement requested
by a department, board or commission unless the proposed capital improvement
has been considered in the Committee's Capital Improvement Plan, or
the Committee has submitted a report to the Select Board explaining
the omission of the proposed capital improvement from its Plan.
Such Capital Improvement Program, after its adoption, shall
permit the expenditure on projects included therein of sums from departmental
budgets for surveys, architectural or engineering advice, options
or appraisals; but no such expenditure shall be incurred on projects
which have not been so approved by the Town through the appropriation
of sums in the current year or in prior years, or for preliminary
planning for projects to be undertaken more than five years in the
future. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Town may
appropriate and expend funds for the purchase of land regardless of
when improvements to, or use of, the land by the Town is anticipated.
