[Adopted 4-24-2015 ATM, Art. 20[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This article also repealed former Art. I, Permanent Building Committee, adopted 2-25-1967 ATM, Art. 18, as amended.
A. 
In accordance with Chapter 41, Section 106B of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Selectboard shall establish and annually appoint a committee to be known as the Capital Improvements Planning Committee ("Committee"), composed of one member of the Selectboard, and at least four (4) but not more than eight (8) other members. The Town Administrator shall be a non-voting member. The Committee shall elect its own officers.
[Amended 4-26-2019 ATM, Art. 18]
B. 
The Committee shall study proposed capital projects and improvements involving major tangible assets and projects which are generally purchased or undertaken at intervals of not less than five (5) years, have a useful life of at least five (5) years, and cost at least ten thousand dollars ($10,000). All officers, boards, committees and commissions shall, by the first Friday in December of each year, submit to the Selectboard, on forms prepared by it, information concerning all anticipated projects requiring Town Meeting action during the ensuing (6) six years. The Selectboard shall transmit such information in a timely fashion to the Committee. This § 14-1 is also applicable to projects sponsored by the Selectboard. The Committee shall consider the criticality, relative need, impact, timing and cost of these expenditures, the effect each will have on the financial position of the Town and future maintenance and replacement costs, recognizing the useful life of assets in accordance with the Uniform Massachusetts Accounting System (UMAS) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board.
[Amended 4-26-2019 ATM, Art. 18]
C. 
Annual report.
[Amended 4-26-2019 ATM, Art. 18]
(1) 
The Committee shall prepare an annual report recommending a Capital Improvements Budget for the next fiscal year. The report shall be submitted to the Selectboard for consideration and approval. The Selectboard shall submit its approved Capital Budget to the Annual Town Meeting for adoption by the Town.
(2) 
The Committee's report must include all projects submitted in accordance with Subsection B, with the Committee's recommendation on each of the projects clearly written. Upon unanimous vote, the Committee's report may also include recommendations for capital improvements costing less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or having a useful life of under five (5) years, but not both. No appropriation for a capital improvement expenditure requested by a department, board, or committee shall be voted at a Town Meeting, unless the proposed capital improvement is recommended in the Committee's annual report, or the Committee shall first have submitted a supplemental report to the Selectboard in accordance with Subsection F including such recommendation and, explaining its omission.
(3) 
Capital improvements placed on a Town Meeting Warrant by citizen petition are excluded from the provisions of this subsection.
D. 
Such Capital Improvements Program, after 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 (5) years in the future.
E. 
The Committee's report and the Selectboard's recommended Capital Budget shall be made available to Town residents in a manner consistent with the Annual Town Report. The Committee shall file all its reports with the Selectboard.
[Amended 4-26-2019 ATM, Art. 18]
F. 
The Committee may amend, add to, or delete from any Capital Budget recommendation previously adopted by the Town if it determines that an extraordinary and unforeseen circumstance occurred after such time information was required to be submitted for consideration at the Annual Town Meeting, and which recommendation must be acted upon before the next Annual Town Meeting. Any such amendment, addition or deletion shall be explained and submitted in a supplemental Committee report to the Selectboard for consideration and approval, and as determined by the Selectboard placement on the next Special Town Meeting Warrant.
[Amended 4-26-2019 ATM, Art. 18]