There shall be a Capital Planning Committee ("the Committee") comprised of five members; two of whom shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen, two by the Finance Committee and one by the Moderator. Each member is appointed to a three-year term, or to fill the remainder of a vacated appointment. The Town Administrator ("Administrator"), the Treasurer, and/or the ranking appointed financial official shall be nonvoting ex officio members. The Committee shall elect its own officers.
[Adopted as Ch. 4, Art. 8 of the General Bylaws; amended 1988 ATM by Art. 44; 1993 ATM by Art. 13; 11-16-2021 STM by Art. 19]
The Committee advises the Board of Selectmen, the Finance Committee and Town Meeting on all capital expenditures within the Committee's scope (§ 7-18). Items within that scope are subject to this bylaws process (§ 7-19) for review and vote for recommendation by the Committee and culminating in an annual report (§ 7-20) summarizing the Committee's recommendations. The Committee shall be responsible for presenting its recommended capital improvement budget article at Town Meetings.
The Committee shall review proposed capital projects and improvements involving major nonrecurring tangible assets and projects, including the acquisition of equipment, land, buildings, or infrastructure for a public purpose. These cost expenditures shall include the costs of planning, feasibility, engineering and/or design study services for new construction costs, extension, or major rehabilitation costs of existing public assets. Additionally, these projects and improvements must:
A.
The Town Administrator in conjunction with officers, boards, commissions, and committees ("departments"), including the Kingston Elementary School Committee and any department with an enterprise or revolving fund, shall by October 1 of each year give to the Committee, annually, information concerning all anticipated, qualifying capital projects requiring Town Meeting appropriation during the ensuing five years. The deadline for these submissions is January 1. At the Committee's discretion, it may consider proposed capital projects submitted for review beyond this deadline.
B.
Using the revenue and expenditure projections prepared by the Administrator, the Committee shall consider the relative need, impact, timing and cost of these expenditures and the effect each will have on the financial position of the Town. The Committee shall vote for or against favorable action or may vote to offer no recommendation on poposed capital projects and imprvements as individual items for recommendation, which shall become the basis for the capital planning warrant article and be distributed to the Town Administration 45 days in advance of Town Meeting. The Committee shall review, discuss, and vote on a capital budget to support recommended projects by the last business day of February so it can be presented to the Finance Committee shortly thereafter.
C.
The Committee's recommendations, if any, shall be submitted to the Kingston Town Meeting. No appropriation shall be voted for a capital improvement requested by a department unless the proposed capital improvement is considered in the Committee's report or the Committee shall first have submitted a report to the Town Meeting, explaining the omission.
D.
In the event that capital projects are to be considered at a Special Town Meeting, such projects shall be submitted for the Committee's review and recommendation at least 30 days before such Special Town Meeting.
A.
The Committee shall prepare an annual report ("report") to be submitted to the Administrator's office before the end of the calendar year, summarizing the capital improvement budget for the current fiscal year, including requested capital improvements for the following four fiscal years. The report shall:
(1)
Identify the fiscal year and the base cost of capital improvements that were considered by the Committee;
(2)
List proposed, individual capital projects and improvements along with each capital items' total expenditure; the department requesting the improvement as well as the department with responsibility for it; and a record of the Committee's total votes for, against and abstained (i.e., 4-1-0) with regard to favorable action;
(3)
Indicate projected funding sources for the proposed capital projects and improvements provided by the administration;
(4)
Additional organization of the report, and detail to be contained therein, is at the discretion of the Committee;
(5)
The Committee will provide a five-year plan, including the next fiscal year budget, with projected costs for the Town's Annual Report, Budget Summary, or other supplementary materials to be provided to the public.
B.
The Committee shall vote to approve the final report, which shall then be submitted to the Administrator to present to the Board of Selectmen for its review and recommendation. The capital improvement budget shall separately list projects to be undertaken and be presented in a single warrant article to be voted on at the upcoming Town Meeting.