[Adopted 8-13-1991 by Ch. No. 983 as §§ 10-66 through
10-71 of the 1991 Code (as amended by Ch. No. 1232); amended in its entirety 11-19-2007 by Ch. No. 1623]
For the purposes of this article, the following
terms shall have the meanings indicated:
A schedule of all future capital improvement
projects proposed to be carried out during a five-year period, the
first year being the capital improvement budget and the four ensuing
years being the long-range capital improvement plan. Requested capital
items are listed in order of priority, together with cost estimates
and the anticipated means and sources of financing each project.
The capital improvement program shall be updated
annually, coinciding with the development of the Town's annual operating
budget, and is subject to change with each update.
Major projects or purchases undertaken by the
Town that generally do not recur on an annual basis. Improvements
that are the type of project or acquisition that require bonding or
multiyear funding, to include:
Purchase of major items of equipment having
an anticipated life expectancy of three or more years.
Acquisition or lease of land.
Construction of new buildings or facilities,
including engineering, design and other preconstruction costs.
Improvements or additions to existing buildings
or facilities, not including annual replacements or items of routine
maintenance and repair.
Improvements shall have a minimum cost in excess
of $49,999. Expenditures for projects that meet the threshold are
considered capital items, and those below it are considered operating
items. The dollar threshold for capital items is to be increased by
4% every three years. A capital item must stand alone, that is, like
items may not be bundled into one project to meet the minimum cost
threshold.
Not later than October 1 of each year, the following
Town agencies and officials may submit requests for capital improvement
projects to the Town Manager:
A.
Town Assessor.
B.
Board of Canvassers.
C.
Board of Finance.
D.
Board of Recreation.
E.
Conservation Commission.
F.
Department of Public Works.
G.
Director of Finance.
H.
Police Department.
I.
School Committee.
J.
Town Clerk.
K.
Town Council.
L.
Town Manager.
M.
Any other department, agency or official having need
for capital acquisition, including study and building committees as
may be appointed by the Town Council.
A.
Requests for items to be included in the capital improvement
budget, consisting of proposed expenditures in the next fiscal year,
shall be submitted on forms supplied by the Town Manager and shall
include:
(1)
A listing of all items and projects that are proposed
to be acquired or undertaken, with appropriate supporting information.
(2)
A clear and concise general summary of each proposed
capital budget item.
(3)
Rank order of capital requests in terms of departmental
priority.
(4)
Cost estimates, method of financing and recommended
time schedules for each request.
(5)
Estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining
the capital items to be constructed or acquired.
(6)
The relationship to other funded capital improvements
initiated by the requesting department during the prior three fiscal
years, as indicated on a spreadsheet specifying the amount of appropriated
funds associated with each capital improvement.
(7)
Ability of the requesting entity to effectively manage
and direct the project.
(8)
Identification of all proposed sources of funds, including
but not limited to the general fund, budget surplus, capital reserve
fund, program revenue, bonded indebtedness, or identified grant sources.
B.
Requests for items to be included in the long-range
capital improvement plan for the four fiscal years thereafter shall
also be submitted on forms supplied by the Town Manager and include
a listing of all items and projects that are proposed to be acquired
or undertaken in ranked order of priority, along with their estimated
cost.
C.
The capital improvement budget and long-range capital
improvement plan shall be revised and extended each year with regard
to newly identified projects and those that are still pending or in
the process of construction or acquisition.
In evaluating requests and recommending a capital
improvement program, the Planning Board shall establish a priority
for all projects, based on the following criteria:
A.
Protection of life.
B.
Maintenance of the public health.
C.
Protection of property.
D.
Provision of necessary public services.
E.
Replacement or improvement of obsolete facilities.
F.
Reduction of operating costs.
G.
Provision of public recreation.
H.
Social, cultural or aesthetic values.
I.
Conservation of resources.
The Planning Board and the Town Manager, with
the assistance of the Finance Director, shall review the requests
with respect to the financial resources of the Town and shall prepare
a schedule showing the effect of requested projects upon the current
annual budget and the future debt and debt service charges for the
Town.
A.
Not later than December 15 of each year, the Planning
Board shall present to the Town Manager and the Board of Finance a
recommended capital improvement budget for the ensuing fiscal year
and a capital improvement plan for the four fiscal years thereafter.
B.
The Town Manager may add items to, delete items from
or amend the proposed capital improvement budget and capital improvement
plan prior to its submission to the Board of Finance. After it has
been acted upon by the Board of Finance, the Town Council shall take
final action on and adopt a capital program concerning municipal improvements
and proposed capital projects for the ensuing fiscal year and for
the four fiscal years thereafter.
An annual inspection shall be conducted of all Town property and equipment that is subject to the Capital Improvement Program. The inspection team shall consist of the following officials or their designees: the Town Manager, the Superintendent of Schools, a Planning Board representative, and administrators of departments participating in the Capital Improvement Program. Results of this annual inspection shall be compiled into a summary report to be submitted to the Town Council, the Planning Board, the Board of Finance, the School Committee, and all participating departments. This annual inspection shall be completed prior to the deadline for submission of capital improvement requests as specified in § 22-28.
At the request of the Town Manager, any expenditure
for capital improvements or equipment declared to be in the nature
of an emergency shall by majority vote of the Town Council be exempt
from the provisions of this chapter.
