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The purpose of the Capital Improvement Planning Committee (CIP) is to prioritize recommendations for annual capital spending requests from requestors (department heads, boards and committees, citizen groups). Requestors annually submit their 5-year capital spending forecasts, which allows the town a longer-term view for future spending requests.
The CIP meets with each requestor to review their request(s) and discuss factors that a request may impact, such as public safety, vehicle and equipment replacement, building renovation and preservation, and revenue enhancement or cost savings. The CIP then ranks the requests against available funds, typically certified free cash from the previous fiscal year.
Twelve FY09 requests were considered, with the following recommendations:
- Band Concerts ($2000): CIP recommends that we continue to fund these town concerts.
- Wachusett Earth Day ($12,000 request): CIP recommends this as the first payment towards a joint effort collection center. This is phase one of the agreement that includes the planning and site preparation.
- Highway Department street sweeper (initial $50-70,000 request; revised to $45,000): CIP recommends the revised request of $45,000 to replace an old street sweeper with a more modern, safe used model.
- Fire Department hose and radios ($48,160 request): CIP recommends $24,500 to be used towards hose replacement and valves.
- Open Space land acquisition ($25,000 request): CIP is in favor of this request but due to having to make a payment towards the Bentley property there is not money available at this time.
- Town Hall copier ($6,000 request): CIP recommends this amount to purchase a new copier for town hall.
- Road reconstruction ($175,000 request): The CIP recommends using any remaining free cash towards this request. This will be determined once the final ice and snow number is known.
- Environmental cleanup (request $10,000): CIP recommends $10,000 to continue the cleanup at the town buildings.
- Town building maintenance ($20,000 request): CIP recommends $17,000 to continue this ongoing program.
- Grounds maintenance (request $10,000): CIP recommends $7,000 to continue this ongoing program.
- 250th celebration ($10,000 request): CIP recommends $5,000 to continue to build funds for Princeton’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2009.
- Infrastructure Stabilization ($25,000 request). CIP recommends transferring $25,000 to this town savings account.
CIP recommendations total $153,500, plus any funds remaining after the snow and ice number is known. Spending this amount will have no impact on the FY09 tax rate.
Capital Improvement Planning Committee
Bob Paulson, Fred Pape, Chair, Stan Moss, Rud Mason
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