The Board of Selectmen is poised to begin reviewing proposed changes to the Town Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Policy that were recently completed by the Board of Finance. Selectmen will begin that review at their next meeting on August 19.

The revised CIP Policy is also expected to be reviewed by the Board of Education, albeit sometime later in September, according to First Selectman Dan Rosenthal.

Finance board Chairman James Gaston told The Newtown Bee the newly proposed CIP policy cleans up some “duplicative language” that existed in the former policy and brings the policy language in conformity to the latest Charter revision.

“We also removed the potential perpetual return for approval of the [finance board] for changes by the Legislative Council,” Mr Gaston said. “We provided one return to the Board of Finance if a proposal [from that board] was not approved by the council.”

The draft policy revision states that upon approval of the combined municipal and district CIP, the finance board will present its Recommended CIP to the council by November 30. The finance director will also present to the Legislative Council the Bond Forecast Schedule (updated for any Board of Finance actions).

The Legislative Council will review the Board of Finance Recommended CIP. Upon review, the council may accept the CIP in its entirety, or it may reduce, transfer between CIP years, or eliminate or add capital asset/project(s).

Moving or adding a capital asset project to Year One will be strictly scrutinized, the policy revision states. The Legislative Council will then prioritize, within each CIP year, the capital asset/projects.

Upon any change of the Board of Finance’s Recommended CIP by the Legislative Council, the council will return its proposed CIP with changes to the finance board for review and recommendation before sending it back for the Charter-mandated final approval by the Legislative Council.

Failure of the Board of Finance to make any recommendations within ten days will result in the Legislative Council’s proposed CIP becoming final. And no matter the number of CIP changes by the council, the finance board will only be provided one post-November 30 review and recommendation meeting.

Mr Gaston said this revised policy language gives final say to the council, which is the legislative branch, and brings protocols in line with what finance board members believe was the original intent of the policy.

“We also changed the [CIP] schedule to more practical dates,” Mr Gaston said.

According to the revised policy, each year during July-September, the Board of Selectmen and school district should prepare any CIP requests.

Then the first selectman presents the proposed municipal CIP to the Board of Selectmen, and the superintendent presents the proposed school district CIP to the Board of Education for discussion; approval; and if desired, any ranking of projects.

By the fourth Thursday in September, the Board of Education should plan to present its proposed CIP to the Board of Finance, followed by the first selectman’s CIP presentation the second Monday in October.

Once both CIP plans are released, the finance director will present the combined Town of Newtown CIP along with analysis including a Debt Forecast Schedule. By November 30, the Board of Finance should be prepared to present its recommended CIP to the Legislative Council.

By January 31 of the following year, the Legislative Council should adopt an approved CIP — and should determine which first-year CIP projects go to referendum on the annual budget ballot the fourth Tuesday in April.

The following February-March, bond resolutions go through the approval process for CIP projects that have been approved from the previous year’s referendum.

The final change recommended to the CIP policy by the finance board involves providing flexibility so any new incoming first selectmen and Board of Selectmen can make suggestions as to the first year or “year one” CIP earmarks, Mr Gaston said, “as that executive branch will be effectuating the proposals.”

Any changes suggested by a new incoming Board of Selectmen still will require council approval.

During this week’s selectmen’s meeting, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said he and Finance Director Robert Tait will process a formal five-year CIP but will add long-term capital proposals to an addendum that takes into account possible bonding for projects in years six through ten.