Date: Fri 24-Jul-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

finance-Spragg-Blawie

Full Text:

List Of Possible Capital Expenses Grows Even Longer

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Remember the "Blawie List," which included some $40 million worth of possible

expenses the town faces in the coming years? Well, now there is a new list,

which has grown by more than 50 percent.

This list, known as the "Spragg List" because it was generated by Newtown

Finance Director Ben Spragg, includes a total of $65 million worth of

anticipated costs for the town.

"The Blawie List understated the problem," noted Legislative Council member

Karen Blawie, who came up with the original list back in June. "We saw Ben's

list the other day and nearly fell off our chairs."

Mrs Blawie said the council's finance committee now needs to cut and slash,

something she has already begun doing.

"I've been categorizing the items from `necessary' to `don't do,'" she

explained.

Mrs Blawie said she is putting some of the items to the side -- such as Edmond

Town Hall, Town Hall South and the Hook & Ladder Firehouse -- waiting to hear

from consultants regarding the town's municipal space needs study. Kaestle

Boos Architects was recently hired to take on the task of studying where the

seat of Newtown's government will sit as the town enters the 21st century.

The "Spragg List" jumped up $15 million from the "Blawie List" due to newly

uncovered items such as the possible purchase of 185 acres of land and

buildings at Fairfield Hills -- estimated cost $2 to $10 million.

Several items overlap both lists, including $22 million for the Board of

Education's proposed new fifth/sixth grade school, plus $18 million in other

potential expenditures.

With so many possible expenses out there, the finance committee opted to put

together the "Blawie" and "Spragg" lists as a preliminary step in creating the

town's five-year capital improvement plan (CIP), according to John Kortze,

chairman of the finance committee.

"We were trying to figure out the best way to attack this. We thought the best

way to start was to put it on paper as a thumbnail sketch," Mr Kortze said.

"It's basically a list of every possible expense. Nothing has been approved."

Council member Melissa Pilchard said the "Spragg List" could grow even higher

since the Board of Education "failed" to include its fourth-and fifth-year

funding needs in its CIP request. School Business Manager John Torok said he

would send those requests on to Mr Spragg. Mrs Pilchard estimates those

numbers could increase the "Spragg List" to as much as $80 million.

Mr Kortze said he hopes the council is able to approve a 1998-99 CIP by the

fall.