Following Board of Selectmen action August 18 to send the town’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to the Board of Finance, Chairman John Kortze has asked First Selectman Pat Llodra, School Superintendent Dr Joseph Erardi, as well as members of the Legislative Council and Board of Education to attend the August 28 finance board meeting.

Mr Kortze said he has asked Mrs Llodra and Dr Erardi to present their capital plans to the group. The finance chairman is anticipating some discussion among all involved about how the facilities analysis, future anticipated student enrollment and space needs will affect the CIP along with any future bonding or spending to cover project costs.

“I have not seen the CIP yet, but I think we’re going to want to talk about how future anticipated space needs play into that greater [capital spending] plan,” Mr Kortze said.

The town has just seated an appointed committee that will conduct a thorough facilities analysis. Mrs Llodra has said that Dr Erardi is motivated to merge information from a nearly complete enrollment study to help develop a comprehensive overview about how the town will improve or utilize various public facilities including local schools in the coming years.

“We don’t want to move forward with the CIP without knowing the anticipated outcome of the space needs studies,” Mr Kortze said.

On August 18, selectmen quickly approved the town’s CIP, and in separate action appointed a facilities review committee that will work with a planning consultant reviewing town-owned buildings. The school board is concurrently completing an enrollment study.

The school board approved its CIP the following evening, including a revision increasing the request for capital funds to improve the high school auditorium. The district’s CIP was not made available to the public at the August 19 school board meeting.

This report was updated August 27 to clarify that the school district is currently completing an enrollment study, not a facilities study.