The Board of Selectmen received an updated Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for municipal projects during an August 15 meeting that First Selectman Pat Llodra said makes a number of adjustments to take pressure off Newtown's debt load while still digging into projects that have a high visibility factor for taxpayers ultimately footing the bill.Truck Washing StationFFH Building Demolition

The Board of Education both requests and annually affirms or adjusts proposed projects in the plan that are specific to the school district.

According to the town code, to be eligible for inclusion in the CIP, a proposed purchase must have an estimated cost that is at least 0.25 percent of the town budget for the year in which the request is made (excluding projects funded with state LoCIP money).

Assuming the proposed purchase meets the 0.25 percent threshold, the CIP could include:

*Purchases requiring debt obligation.

*Acquisition or lease of land.

*Purchase of major equipment and vehicles with life expectancy of five years or more.

*Construction of new building facilities, including engineering, design and other preconstruction costs.

*Major building improvements that are not routine expenses, including those that substantially enhance the safety of the occupants of the building and/or the longevity of the building itself.

*Major equipment or furnishing required for a new building or other projects.

*Major studies requiring the employment of outside professional consultants.

While proposed projects on the upcoming year's CIP extend out to the 2022 fiscal year, the Boards of Selectmen, Education, and Finance and the Legislative Council, which each review and endorse the plan, concentrate most on spending proposed for the coming year.

Mrs Llodra told The Newtown Bee that several suggested adjustments, if approved, could take continued pressure off the town's debt load by lowering estimated capital spending and corresponding bonding by about $2.3 million.

"This is what selectmen have in front of them," Mrs Llodra said. "We didn't discuss it; I just presented it."

Among proposed changes is the pushing out of a planned regional municipal vehicle washing station, which was proposed to help extend the physical life of primarily heavy town-owned motor pool and construction equipment that have been experiencing some premature deterioration because of exposure to modern-day winter ice melting chemicals.

The proposed facility, with its $50,000 design and $550,000 estimated construction price tag, was also seen as an opportunity for Newtown to create a much-needed regional municipal service hub in town. Mrs Llodra has previously discussed the washing station, its potential to also host neighboring communities like Southbury, Brookfield, and/or Bethel, and its role in serving a new state initiative to develop opportunities for regional municipal services.

The first selectman said since the Public Works Department is heavily engaged in a number of other major road, bridge, and town construction or demolition projects, it is logical to bump both the proposed design and construction spending out by one year. The adjustment also provides officials more time to find an appropriate central location for the facility, perhaps adjacent to the Parks & Recreation maintenance garage off Trades Lane, Mrs Llodra said.

"My sense is, with their workflow and readiness to take that on, they wouldn't be ready to enter into the design phase," she said. "As a department head, I really want [Public Works Director Fred Hurley] to focus on major road and bridge projects, especially the Toddy Hill Road bridge replacement."

The largest proposed expenditure in the 2017-18 CIP, $2.5 million for remediation and demolition of one of the large remaining unusable buildings at Fairfield Hills, is being reduced and removed in favor of increasing bonding from $500,000 to $2 million for that initiative in the 2018 fiscal year.

"I'm sure this will be the subject of some conversation," Mrs Llodra said.

The first selectman is confident that anticipated savings from the underbudget demolition of Canaan House (see related story) will also help underwrite other projects, including assessment of other still usable buildings at Fairfield Hills including a set of duplexes formerly used for staff housing, and Stratford Hall, which she said has spurred continuous interest for a food service establishment.

A non-CIP project to improve the streetscape and gateway appearance of the town-owned campus is also in the works.

"Let's try to get a project done every year at Fairfield Hills. I know we have the funds to do a project here this year and next, with existing resources. I'm just stretching things out," she said. "I'm trying to find a balance between demolition and development and keep it going. So I'm reluctant to enlisting all our resources to demolition."

Mrs Llodra believes the community needs to see a balance between taking down buildings, and creating visible developments that help enhance the overall quality of life for everyone in the community.

At the same time, Mrs Llodra is requesting doubling Newtown's recurring open space acquisition program to $500,000 by combining previously proposed expenditures of up to $250,000 in each of the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years.

"We may have an opportunity in the next six months or so to take action on a parcel that would be of great value to the community as open space, but I can't really say much more because it's currently in negotiation," she said.

As the applicable boards and officials weigh in on the capital spending and project plan in the coming weeks and months, they will focus on the most imminent projects earmarked for funding in the coming year:

*$2.75 million with $1 million bonded for the ongoing capital road program;

*$525,000 for the ongoing bridge replacement program;

*$3 million for a new senior center design and construction;

*$400,000 for the Treadwell pool deck repair;

*$571,000 for an Edmond Town Hall air-conditioning system;

*$273,000 for Booth Library renovations;

*$500,000 for the design phase of a proposed new police facility;

*$350,000 for the ongoing sidewalk/streetscape development plan;

*$500,000 for open space acquisition.

Except for the capital road plan, of which $1.75 million comes from the general fund, all other proposed 2017-18 projects are fully bonded as proposed.