There will be no new bonded projects this year, while the remaining years of the five year 2024-25 to 2028-29 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) show only a few changes from previous plans.

The Board of Selectmen was the first board to review the plan; it is expected to go before the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council for their review and approvals.

While the first year is a “bonding vacation,” according to Finance Director Robert Tait, to help reduce the town’s debt service, there is some capital spending in the first year of the plan. All capital projects over $200,000 have to be included in the CIP, even if they are not bonded.

The first year, 2024-25, includes $3.1 million for roads, a $200,000 grant match, a $500,000 auxiliary pool HVAC unit, and $250,000 for a community center playscape; they will all be funded from other sources. The roads have been entirely moved to the general fund a few years ago, while the other three projects are coming from other sources.

In year two, 2025-26, the plan calls for $3.15 million for roads from the general fund; bonding for $875,000 for the replacement of fire apparatus, $2 million for building remediation and demo at the Fairfield Hills campus, $530,000 for Edmond Town Hall building renovations, $600,000 for a parking lot and sidewalks at the C.H. Booth Library, and $350,000 for an irrigation infrastructure replacement; from other funding sources are $50,000 for site and salt storage improvements for Public Works, $200,000 for a town match of grants, $500,000 for the sidewalk program, $525,000 for an outdoor splash pad at the Community Center, $200,000 for automated dividing walls at the Community Center, and $350,000 for pickleball courts at the Fairfield Hills campus.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said that $200,000 of the money for pickleball courts may come from American Rescue Plan funds while the other $150,000 is expected from fundraising from the pickleball organizations.

The projects together are $5,355,000 in new bonding.

Year two differs from the previous version of the plan by $630,000; the bridge replacement has been increased by $400,000 due to escalating costs, fire apparatus has been increased by $50,000 due to inflation, the irrigation infrastructure is a new item, and $500,000 has been reduced because a playground replacement for Treadwell Park has been moved to year five.

In year three, 2026-27, the plan calls for $3.2 million for roads from the general fund; bonding for $1 million for bridge replacement, $600,000 for site and salt storage improvements for Public Works, $895,000 for replacement of fire apparatus, $250,000 in bonding and $850,000 from other sources for artificial turf and lighting at Treadwell Park, $500,000 for maintenance yard improvements, and $2 million for building remediation and demo at Fairfield Hills; from other funding sources are $385,000 for artificial turf at the Dickinson Park playground and $200,000 for town match of grants.

The projects together are $5,245,000 in new bonding.

Year three differs from the previous version of the plan by $750,000; the bridge replacement has been increased by $400,000 due to escalating costs, fire apparatus has been increased by $50,000 due to inflation, the maintenance yard improvements have been increased by $150,000, and a truck washing station for $550,000 has been removed.

Rosenthal said the truck washing station was supposed to be a multi-town project but no other towns have shown interest, and it’s not worth it for the town to fund it alone.

In year four, 2027-28, the plan calls for $3.25 million for roads from the general fund; bonding for $1 million for bridge replacement, $915,000 for replacement of fire apparatus, $250,000 in bonding and $100,000 in grants for Fairfield Hills trail improvements, $3 million for building remediation and demo at Fairfield Hills, and $425,000 for Edmond Town Hall building renovations; from other sources are $210,000 for an exterior shade structure at the Community Center, and $200,000 for town match of grants.

The projects together are $5,590,000 in new bonding.

Year four differs from the previous version of the plan by $450,000, adding $400,000 for bridge replacement and $50,000 for fire apparatus.

In year five, 2028-29, the plan calls for $3.3 million for roads from the general fund; bonding for $1 million for bridge replacement, $290,000 for new generators and transfer switches, $500,000 for a playground replacement at Treadwell Park, $3 million for building remediation and demo at Fairfield Hills, and $500,000 for plumbing/radiator renewal at Edmond Town Hall; from other sources are $300,000 for pool plastering and tiling at the Community Center, $200,000 for town match of grants, and $700,000 for the sidewalk program.

The projects together are $5,290,000 in new bonding.

Year five differs from the previous version of the plan by $900,000, adding $400,000 for bridge replacement and moving the Treadwell playground replacement from year two.

Selectman Maureen Crick Owen called the CIP a “responsible plan.”

“We’re only doing what we can afford,” said Crick Owen. “We’re keeping bonding where it was instead of adding.”

The CIP can be found at newtown-ct.gov, on the finance department page.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.