Finance Board Approves Revised $26 Million Capital Plan

By John Voket

After hours of discussions and deliberations by the Boards of Selectmen and Education going back to last fall, the Board of Finance February 18 approved a proposal for almost $26 million in capital spending that was produced by just five individuals.

Upon receiving modest capital borrowing parameters recently by the town finance director, the finance board suggested town and school officials meet to determine their last best priorities for capital projects.

First Selectman Pat Llodra said that meeting occurred Tuesday, February 16, after selectmen and the school board had already voted on Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) recommendations. But the meeting, with the first selectman, school board chairman, school superintendent along with the town’s finance director and the school district’s interim business manager, yielded what Mrs Llodra described as a “worksheet” that was submitted to and unanimously endorsed by the Board of Finance.

Saying that anything beyond year one in the CIP would be reviewed and possibly reworked at some point in the future, Mrs Llodra presented the latest recommendations, which now go to the Legislative Council for discussion and approval.

The capital borrowing proposed for next year will include replacement of the middle school’s sloped and flat sections of roof, as well as renovations to the Parks and Recreation Department’s maintenance facility; the Old Mill Dam bridge replacement; part of the capital required to construct a new headquarters for Newtown Hook & Ladder; and funds to trench and bury electrical and communications wiring that is being carried on temporary utility poles at Fairfield Hills.

Before presenting the revisions, Mrs Llodra and school board chair Lillian Bittman both acknowledged that they hoped the town could afford to finance everything on each department’s CIP, but acquiesced to something less based on the financial realities facing the community and its taxpayers.

The most conspicuous change to the approved capital plan was reprioritizing and bumping the design phase of a Hawley School heating and air conditioning renovation to Year 2 from Year 1 in the school board’s approved document.

During the presentation last week, both Mrs Llodra and Ms Bittman admitted the worksheet was crafted and presented without the details being seen or discussed by either the full school board or the Board of Selectmen. In the case of the selectmen, however, Mrs Llodra was able to briefly review the details with fellow Republican Will Rodgers in a caucus.

Mrs Llodra said she knew IPN Selectman Bill Furrier was away on vacation, and she said he was sent a copy of the document via email.

In the case of the school board, the only reactions to the proposal were provided by members who were in attendance Thursday. Vice chair Katherine Fetchick told the finance board that she wished the entire school board could have seen and discussed the revisions in public, but said the latest proposal was “reasonable.”

“I’m glad Lillian and Pat got together,” Ms Fetchick said.

This sentiment was echoed by William Hart, who said he supported the collaboration that produced the final revisions.

“I think it’s a great process,” Mr Hart told the finance board. “I’d like to do Hawley sooner, but the numbers are what they are.”

Contacted by phone following the meeting, school board member Debbie Leidlein said she had not yet seen the proposal that was tendered by the superintendent and her chairman.

“My only concern was that Hawley was getting put off again, but it looked inevitable based on the [amount available to borrow]”, Ms Leidlein said. She added that while the document represented a “reactive versus proactive” outcome, “I support the collaboration between the boards — it was a long time coming.”

Her colleague David Nanavaty agreed.

“Certainly you want to promote cooperation between town and school [officials],” Mr Nanavaty said, adding that such discussions should be viewed as a “positive” development.

School board members Richard Gains and Chris Lagana did not respond to messages left requesting their comments on the issue. An answering system at Selectman Furrier’s residence appeared to either be full or malfunctioning.

But Mr Rodgers said the suggested CIP resulting from last week’s meeting represented a hybrid occurrence which on face was only designed to help initiate deliberation among finance board members.

“Pat and I conferred on it briefly, and the few people who met gave the Board of Finance what it was looking for,” Mr Rodgers said. “It wasn’t our expectation that it would be accepted and adopted, but the fact that the finance board took this worksheet and passed it is evidence that the few people who did work on it apparently did a great job.”

According to Ms Fetchick, the agenda for the next school board meeting includes discussion on the school’s CIP.