Northampton Mayor presented the FY2026'2030 Capital Improvement Program during a public hearing Jan. 2, laying out a five-year list of recommended projects and the funding sources the city expects to use.

Mayor Schiara told the City Council the proposed FY2026 work totals about $23,178,032, with enterprise operational funds covering roughly $3.9 million, $4,350,523 drawn from prior ARPA awards and the remaining $14,000,893 coming from other sources including borrowing. She said the city is aiming to submit the CIP earlier in the year to improve bidding timing for summer construction.

The mayor and finance staff described the CIP as a rolling, annually updated five-year road map required under the city charter; the document also explains the city's borrowing, stabilization and reserve policies and the Department of Revenue guidance the administration follows.

Highlights the city identified for FY2026 include: a major paving and sidewalk investment program (citywide resurfacing and a $1,000,000 dedicated sidewalk appropriation), a $3 million corridor safety and traffic-control project around Northampton High School, Main Street water and sewer main replacement work, a continuation of previously authorized SOAR wastewater plant upgrades financed through the state revolving fund, reservoir spillway and dam-stabilization work, and a multi-year Hockanum Road pump-station and flood-control replacement program. The mayor noted the CIP relies heavily on one-time funds such as free cash, stabilization accounts and federal ARPA dollars and on enterprise funds (water, sewer, stormwater) for utility projects.

Finance Director Charlene Nardi and Capital Director Ben Weil joined department heads in answering questions about project timing and funding. Weil and the mayor emphasized that municipal bonding must not exceed statutory limits and that the city attempts to match debt-term with useful life of projects.

Public commenters at the hearing pressed the council to use some of the certified free cash to restore jobs cut from Northampton Public Schools. Several speakers and petitioners asked the council to appropriate part of the $11.6 million in recently certified free cash to the schools rather than for large CIP projects; councilors said they would decide referral and follow-up at later agenda items.

The hearing produced separate motions and referrals on individual CIP financial orders; several CIP items were sent to the Finance Committee for more detailed review and others were left for the consent calendar for a later vote.

Why it matters: the CIP lays out the city's planned capital spending and how those projects affect the operating budget and long-term borrowing. The plan includes many multi-million-dollar projects that will drive construction activity, maintenance schedules and future debt-service obligations for the city and its enterprise funds.

What's next: The council moved many of the FY2026 appropriation orders to the Finance Committee for a more detailed review; the public will have additional opportunities to comment as those orders return to the full council for second reading and final votes.