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Millis Capital Planning committee lists $123 million of long‑term needs; five highest‑priority items total about $338,000 for May Town Meeting
Summary
The Capital Planning Committee presented a semiannual report identifying seven capital requests for the upcoming May Town Meeting — five considered highest priority with total cost about $338,000 — and updated the committee’s placeholder for the Middle‑High School renovation to roughly $82.7 million.
The Capital Planning Committee told the Millis Finance Committee on March 26 that it had prioritized seven capital requests for the May Town Meeting and updated long‑term cost tracking for the school renovation.
Jonathan Berry, representing the Capital Planning Committee, said the committee received seven requests this cycle and classified five as highest priority with a combined cost of about $338,000, one as medium priority at roughly $98,000 and one as lower priority at about $42,000.
The highest‑priority requests include: a replacement vehicle for animal control (to be cost‑shared 50/50 with the neighboring town of Medway), radio box receivers for the fire department, a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) and trailer to replace the existing Brush 2 apparatus, HVAC repairs at the library, and a special‑education van for the school department. Berry said the committee expects the school to follow a roughly one‑van‑per‑year replacement cycle going forward.
The committee also revised a long‑standing placeholder for the Middle‑High School renovation project. Berry reported the committee’s spreadsheet reduced the prior $90 million placeholder to approximately $82.7 million based on the latest information and anticipated Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) funding. He said the school account remains the largest single group of needs in the town’s capital plan — roughly two‑thirds of an estimated $123 million in total capital requirements currently tracked by the committee.
Why it matters: The priorities will feed into the Select Board and Finance Committee discussions ahead of the May Town Meeting warrant. Several committee members asked clarifying questions about timing, vehicle fuel types and cost‑sharing arrangements.
Details and clarifications
- Vehicles and equipment: The animal control vehicle request is budgeted before splitting Medway’s share; Medway is expected to pay half. The DPW dump truck request is a medium priority; committee members asked whether the replacement would be gasoline or diesel and noted state procurement and vehicle fuel rules may influence procurement choices.
- Library and HVAC: Berry said HVAC repairs and upgrades at the library have been on the schedule for multiple years and were elevated this cycle to high priority.
- School fleet: Berry said the school fleet currently includes about 19 vans (roughly 17 primary vans and two backups by his recollection), and the school plans to target approximately one replacement van per year as older vehicles age out.
Committee process and next steps
Berry said the Capital Planning Committee will present and formally vote on the draft report in the coming week and submit the final document to the Select Board for inclusion in the town warrant materials. Finance Committee members said they will review the report in the context of broader budget deliberations.
Quotes
“We had 7 items come in front of us… 5 of them, we noted as the highest priorities for the Town, with a total cost of about $338,000,” Jonathan Berry said.
The Capital Planning Committee’s report is a draft; no Town Meeting warrant articles were finalized during the March 26 meeting.
