Auburn council reviews $11.7 million CIP proposal, debates vehicle and media-equipment funding

Auburn city officials spent their April 22 workshop reviewing a proposed FY2026 capital improvement plan (CIP) that would finance roughly $10.8 million in city projects and a $1 million allocation for the Auburn School Department, with discussion focused on school facility fixes, public-safety equipment, IT upgrades and vehicle replacements.

Councilors and staff said the school department’s FY2026 request totals $1,000,000 for two projects: an $800,000 ventilation upgrade at East Auburn School and a $200,000 storage building at Edward Little High School. “When the high school was built, there was nothing for storage at all,” said Dr. Doris (superintendent), describing the plan for a cold-storage building near the tennis courts to house snow-removal and field equipment. The superintendent told councilors the storage building is roughly 40 by 62 feet.

Why it matters: staff and council framed the school requests as repairs and safety work prioritized in the Harriman facilities assessment, not new development. Councilor Adam Platts said the East Auburn HVAC project is listed in Harriman’s report as an “immediate priority” and said the school is focused on critical needs rather than new construction.

Public-safety and EMS items were a central focus. Auburn Fire Chief Robert L. Chase described a planned one-for-one replacement of an aging rescue boat with an inflatable hull reinforced by aluminum, a jet-pump drive (to reduce damage on rocky riverbeds) and required personal protective equipment. “It is the single biggest, most frequently used piece of rescue equipment that we have,” Chief Chase said, noting frequent river calls, searches and other deployments (including wildland access and…