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Taunton council approves $39.78 million FY25 capital appropriation; fire-station study and solar noted as cost-savers
Summary
The Taunton City Council voted to appropriate $39,780,139 from city accounts and transfers to fund the mayor’s five-year capital improvement plan, including road and sidewalk work, water/sewer investment, solar projects and funding for design work on fire stations.
The Taunton City Council on Monday approved an appropriation of $39,780,139 to fund projects in Mayor Shawna O’Connell’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal 2025.
Mayor O’Connell and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Delarusso presented the CIP to councilors. Delarusso summarized the plan’s emphasis on “saving taxpayers money” by investing in projects that reduce ongoing costs, citing a solar initiative tied to the municipal utilities and the wastewater treatment plant that the administration estimated would save the city about $1.1 million annually in avoided electric costs.
The FY25 appropriation funds a wide range of projects. Major items highlighted in the presentation include $7.2 million for roads and sidewalks (inclusive of Chapter 90 funds), $5 million for water-main replacement and related infrastructure, a planned $3.5 million enterprise investment tied to the solar/wastewater measures, and funding to develop construction documents for replacement or renovation of aging fire stations.
On the fire-station work, Delarusso and staff said the appropriation covers planning and construction-document work only; no locations or construction contracts were authorized by the vote. Councilor DeWitt and others pressed the administration for a public, council-involved process going forward. Delarusso said the city appointed an advisory committee and engaged an owner’s project manager; the committee will return with recommendations before any construction-phase funding is requested. As Delarusso put it, the funds in this CIP are “the proper time…to establish an amount of money and establish a plan of what we’re gonna do.”
The council debated several CIP details during the presentation, including stabilization and free-cash balances. Delarusso said the mayor proposes to add $10 million to the city’s stabilization reserve, which would meaningfully raise the city’s reserve balance and help the administration manage cash-flow risk. Councilors asked for clearer five-year totals by category and for itemized changes between years on future CIP versions.
Councilors also discussed items the administration described as “forever savings,” including the solar project tied to the library and water/wastewater infrastructure that reduces long-term utility and health-safety costs. The administration noted an elevator-waiver decision from the state that reduced an estimated building cost by about $900,000.
After discussion, Councilor Fadia moved the recommended appropriation: “a motion to approve the $39,780,139 from accounts and transfers on page 37 to the projects listed on slide 37, as requested.” The motion carried on a voice vote.
The appropriation vote was paired with a request from the administration that departments return with required follow-up documents and implementation plans; councilors asked to receive materials in draft form when feasible so they have time for review.
