Committee reviews infrastructure surtax projects as rec center expansion moves toward design-build selection

The Sports and Recreation Committee on Feb. 3 heard an update from the village engineering department on projects funded by the infrastructure surtax and next steps for a planned recreation center expansion.

Chris Marsh, from the engineering department, said the surtax fund “will be the last year that we received funding from it” and that the town has collected a little over $24,000,000 from the surtax since 2017. Marsh said anticipated remaining new receipts total about $753,000 in fiscal year 2025 and that those funds — together with prior appropriations — will be used to finish a set of eligible projects.

The committee was given a handout listing eligibility rules and prior and current projects. Marsh said the fund’s rules require expenditures to be fixed capital outlays with a life expectancy of five or more years and for facilities to be open to the public; the rules also permit purchases of vehicles and certain equipment with a five‑year life expectancy and related land and design costs.

Marsh said the rec center expansion is the primary planned use of remaining surtax money. He described the procurement steps: the village put out a request for qualifications for a design‑build firm, received proposals and will rank them at a selection committee meeting later that week. Marsh said the selected firm would be hired in an initial phase to prepare a detailed scope and a “not to exceed” budget; that work would take several months and the resulting contract would return to council for approval before full design and construction proceed. Marsh said the design‑build approach would allow the village to begin construction on certain elements before every design detail is finished, which could shorten the overall schedule.

On timing, Marsh said the full set of improvements for the project is expected to take “somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 years to complete.” He also listed other projects that remain funded by the surtax, including site work at a former water treatment facility and an art‑in‑public‑places item involving sculptures.

Vice Mayor Selena Samos asked for clarification of the surtax eligibility standards; Marsh and staff described the five‑year life expectancy and public‑use tests and pointed committee members to the highlighted rules in the handout. Marsh asked committee members to review the list and flag any expenditures they believe do not meet the criteria.

Committee members did not take any formal vote on project eligibility during the meeting; Marsh asked the committee to raise issues if they identify items that appear inconsistent with the surtax rules.

The committee will receive the ranked proposals for the design‑build firm and the not‑to‑exceed budget for the rec center for council action after staff negotiations are complete.