Commissioners review capital improvement plan, flag FDR Boulevard timing and large software estimate

St. Mary’s County finance staff presented an updated capital improvement program to the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 28, highlighting changes from the FY2017 plan and new items staff asked to put on the radar.

The discussion opened with county Chief Financial Officer Jen Gilmore describing the CIP pages and noting color-coded additions, including a proposed enterprise financial software upgrade. “The first on page 1, we have a new enterprise software upgrade. We've been on the current financial system for probably going on 19 years,” Gilmore said, while commissioners pressed staff for a more realistic cost estimate and for alternatives such as phased upgrades or leasing.

Commissioners pressed staff on several presentation details and assumptions. Commissioners asked why the CIP shows full project totals when the county’s share is a small percentage; staff said the sheet lists total project cost on the left and county funding on the right so readers can see both the full project size and local obligation. Gilmore also said she had reduced one standalone project — an asphalt overlay — by $747,000 to preserve bond capacity.

A lengthier discussion focused on FDR Boulevard (Phase 3). County staff and commissioners said the road is split across fiscal years because right-of-way, permitting and design timing likely prevent construction of the full section in one fiscal year. Commissioners pressed to avoid leaving partially completed roadway segments in place; staff said construction timing could be managed so phases run consecutively and avoid long pauses. Commissioner discussion repeatedly framed timing and phasing as important for BRAC (base realignment) considerations: “When it does come to BRAC ... there’s a few things the Navy looks at. That’s gonna be roadways, egress from the base, and also, schools,” a commissioner said, emphasizing the need to keep priorities clear.

Other CIP items discussed included airport master plan figures and beach/jetties projects where bids have come in higher than anticipated, prompting staff to note that amounts may move out of FY2018 and the CIP will be updated as more accurate bids and funding shares are known.

Commissioners asked staff to add clearer notes on CIP pages (for example, an asterisk to show when the county pays only 5 percent or 10 percent of a large project) so outside readers do not assume the listed totals are fully county-funded. Gilmore said staff would revise the CIP and return with additional detail and updated encumbrance figures.

Ending: Commissioners directed staff to bring updated CIP pages next week with clearer county-share notations, updated encumbrance status for bond-funded projects and more realistic cost data for the enterprise software line so the board can decide whether to keep, defer or remove that item from the CIP.