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Draft CIP includes planning funds for alternative water distribution; trustees debate pre-contract planning for VIDA
Summary
The town's draft five-year capital improvement plan includes line-item funding for distribution planning to connect an alternative water source. Trustees debated whether to set aside planning funds before any contract with VIDA or another supplier is signed but agreed to retain the line as a draft planning allocation.
Town staff presented a draft five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that includes a new line for “alternative water-source distribution master planning,” prompting trustees to debate whether to budget planning funds before a source-contract decision.
The CIP description covers engineering and planning work to design transmission mains, chlorine booster stations, pressure-reducing infrastructure and a potential 3,000,000-gallon storage tank should an alternative source be built and tied into Wellington’s system.
Trustee Teets raised objections to budgeting for a project tied to VIDA — a private or regional supplier discussed in prior meetings — before a contract with any supplier has been approved. “Can we actually set up a CIP fund for an item we haven't voted on and approved as a board?” Teets asked. Staff and other trustees responded that the line in the draft CIP is intended as a planning allocation (a form of assigned savings) to allow the town to do necessary early engineering and due diligence if an option becomes viable.
Staff said some planning work will be required before the town can responsibly present a supplier contract to the board; independent engineering will likely be necessary to verify third-party proposals and to assess right-of-way, transmission distance and booster-station needs. Trustees noted that planning work can prevent spending for the wrong option and observed that grant-funded or phased approaches could offset some costs.
The board did not approve construction funding; trustees agreed to keep the planning allocation in the draft CIP so staff can perform the engineering and analysis that would be required prior to any contract decision. Staff described the CIP line as flexible: if the board chooses another source rather than VIDA, funds would pivot to whatever alternative is selected.
Other CIP highlights presented at the meeting included equipment requests for winter maintenance tied to anticipated responsibility for Cleveland Avenue, replacement of an aging flow meter on a 1,000,000-gallon tank, and water-plant UTV replacements; those items were discussed separately with department staff and remain in the draft five-year schedule.
