Charlton Selectboard reviews FY26 capital plan, schools’ long‑range requests and landfill bid risk

The Town of Charlton Selectboard on a routine meeting reviewed a draft FY26 capital plan and discussed how several projects—police equipment, the town’s new fire station, cemetery repaving and an old landfill closure—could be funded in coming months.

Town staff presented a consolidated capital spreadsheet that staff said will be placed in the shared Dropbox with formal numbers after revisions made at the meeting. The most immediate changes presented were to the police department’s request: cruisers were removed from the FY26 ask because the department used leftover FY25 funds, and the police line was broadened from a line-item “plate readers / cruisers” to a more flexible “traffic enforcement technology” and “emergency response equipment” to allow staff to shift purchases depending on grant awards and statewide earmark availability.

Why it matters: the changes reframe near-term spending and preserve flexibility while the town finalizes free-cash numbers. Selectboard members pressed for clearer schedules and cost estimates before committing levy or free-cash dollars.

Key project details - Police: Cruisers were removed from the FY26 request; vehicle‑mounted license‑plate readers remain under discussion because of mounting‑and‑compatibility concerns, so staff broadened the entry to “traffic enforcement technology” to permit either vehicle equipment or stationary camera systems (often called “Flock cameras”). The police request also increased the windows/building improvements line to $50,000 to leave a contingency for higher-than-expected replacement costs. - Fire: Work tied to the new station and the existing Power Station Road station was described in detail. Officials said crews will move apparatus into the new station when it opens, then jackhammer and repour bay floors at the Power Station Road site, replace failed floor drains and install an oil/water separator that would bring the bay into compliance; staff intends to coordinate apron paving with planned road work so the apron and road paving occur together. The financing plan for the new station includes an initial 20‑year borrowing; staff said about $3,000,000 has already been borrowed at roughly 4.25 percent for part of the project and the town is evaluating whether to shorten terms if market rates fall. - DPW and equipment: The Department of Public Works is seeking two dump trucks with plows and sanders to recover from delivery delays that built up during COVID; timing for receipt is expected to be long lead time and the department is buying two to catch up. - Cemetery and library: Requests include repaving a Cemetery Road section (Westridge Cemetery Road referenced in the packet) and small building improvements at the library (window repairs, floor refinishing, ADA work). Staff said some quotes exceed procurement thresholds and will require additional bids. - Landfill closure: Staff reported the town previously authorized $2,000,000 to close the old Flint Road landfill and work with consultants; a new consultant pencil estimate suggests bids could come in near $2,800,000. Bids are due in September and staff proposed a placeholder supplemental appropriation if bids exceed the original authorization so the closure can proceed without delay.

School capital requests and intermunicipal funding questions Staff presented a consolidated view of a regionally prepared school capital plan that, as presented this spring by the regional school district, implies multi‑year capital needs. The presentation noted a Charlton share that averaged more than $1 million per year starting in FY27 and in one spreadsheet interpretation approached $3,000,000 in certain years. Selectboard members pressed staff and recommended follow-up meetings with the regional superintendent to clarify which projects would be assessed to Charlton taxpayers, how Dudley’s share will be coordinated, and whether the district would seek MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) participation or a ballot vote for borrowing. Staff said additional detail will be requested from the schools before the next budget season and the board will discuss capital tradeoffs when free‑cash numbers are certified.

Budget timing and next steps Staff said the FY26 capital plan as presented will be placed in the Dropbox and that certified free‑cash numbers should be available by the next meeting; the board agreed to review priorities and choose free‑cash allocations at the September 17 meeting. Staff also noted some FY26 budget amendment items that will appear on a special‑town‑meeting warrant: an anticipated unbudgeted retirement payout, missed salary adjustments, special counsel, utility shortfalls and a small increase to emergency management funding.

Meeting actions and process notes The board approved the minutes of the June 18 meeting by unanimous roll call earlier in the session. For capital and school items, the board requested that staff obtain more granular cost and funding information and schedule follow‑up discussions with the regional school superintendent and relevant department heads before formal warrant commitments are made.

Looking ahead: staff will upload the revised capital packet, track the landfill bids (due in September), and present certified free‑cash figures ahead of the September 17 meeting so the board can set final warrant priorities and any supplemental appropriations.