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Council reviews capital list: pool, roads, police and fire equipment requests
Summary
Council reviewed capital priorities including the Wilson Pool reconstruction (pending bids), a $1M road paving program with options to defer park parking lot work, police equipment (in‑car cameras, body cams, tasers) and fire apparatus funding for a long‑term engine replacement estimated increasingly near $2M.
Council spent substantial time on capital priorities and the five‑year capital plan. Manager Miller said bond proceeds from the 2021 issue remain available (~$7.6 million) and that the pool project, the bathhouse and storm projects are currently budgeted against that balance. She said bids for the pool are due next Monday and the budget will be updated with bid results prior to adoption.
Jason Stanton reviewed the road program: the estimated total program cost is about $1.3 million but staff budgeted $1.0 million for 2026. Council debated including two park parking‑lot projects (roughly $600,000) in the road program or deferring them to prioritize residential streets; alternatives such as double‑seal coat or selective spot repairs were proposed to reduce cost. Stanton advised that pooling multiple paving items in a single bid creates economy of scale; Miller cautioned that weather and utility work can force reprioritization during the construction season.
Acting Police Chief Ranaghan presented about $128,500 in police capital needs including replacement in‑car cameras (with a vendor discount if ordered this year), updated policy/manual subscription service, new taser units and upgrades to station monitoring and cameras. He discussed potential live feeds, monitoring benefits and interoperability with dispatch.
Fire department representatives and staff discussed the fire apparatus fund. The borough transfers $100,000 per year into that fund; staff increased the annual contribution by $50,000 to accelerate replacement savings for the next engine. Presenters said estimated replacement costs have risen substantially and that a new engine could exceed $2,000,000; council noted the importance of building that fund but also balancing near‑term roadway and stormwater needs.
No capital bids were awarded at the workshop; staff will return with bid results, grant confirmations and a revised budget if council removes the millage increase.
