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Committee trims and reclassifies public-safety and public-works capital items: radios, signage and generator
Summary
The Select Board and budget committee removed a $50,000 radio replacement CIP allocation, approved a $15,000 signage reserve spend-and-replace, and reclassified a $70,000 transfer-station generator from CIP reservation to the current budget citing safety urgency.
The Select Board's edits led the budget review committee to remove or reclassify several capital items for fiscal year 2027.
On the fire department radio replacement, the Select Board removed a proposed $50,000 taxation contribution to the CIP reserve. Committee members said the radio project needs more investigation and noted opportunities for grant funding if the town coordinates upgrades across the broader public-safety communication system. A motion to remove the $50,000 allocation was made, seconded and approved by the committee.
For public-safety facility signage, the committee agreed to move $15,000 from taxation into the reserve and to spend $15,000 from the reserve to enable the police department to complete a portion of the signage work. Members discussed placement and messaging for the sign and approved the 15,000 in/out shift to allow limited work this year.
The transfer-station generator funding was removed from the CIP reserve and treated as an immediate safety priority to be funded in the current budget year rather than held in the CIP. The Select Board explained the decision by saying the generator represented a safety concern that should not wait for a CIP schedule; the committee moved and approved removing the $70,000 CIP reservation.
Committee members said they would continue to explore grant options for radios and a coordinated approach for public-safety communications upgrades.
