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Town manager presents recommended five-year capital improvement plan
Summary
Fletcher's town manager presented a recommended five-year CIP that prioritizes routine fleet replacements, a $450,000 garbage truck, a $150,000 generator motor replacement, and deferred paving of two greenway trail sections to balance year-by-year funding.
The Fletcher Town Manager presented a recommended five-year Capital Improvement Plan at the May council meeting, outlining proposed purchases and projects intended to balance capital needs across five years. Key items included an ongoing police vehicle rotation (roughly three vehicles per year), restoring a third garbage truck (estimated $450,000), and replacing the town-hall generator motor (estimated $150,000).
The manager said the CIP packet contains two charts: a longer list of all requests and a shorter recommended list. "It's essentially just a memo mentioning that this is the recommended CIP based on the project submissions that came in," the Town Manager said, explaining that projects can be moved between years if priorities or revenues change. He added that the town budgets 6 cents of the property-tax levy for capital, "which is a little over $1.1 million right now."
On fleet needs, staff recommended continuing the police vehicle rotation to limit vehicle mileage and auction older units to recoup some funds. For solid-waste operations, the manager said the town currently operates with two garbage trucks after losing one and recommended purchasing a third to restore seasonal and backup capacity; council discussed short-term financing versus paying cash.
Facility maintenance and parks projects include phased interior painting of town hall across three years ($45,000 first floor; $55,000 second floor; $61,000 third floor); a long-arm mower attachment for public works (about $46,000) to improve trail edging; and drainage-pipe replacement at public works (about $35,000) when condition warrants. A proposal to pave two long gravel sections of the greenway trail was moved from year three to year five to smooth annual funding levels, with the manager noting the estimate could rise if the project is advanced.
Councilors asked about timing for a second shelter at Bilmore Community Park to expand rental and program capacity; one member proposed using ARPA funds, but staff preferred funding it through the CIP and suggested year two as a possible placement. The manager said he will circulate a revised packet and estimates ahead of next week's meeting and that the council retains authority to amend the plan in future budget cycles.
The manager closed by reminding members that the CIP is a working plan: projects can be accelerated or delayed depending on revenues, grant opportunities and emergent needs. The manager said he will email a revised draft in advance of the next meeting.
