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Select Board and Finance Committee review capital plan; defer ambulance, prioritize police interview-room upgrades and DPW planning
Summary
At a Feb. 3 joint meeting, town staff and the Finance Advisory Committee reviewed Wenham’s five-year capital plan, recommending deferral of a new ambulance, prioritizing audiovisual upgrades for the police victim-interview room, and proposing a $50,000 building-stabilization seed for DPW facility planning.
Town staff and the Hamilton‑Wenham Finance Advisory Committee met with the Wenham Select Board on Feb. 3 to review the five‑year capital plan and a set of department requests, identifying several projects to defer and others to prioritize for safety and compliance.
Steve (town staff) said the town’s capital spending has increased in recent years because deferred needs resurfaced and the town has been able to fund projects that were delayed. To tighten spending pressure ahead of Town Meeting staff eliminated some requests from this year’s warrant and pushed others out with the argument that many items are needs but not immediate needs. He framed the goal as applying a “wants-and-needs” lens to the capital list.
Ambulance and fire: After discussion with fire leadership, the board agreed to defer purchasing a second ambulance for one year (or possibly two) and instead add a pickup truck (Chevy Silverado 3500) that can be plowed and used as a command/support vehicle. The fire chief said the replacement ambulance plan had been budgeted as a ten‑year reserve item and that deferring would allow staff to analyze revenue generation (the chief said ambulance collections were roughly $169,000 last year and a second ambulance could raise revenues), storage options and lead times; the chief estimated a purchase price near $275,000 next year and a 12–18 month lead time.
Police needs: Police Chief Denapley described several capital items and emphasized the priority of rehabilitating the station’s victim interview room. He said the room’s audiovisual equipment is failing, the physical room has concrete and cinder‑block conditions that are not suitable for victim interviews, and upgrades are required both for evidence recording and accreditation compliance. "This is not cosmetic," the chief said. Staff noted that audiovisual procurement will require multiple quotes by law and that any appropriation could be adjusted downward if bids come in below estimates.
Facilities and DPW: Facilities staff reported damage at the DPW garage (a bulging retaining/stuckle wall), ongoing weather‑related issues at multiple buildings, COA basement deterioration (including asbestos‑tiled floors and water damage) and the lack of a female restroom/changing room at DPW. Given the scale of potential DPW‑facility work, staff proposed a two‑stage approach: an article to establish a building‑stabilization fund and an initial appropriation of $50,000 from free cash to pay for engineering, design and cost estimating ahead of any debt‑funded project.
Other items: Staff also reviewed generator replacement needs (police station generator >20 years old and failing), police cruisers and taser lease payments, and smaller DPW repairs. Committee members requested more detailed cost breakdowns, alternative quotes where feasible, and follow‑up studies (for ambulance revenue, generator consolidation feasibility, and options for DPW building solutions).
Next steps: Staff will return with refined cost estimates, multiple quotes where required, and a clearer packaging of warrant language, including the proposed building‑stabilization fund. Several decisions and final warrant language were scheduled for further meetings in late February as the town approaches printing deadlines.
