Dennis committee flags $1.76 million unfunded gap in FY27 capital plan

Bill Zavicki, chair of the Capital Outlay Committee, told the Select Board and Finance Committee that the committee reviewed capital requests over $10,000 and prioritized projects by urgency and operational impact. He said the committee funded $4,091,201 in capital items for fiscal 2027 but noted a $1,763,158 unfunded gap this cycle and a projected five‑year unfunded shortfall of about $25.6 million.

"Our job is to prioritize and write the requests," Zavicki said, describing high‑priority needs such as secondary road maintenance, drainage, sidewalk construction and critical public‑safety equipment. He listed funded items including police fingerprint scanners and ATVs, turnout gear dryers for older fire stations, and DPW heavy equipment requests.

Zavicki recommended that auction proceeds from disposed capital equipment — $143,272 this year — be placed back into the capital improvement fund rather than into free cash so they can be used for equipment replacement. He also noted that the Select Board removed projects over $1 million from the committee’s purview, leaving some large items to be handled exclusively by the board.

Town staff and committee members discussed funding sources, including the meals tax and designated revolving funds for beaches and golf course capital. The report showed total requested capital of $6,054,150 and $4,091,201 funded for FY27; the committee identified $1,763,158 as unfunded and urged identification of additional funding — free cash, a capital stabilization fund, borrowing or an override — to address deferred needs.

The board voted to accept the Capital Outlay Committee report. The committee’s ranking sheet and detailed lists of funded and unfunded items were offered to board members and are available upon request from committee staff.