Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Greenwich budget committee flags $138M in capital needs, ice rink cost jumps to $41.2M
Summary
The BET Budget Committee reviewed $138 million in major capital projects, including a $41.2 million ice rink replacement and multi-year Byram River Bridge costs; officials said outdated estimates and project delays are increasing costs and spreading projects over several years to limit mill-rate impact.
The Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) Budget Committee reviewed major capital projects on Feb. 3, focusing on sequencing and cost increases that officials said are driving a larger multi-year capital program.
Town Administrator Kate Buch outlined a new capital submission form and said major capital requests totaling roughly $138 million were redistributed across multiple years to manage the mill-rate impact. An outside grant consultant has identified limited grant opportunities to offset those costs, Buch said.
First Selectman Fred Camillo and staff cited project delays and outdated cost estimates as drivers of rising prices. Camillo noted the proposed ice rink replacement rose “from $20 million to over $40 million” during a two-year vetting process, prompting the committee to plan fundraising paired with an identified anchor donor for the $41.2 million project.
Other large projects include the Byram River Bridge replacement (Greenwich’s 25% share is budgeted at $4 million in FY27 and another $4 million in FY28), and work on the Greenwich High School pool (design estimated at $4 million, with construction costs projected to exceed $55 million in FY28). Committee members also discussed relocating waterfront operations related to Roger Sherman Baldwin Park/Holly Hill Transfer Station to enable development.
Chair Laura Erickson asked the Department of Public Works to coordinate sequencing across projects to avoid conflicting schedules and compounding costs. Mr. Fisher raised a separate equipment question about the Police Marine Patrol Boat 124 replacement.
The committee directed staff to return with updated Capital Improvement Program sheets and further detail on fundraising plans and sequencing; no formal vote on capital appropriations occurred at the meeting.
