Gilmanton CIP Committee finalizes priorities, asks Selectman to produce warrant-article records and schedules June 23 follow-up

The Town of Gilmanton Capital Improvement Program Committee, chaired by Catherine Bowler, reviewed its 11-year capital planning spreadsheet at a June 2 meeting and agreed on next steps to reconcile department project lists, identify urgent Highway Department needs, and present final recommendations to the Board of Selectmen.

Bowler, the committee chair, led a step-by-step orientation for new member Drew Taylor (Gilmanton School Board), explaining that the spreadsheet is organized by department and populated from Project Sheets submitted by department heads or the Town Administrator. She said the committee’s priority-ranking system designates Priority 1 items as urgent and noted a newly added column showing whether reserve funding exists for each item.

"There needs to be training before anybody touches the spreadsheets on what needs to be included," Bowler said, urging standardized training for staff and department heads who complete Project Sheets.

Why it matters: The committee’s work is intended to give the Board of Selectmen, the Budget Committee and residents a single, consistent inventory of capital assets and projected replacement costs so decision-makers can prioritize projects and budget responsibly.

The committee formally transferred responsibility for obtaining documentation that identifies which warrant articles were approved, funded or completed for 2026 and 2027 to Selectman Parker Hoffacker, after previous attempts to obtain the records had been unsuccessful. Hoffacker agreed to provide the documentation to the committee before its next meeting.

Committee members said that having those records will allow the group to remove completed projects from future planning cycles and to keep incomplete projects on the active list. Mark Sisti, a committee member, emphasized the need for clear source records so the spreadsheet reflects accurate status for each project.

Highway Department priorities, previously provided by the department and reviewed by the committee, were described as generally aligned with priorities established by the Board of Selectmen. Members noted several items requiring immediate attention and asked Hoffacker to report back with updated status information, specifically referencing the fuel pumps and fuel tank.

Selectman Hoffacker said he expected the requested status updates to be available through the Selectmen’s Office and agreed to provide a copy before the next committee meeting.

School District reconciliation: New member Drew Taylor reviewed the School District section and identified 13 priority items. Committee members discovered gaps between project sheets and items listed on the school’s reserve-fund documents; to ensure reserve-funded projects were included, the committee added missing items to the spreadsheet, such as a library ventilation unit and bleachers.

Taylor noted that some school reserve balances once sufficed for projects but construction-cost increases after voter decisions can leave reserves insufficient; the committee discussed using current replacement values for future cost projections.

Rules and procedures: The committee reviewed a draft Rules and Procedures document that had been shared with the Board of Selectmen but not signed. Selectman Hoffacker told the committee the Board objected to Section 5(B), which the Board interpreted as potentially allowing an individual committee member to act independently rather than only by committee action. Committee members said the language requires that an individual inform the chair and the Selectmen-designated committee member when seeking information and described it as a coordination safeguard rather than independent committee action.

Recommendations and next steps: The committee compiled recommendations for its final report, including quarterly written updates to the Board of Selectmen on CIP progress; standardized training on Project Sheets; adoption of a Capital Reserve Planning Policy, an Equipment Usage Tracking Policy, and a Strategic Procurement and Grant Opportunity Policy; and prioritizing funding for Crystal Lake repairs and maintenance.

Bowler and Taylor agreed to reconcile the school district CIP list with the committee’s master spreadsheet after the meeting. The group scheduled an additional committee meeting on June 23 to complete the spreadsheet review and finalize the report and a slide presentation. Members agreed the committee should present to the Board of Selectmen on July 20 and also brief the Budget Committee to build support for warrant-article recommendations.

Public comment: None.

Adjournment: Mark Sisti moved to adjourn; Colleen Harkey seconded the motion, which passed. The meeting ended at 7:40 p.m.