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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCIP Comm 01/12/2026Town of Mansfield 6 Park Ro)v, tllans reld, Alarsaehu ell 02048 ; • i ; ;: n L_ Capital Improvements Program Committee Meeting Minutes 1.12.2026 MIU, i l[G I? /; 9: oil Present: Mr. Scott Feely, Chair, Ms. Maureen R. Doherty, Ms. Diane Ready, Mr. Robert Saquet, Ms. Greta Loukos, Ms. Jenifer Sellon, Mr. Brendan Roche and Mr. Ryan Maxwell were present' in Meeting Room 2 A/B. Ms. Sharon Friedman was present but is no longer officially on the Committee. Ms. Sarah Raposa, Director of Planning and Development; Mr. Josh Reinke, Acting Town Manager, Mr. Matthew Violette, Director of Finance and Operations of Mansfield Schools were also present. Mr. Brendan Roche was present virtually via Conference Phone at 6:02PM. Ms. Ready was not present at the start but arrived at 6:03PM Not Present: Mr. Joseph Cerretani 1. Open Meeting: Mr. Feely called the meeting to order at 6:OOPM. 2. Discussion and Consideration to Approve November 6, 2025 Meeting Minutes Motion: To approve the November 6, 2025 Meeting Minutes as corrected. (Doherty/Saquet) Passes 6:0 3. Discussion of CIP Goals, Process, Procedures and possible timeline for any potential changes Mr. Roche joined the meeting via conference call at 6:02PM. Mr. Feely stated that he asked Ms. Champagne to forward an email from Town Counsel to the CIP Committee. He stated that the Committee can have a process and procedure that works best for Mansfield. He noted that some Towns have very detailed procedures. Ms. Ready arrived at 6:03PM. The Committee talked about CIP and if it is the responsibility of the Committee or the Town Manager to prepare. Ms. Loukos provided materials for the Committee to review which included a worksheet, timeline and draft policy and help guide the discussion. Mr. Feely noted that it is important to have some flexibility within the policy and procedure. Ms. Friedman agreed that some parameters change over time. She also stated that those people preparing the budget need to have a clear definition so that either an item is in capital improvement or it is an operating expense. Ms. Doherty asked if the Department of Revenue or the State dictates what is capital. Mr. Violette responded that the Town can define what the capital thresholds are. Ms. Loukos referred the Committee to an example of scoring or ranking of each item. Mr. Ahern stated that they have a scoring mechnisim and Ms. Loukos asked for him to send her that document. Ms. Doherty brought up the text book example and the committee discussed chrome books and text books and asked can they be considered "major equipment." Ms. Doherty stated that they are predicting new growth next year to be less and there may be no money for capital purchases. She stated that it could be beneficial to group projects together and go for a short term debt exclusion. She then stated that in speaking with departments in the past several years, the CIP Committee approved everything and then they were not funded. Mr. Reinke stated that CIP needs to give greater scrutiny on projects and make difficult decisions on what things can wait, however items related to safety need to be approved and funded. Mr. Feely also stated that some projects cannot be delayed because they end up costing more down the road. 4. Discussion of Current Budget Mr. Reinke gave an update on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. He stated that there is a $5.1M shortfall currently and the Tri-Board meeting has tasked the Town and Schools to make reductions with the Schools being responsible for about 60-65% and the Town about 35-40%. He stated that the Town and Schools are also preparing a $3M override budget with $2.1 in budget cuts. Ms. Friedman stated that the general income into the Town is going down and asked what the Town is doing to attract more income and activity within the industrial parks vacant buildings. Ms. Doherty stated that the Select Board is on top of this and there are some things that are not yet ready to speak about publicaly. Mr. Violette commented that new growth for last decade was around $1M and that has dropped significantly in the last couple of years. Ms. Doherty asked what the Free Cash balance was and Mr. Monticello responded that the balance was $852,000. The Committee then discussd the green sheets and what information may needed to make them enhanced. Ms. Friedman expressed the imporance of a five to ten year plan. Ms. Doherty stated that there has been years of mistrust and it is important to build the credibility of the CIP Committee. Mr. Violette asked if it is only Free Cash for CIP or is there opportunity for borrowing and if there was borrowing that would potentially change some department priorities. Ms. Doherty commented that the Committee should see all of the CIP. Mr. Saquet stated that he would like to have a spreadsheet of all the debt and the departments five to six year plans. Mr. Feely responded that the plans for six years are online on the CIP webpage. Ms. Sellon stated that it is difficult to find the information if you're not someone who is as involved with the finances of the Town. Ms. Doherty commented that the information is not user friendly and Ms. Ready suggested adding photos. Ms. Friedman stated that she was able to find the spreadsheet online and for Fiscal Year 2027 there is $16M in projects and there is only $852,000 to spend, so she questioned how the Committee is going to figure this out. The Committee then discussed potential meeting dates and suggested meeting the 2nd Monday of each month. Ms. Champagne stated she would get those booked and find space with the Town Clerk. 5. Any Items Not Known within 48 Hours: Ms. Friedman stated that she was voted Vice -Chair of CIP at the last meeting and then the Planning Board appointed Joe Cerretani and Ryan Maxwell to CIP so she needs a vote to be taken to replace her as Vice - Chair. Mr. Reinke then asked to discuss two CIP items, one from DPW and another from Police. Mr. Ahern explained the pump that needs to be replaced at the North Main Street underpass. He stated that the pumps run continuously so the water does not flood the roadway. He stated that right now DPW is checking it daily and they want to install a stadia system that gives an alert if the pump shuts off. Mr. Ahern then discussed the two-way radio system that needs to be upgraded and the project should be less than one million dollars. Mr. Violette stated that the pump sounds like something we have to do. He noted that every debt authorization moves the goal post of where the shortfall is and each project moves the goal post. Ms. Loukos emphasized the importance of an objective process to prioritize projects. Motion: To nominate Ryan Maxwell for Vice -Chair of CIP. (Doherty/Sellon) Roll Call Vote: Roche —Yes Maxwell — Yes Doherty — Yes Sellon — Yes Saquet — Yes Feely — Yes Ready —Yes Loukos — Yes Passes 8:0 6. Adjournment: Motion: To adjourn the CIP Committee meeting of January 12, 2026 at 7:5513M. (Dohery/Loukos ) Roll Call Vote: Roche —Yes Maxwell — Yes Doherty — Yes Sellon — Yes Saquet — Yes Feely — Yes Ready —Yes Loukos — Yes Passes 8:0 Date Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne