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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCapital Improvements 01/18/1996CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 18,1996 0{ F ' it PRESENT: Bill Antoine, Amos Robinson, Jerry St. Hillaire, David McCarter, Andrea Bonda, Marydee Flynn William F. Williams, Town Manager Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development Christopher Marion, Assistant to the Town Manager 1. Board of Health Dr. Martin, Chairman of the Board of Health, came before the committee to discuss fluoridation. Mansfield is next in line, following Natick, to receive reimbursement from the state during fiscal year 1997 of up to $70,000 for a metering system and one year of chemicals. Mr. Williams suggested reconsidering fluoridation as a separate article and returning it into the capital budget. Dr. Martin said the town must fund it at this time or will be taken off the Commonwealth's grant list. Mr. St. Hillaire asked which wells would be fluoridated and was told all eight would be included. Board of Health member Joseph Kowalczyk stated that the fluoridation metering plans presented to the Capital Improvements Committee were not bidable documents -and the cost of other minor items such as additional electrical work was not included in the cost estimate. 2. Fire Department Deputy Chief Robert Bellavance presented the committee with requests to enclose the passenger compartment on Engine 2, funding for an air compressor and Ladder 1, Engine 1, and a brush truck pump skid unit. Deputy Chief Bellavance explained Engine 2 needs to have an enclosed cab in order to comply with the NFPA standards. The department's existing air compressor is 15 years old and is shared with and housed in Norton. The ladder on Ladder 1 has shown stress cracks and the request for Engine 1 is the same as Engine 2, and Deputy Chief Bellavance suggested exploring the lease purchase option while placing additional funds in the Capital Improvements budget annually to save for Ladder 1's replacement, and said even if $50,000 is put away every year, by 2000, we would still be $150,000 short of the full cost of purchase. The Deputy Chief went on to say Engine 1 should be refurbished during fiscal year 1997-98. The brush truck unit is a portable pump unit which would fit onto the back of a pickup truck. 3. Department of Public Works DPW Director Dan Clifford said his most important request is a street sweeper. This could be bought through a lease purchase, but over five years, that would end up costing $17,000 more than the outright purchase of a sweeper, which would cost $88,000. Mr. Clifford also said the purchase of a chipper could be deferred to another year. Discussion followed about availability of sweepers used as demonstration units, used sweepers, and leasing sweepers. 4. Schools Superintendent Don Nicoletti and Business Manager Robert Gurek presented a summary of the School Department's capital requests as detailed in their written submission. Dr. Nicoletti and Mr. Gurek responded to a question by saying approximately three quarters of the bondable school Capital Improvements requests for FY 96-97 appear to be covered by the school additions/debt exemption vote. They also told the committee the computer system in the Administrative Offices need to be upgraded in order to tie into the municipal computer system in order to function more efficiently. Discussion of the special education bus followed. This is the second year the bus has been proposed, with the cost at $17,000 or two at $31,066. The committee discussed the lease purchase vs. a two-year lease with the option to purchase for the residual value. The committee discussed its policy on lease purchase and whether the cost of subsequent years of the lease go into the department's operating or remain in the capital budget. Discussion of non-SBAB fundable items followed and included: 1. Roof Repairs - High School, the entire roof needs to be replaced 2. Public address system can no longer be shared with the Recreation Department, therefore the schools must buy their own 3. Bleachers are in need of immediate repair 4. Additional Jordan/Jackson parking lot lighting needed for safety purposes 5. Roland Green exterior lighting also needed for safety purposes It was suggested that the school department reorganize its capital requests to place its requests in the following categories: Items included in school additions/debt exemption vote of 1994; items not included in that vote and bondable; items not included in the 1994 vote and not bondable. 5. Adjournment - 9:30 P.M. Date of next meeting: Thursday, February 1, 1996 at 7:00 P.M.