On August 30, Mattapoisett’s Capital Planning Committee gathered after a two-month hiatus to continue its discussion of developing methods for capturing data on capital expense items for the purposes of assisting department heads and the Finance Committee. The data, which includes everything from vehicle asset tracking to evaluating funding for water and sewer projects, is a critical component of fiscal good governance, all agreed.
Gathering on this night to update one another on where data collection activities had taken place or processes needed to collect the same were Chairman Chuck McCullough and members Ellen Driscoll, Alan Apperson, Robert Burgmann, Van Cantor, Michael Dahill, John Jacobsen, Michael Rosa, and newest member Barry Denham. Also in attendance was Town Administrator Mike Lorenco.
One of the areas of discussion was the financial management of the bike path, which, according to McCullough, has never been tracked for grants received, town grant matches, or for long-term maintenance costs. McCullough has asked many times, “Who owns (responsibility for) the bike path?”
Reporting on his efforts to gather data on the bike path, Apperson said it appears that data is scattered across various departments. To aid in the purpose of shaping a process plan, Apperson visited with the Town of Fairhaven officials, who he said have many years of experience in management of their recreational pathway. Lorenco added that, presently, he is working with legal counsel to determine expenses associated with land appraisal and “takings” involving the railroad easement that runs through the community both north and south of Route 6.
In a follow-up, Lorenco said, “The town doesn’t own the railroad easement or the right of way.” He said property owners along the former railroad line own up to the center and that figuring out a value prior to any takings is a necessary first step. He also told the committee members, “It’s going to take a long time” to complete planning for Phase 2a that would connect Phase 1b, a stretch from Railroad Avenue south of Route 6 to Industrial Drive north of Route 6.
Other topics discussed were Police and Highway Department asset tracking, which would include, but not be limited to, vehicles. Heading up that effort is member Michael Dahill, who noted that while mileage is a data point in evaluating whether to replace vehicles, it is not the only point. “It’s complicated.… Mileage may not be the deciding factor [and] data-collecting systems attempt to be predictive with a numeric value.” Dahill said that several department heads want to understand what data should be collected and then who would be responsible for uploading the data into a tracking system.
Lorenco indicated that the anticipated hire of an assistant to his department, a staff member who could be charged with any number of responsibilities including project manager, might be given this task.
Dahill said the data might conclude that in some cases leasing vehicles would be more cost effective than purchasing them. “Such a system might help in establishing an estimated total cost, and help decisions on whether to lease or buy, or even subcontract some functional areas that require specialty equipment.”
McCullough said of past buying practices, “We’ve been reactionary – we need to be proactive. We’ve got to ask the right questions.” Lorenco confirmed that he has been working with department heads on new ways to think about assets. Burgmann added, “It’s a culture change.”
The next meeting of the Capital Planning Committee is scheduled for Monday, September 13, at 6:00 pm.
Mattapoisett Capital Planning
By Marilou Newell