Members of the Marion Capital Improvement Planning Committee (CIPC) met June 5 at the police station and discussed a draft letter to all town department heads and committee chairmen regarding future financial planning. The purpose of the CIPC is to anticipate future town expenses.
During its March 18 meeting, the committee extended the planning window from five years to ten years. The CIPC plans to schedule meetings with the various department heads and committee chairmen and make site visits.
The request is for each department and committee to map out the foreseeable capital projects that fall within this ten-year window and possibly identify projects that are outside the ten-year window.
Department and committee heads have already submitted their projections for the next five years.
Looking beyond 2015, some of the projections show a new roof on the Atlantis Drive facility in FY 2023 for $150,000. Other items include $1,000,000 in FY 2019 for construction of a new Department of Public Works complex, $32,000 for replacement of an HVAC unit at the Marion Natural History Museum, and $50,000 for well field exploration.
Within the five-year window, projections include $40,000 for a one-ton 4×4 with a plow, $150,000 for a design of a new Department of Public Works complex, $100,000 for a six-wheel dump truck with plow, and $5,071,000 for Phase 1B Drainage, Sewer, and Paving in the village.
All future proposed projects are subject to town approval at the spring and fall town meetings.
Proposed projects that have no date attached and could happen beyond the ten-year window include $5,000,000 for the Town House project, which has yet to be determined. Other projects include $950,000 for a fire station upgrade and $500,000 for a Council on Aging Senior Center.
Other items discussed at the meeting included gathering information on past projects approved at town meetings and whether there were any projects still outstanding with funds in escrow.
“We would like to know if there are any outstanding items from the May 2013 Town Meeting and prior years … what has not been spent,” said board member Carol Sans.
“What is voted at town meeting … those monies cannot be spent on anything other than what the voters approved,” said Chairman Norm Hills.
The board did not determine the date of their next meeting because they plan to schedule a series of meetings and site visits with department and committee chairmen.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
