After 90 minutes of questions, answers, and discussion at the Jan. 27 Capital Planning and Investment Committee (CPIC) meeting to review recommendations of the Municipal Buildings Committee (MBC), the CPIC decided that the significant increase to capital spending represented in the MBC proposal warranted further discussion at a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen (BOS), School Committee, Finance Committee, and CPIC to further discuss the plans with the MBC. A meeting of these boards is set for Saturday, Feb. 5, at Town Hall, at 9 a.m.
Charged by selectmen with developing recommendations for the space optimization, reuse, and renovations to town-owned buildings—the Town Hall, old fire station, old library, and Hildreth House—the MBC presented preliminary plans at the Jan. 27 meeting indicating that the proposed revitalization work could cost as much as $9 million in phased planning, funding, and construction over the next four years.
Adding more than $1 million in MBC requests to other items planned for 2012 funding would bring total capital requests to more than $1.6 million, which is at least $200,000 more than funds expected to be available in the capital fund and Free Cash.
Funding for the project would have to come from multiple sources, MBC Chairman Ron Ostberg said, including “some philanthropic …, some from the state, some from federal, some from Green Communities grants, some from CPC funds, block grants for accessibility, private grants, and a relatively small contribution from National Grid from energy savings.” He said that the report to the selectmen—the next step in the review and approval process—would reflect funding sources.
MBC presented its final recommendations for the revitalization of town center to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday. Copies of the extensive report are being prepared for members of the “quad board,” and one copy will be available to the public at the town library. The BOS praised the MBC for its comprehensive and inclusive analysis, and deferred further deliberation to Saturday’s meeting.
