Published in the April 17, 2018 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — The Board of Selectmen last week approved the final articles that will appear on the April 30 Annual Town Meeting warrant. Town Meeting voters will have a total total of 25 articles to deal with.

Capital Planning Committee Chairman Shaun Margerison presented the nearly $2 million Capital Outlay budget for FY 2019. He told the selectmen that the Capital Planning Committee received approximately $8 million in requests from various town departments and winnowed the amount down to $1,997,644 for tax levy capital outlay. An additional $168,750 from Sewer receipts for Sewer Division Capital Outlay and the sum of $112,982 from Water receipts for Water Division Capital Outlay is also requested.

Capital Outlay appears as Article 2 on the Town Meeting warrant.

Margerison broke down the total as follows: $693,544 for prior leases; $582,000 for fleet items; $446,500 for facilities; $70,000 for roads; $70,000 for fields, parks and cemeteries; $75,000 for miscellaneous items and $60,000 for IT leases.

He said that the total for prior leases was down from last year’s $755,800 request, but added that there will always be some amount in that category. He said that leasing was the best use of dollars for IT items, as that equipment has a relatively short useful life.

Under the “Fleet” category, Margerison highlighted recommendations for the Fire Department, including $45,000 for a new Fire Prevention SUV to replace a 2002 vehicle, and a Traffic Signal/Fire Alarm Bucket Truck ($41,600) to replace a 2000 model.

For the DPW, the Capital Planning Committee fleet recommendations include a new chipper at $75,000 (replacing a 1998 model) and a replacement for a 1970 rototiller ($5,000).

Also recommended are three new cruisers for the Police Department for a total of $165,000.

Under the “Facilities” category, Margerison highlighted the replacement of the HVAC rooftop units at the high school for $100,000; upgrading the Doyle bathrooms ($20,000); replacement of a boiler at the Greenwood School ($115,000); new front doors for the Americal Civic Center ($15,000); and rebuilding a retaining wall at the library ($6,500).

Margerison said that the $70,000 for roads was mainly for repair of cemetery roadways and various town parking lots. The $70,000 for fields parks and cemeteries included money for design of a backstop and safety netting at Walsh Field and fence repairs at various locations.

Under miscellaneous, recommended items include $10,000 for a new dishwasher at the high school, replacement of an oven at the Woodville School ($7,500) and replacement of a stove at the Dolbeare School ($7,500).

The $75,000 for IT leases includes projectors for the high school.a new phone system for the Greenwood School and security cameras at various schools.

Town Administrator Stephen Maio recommended about $4.5 million in Article 3 for the Debt service Fund.

Article 4 involves the receipt of $891,145 from the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department in lieu of taxes.

Article 8 will seek $8 million in bonding to rebuild the Public Safety Building. The project includes relocating a public service desk with a police officer to the main lobby of the building.

Maio said that Article 9 involves a request for $165,000 to cover a deficiency in this year’s Fire Department budget due mainly to unanticipated overtime costs.

Article 11 relates to a senior tax exemption. Maio said that seniors who qualify for the state senior citizens circuit breaker tax credit would be eligible for a matching credit from the town against their real estate taxes.

Article 20 on the Town Meeting warrant authorizes the town to enter into a long-term lease with the MBTA for the railway bed proposed as part of a future Rail to Trail project. Maio expalined that this simply moves the project along with MassDOT and there is no dollar amount attached to this article.