By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Town Council this week endorsed the Capital Planning Committee’s recommended $2,051,816 budget for capital outlay in FY 2025. In addition to that tax levy funded amount, the CPC recommended $390,000 for Sewer Division capital spending and $254,000 for the Water Division. The Water and Sewer divisions are enterprise departments and are not funded through the tax levy.
Capital Planning Committee chairman Phil Renzi and DPW Director Joe Conway appeared before the Town Council this week to present the capital requests.
Renzi highlighted a number of items on the list of tax levy-funded items, including $111,500 for a new dump truck and plow for the DPW. The list of approved DPW capital requests also included a new rubbish truck for $165,000.
Also approved among the list of vehicles in the “Fleet” section of the list was $170,000 for two new police cruisers and one detective car.
Under the “Buildings” section of the list, Renzi called attention to $110,000 for elevator controls at Town Hall and for garage door interlocks (safety curtains) at the Fire Station.
Under “Fields, Playgrounds and Cemeteries,” the Capital Planners recommended $50,000 to replace the roof at the Forest Glade Cemetery building. Another $75,000 was recommended to repair cracks in the surface at the Dobbins Tennis Courts.
Under the Information Technology section of the list, a sum of $200,000 was recommended for “time and attendance software” for town departments. A “work order/asset management” system for the DPW was recommended at $55,000 along with $88,000 for a Genetic Camera System for the School Department.
Councilor Edward Dombroski asked about the $200,000 for the time and attendance software.
Conway explained that currently town departments work on different software systems for tracking employee time and attendance. The new software would get all the departments onto one system, he explained.
Town Councilor Michael McLane asked a question related to a new pumper for the Fire Department.
Renzi said that a new pumper was on the original list submitted by the Fire Department, but the Capital Planning Committee generally recommends that such big ticket items are better handled through a separate Town Meeting warrant article.
McLane asked what happens when a sum of money is recommended for a specific capital need and then grant funding is secured for that need.
Conway said that in some cases, the money just goes back to the fund. In other cases, the CPC might decide to use the money to fund other needs on the list.
McLane also asked if the CPC’s recommendation closes the door for capital requests this year. For example, he wondered what would happen if the Town Council came and asked for another $400,000 to renovate the second floor at the Senior Center.
Renzi said that the CPC was instructed to keep the list to about $2 million. If more capital money became available, he said, renovations at the Senior Center would be up against other capital requests that had not made the final recommended list.
Noting several capital items on the list for the DPW facility on North Avenue, Town Council chairman Jonathan Chines asked about the status of the feasibility study to determine the long-term future of that facility.
Conway acknowledged that the feasibility study was taking longer than expected. In the meantime only bare bones, critical capital needs were being funded to keep the old facility functioning.
Councilor Dombroski noted a number of school-related items on the recommended capital outlay list. He asked why the School Department couldn’t fund these items through its own budget.
Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio said that the Capital Planning Committee are the subject matter experts on capital requests so it makes sense for school requests to go through the CPC. Also, Maio noted, the School Committee has line item authority over its own budget, so there would be nothing to prevent them from shifting money earmarked for capital in their own budget to operating expenses.
The Town Council vote to approve the Capital Outlay budget was unanimous. The budget will also be scrutinized by the Finance Committee before going before Town Meeting on April 29.
