Capital Budget Committee By-law
IX. CAPITAL PLANNING COMMITTEE
SECTION 1 – The Town Moderator shall establish a committee to be known as the “Capital Improvement Planning Committee”, comprised of four (4) citizens at large appointed to alternating three-year terms by the Town Moderator, the Town Administrator, one (1) member of the Finance Committee, and one (1) member of the School Committee. The Committee shall choose its own officers and the Treasurer/ Collector shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Committee.
SECTION 2 – The Committee shall study all proposed capital projects
and improvements which:
- Are purchased or undertaken at intervals of not less than five (5) years;
- Have a useful life of at least five (5) years;
- Cost over $20,000 and are bondable;
The Committee shall also study all proposed capital equipment purchases, leases, or major rentals.
SECTION 3 – All Officers, Boards, Commissions, Agencies, and Committees, including the Selectmen and School Committee, shall, by
December 1st of each year, give to the Committee, on forms prepared by the Committee, information concerning all anticipated capital needs as described above requiring Town Meeting action during the ensuing five (5) years. The Committee shall consider the relative
need, impact, timing, and cost of these expenditures and the effect each will have on the financial condition of the Town.
SECTION 4 – The Committee shall prepare an annual report recommending a Capital Improvement Budget for the next fiscal year, and a Capital Improvement Program and including recommended capital improvements for the following four (4) fiscal years. The Committee shall submit its Capital Budget to the Town Accountant and Annual Town Meeting for adoption by the Town. No appropriation shall be
voted for a capital improvement requested by a department, board or commission unless the proposed capital improvement is considered in the Committee’s report, or the Committee shall first have submitted a report to the Board of Selectmen explaining the omission. Annually the Capital Improvement Planning Committee will submit articles for all projects for the fiscal year.
SECTION 5 – Such Capital Improvement Program, after its adoption, shall permit the expenditure on projects included thereof sums from department budgets for surveys, architectural or engineering advice, options or appraisals; but no such expenditure shall be incurred on projects which have not been so approved by the Town through the appropriation of funds in the current year or in prior years, or for preliminary planning for projects to be undertaken more than five (5) years in the future.
SECTION 6 – The Committee’s report and the Capital Improvement Budget shall be published and made available in a manner consistent with the distribution of the Finance Committee’s report. The Committee shall deposit its original report with the Town Clerk.
(The foregoing was originally adopted at the June 12, 1995 Annual Town Meeting.)
(Art.7 STM 6-1-2015, App. A.G.10-5-2015)
(Art.33 ATM 5-8-2017, App. A.G. 8-7-2017)