The Capital Budget Committee cleared several major infrastructure hurdles Monday, highlighted by a commitment to fund a new front-line fire engine and a comprehensive overhaul of school security systems. Chair Susan Franklin led the committee through a series of financial maneuvers aimed at modernizing town equipment while managing long-term debt and authorized spending.

The committee focused significantly on the Fire Department’s aging fleet, ultimately supporting a plan to bond a new apparatus over the next decade. Motion Made by S. Franklin to approve the purchase of a front line engine funded by a 10-year bond at up to $121,000 annually. Motion Passed (5-0). Chair Franklin noted that the committee should focus the vote on the acquisition itself to ensure flexibility in the financing process, stating, We should do the motion on the purchase and then just say we're funding it by bond.

School safety also took center stage as the committee authorized over $213,000 for indoor and outdoor camera systems across the district’s three campuses. The upgrades include $40,041 for indoor cameras at the Middle-High School and $73,351 for outdoor surveillance at the same site. Additionally, the committee sanctioned $53,153 for outdoor cameras at Deer Hill School and $47,064 for Osgood School. Member Chrissie Francona and Chair Franklin spent time cross-referencing December quotes to ensure the scope of the project remained consistent with previous requests. I just picked Osgood outdoor as an example... it appears to be nine replacements, one new, and the previous was 10. So that would be the same, Francona observed during the review. Motion Made by S. Franklin to approve indoor cameras at Cohasset Middle/High School in the amount of $40,041. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion Made by S. Franklin to approve outdoor cameras at Cohasset Middle/High School in the amount of $73,351. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion Made by S. Franklin to approve outdoor cameras at Deer Hill School in the amount of $53,153. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion Made by S. Franklin to approve outdoor cameras at Osgood School in the amount of $47,064. Motion Passed (5-0).

Interim Town Manager Michelle Leary informed the committee that the vendor for the security system offered a $10,000 discount if the school projects were mobilized as a single unit rather than split. I did just receive a text from Sarah that the company's additional $10,000 is if they couldn't mobilize for one complete project, Leary noted, ensuring the committee that the original quotes remained valid under the consolidated plan.

The committee also addressed a potential cost-saving measure for the Department of Public Works, suggesting a shift from contracting street sweeping services to a direct lease of an Elgin Pelican street sweeper. Leary explained that while the town previously budgeted $56,000 for a contract, a lease would cost no more than $35,000 annually. It's definitely more economical to add it to the lease, Leary said, noting that the shift frees up funds for direct road maintenance rather than purely cleaning. Associate Member Ralph Dormitzer advocated for a precise amendment to the previous vote to maintain financial transparency. You should really move to change the vote for 56,000, move it back down to 34,000 or something similar just to make the thing clear and clean, Dormitzer suggested. Motion Made by M. Leary to amend the approval of the Elgin Pelican Street Sweeper to approve leasing it at a cost of no more than $35,000 annually. Motion Passed (5-0).

The evolving Public Safety Building project at 135 King Street remains a point of fiscal scrutiny. Following the recent removal of the fire substation from the plans to lower costs, Leary noted that an additional $600,000 to $800,000 would be required for schematic and detailed design work for the revised police headquarters. Member Francona raised concerns about the timing of such a large expenditure before a final town vote. My question is given where we are from a timing perspective, do we need to spend that 800 now or would we wait until the town actually votes on this? Francona asked, adding, It's a lot of money to go out the door if it's something that obviously doesn't get approved. The committee deferred a formal decision on this funding until a scheduled joint meeting with the Select Board on Thursday, March 19th.

In a move to clean up the town’s debt obligations, the committee supported rescinding $3.3 million in authorized but unissued debt for the Water Department. Leary explained that while $3.6 million was originally authorized for a major project, only $300,000 was utilized for a study, and the department has opted not to move forward with the remaining construction. Motion Made by S. Franklin to rescind the balance of authorized borrowing/debt as described in Article 14. Motion Passed (5-0).

Infrastructure funding remained a priority, with the committee reviewing the standard $900,000 annual allocation for road and sidewalk stabilization. Franklin reported that the committee has approved over $1.06 million in capital spending to date, while still maintaining a positive balance of nearly $967,000 in the fund. The committee also approved a $25,000 expenditure for the replacement of an exterior door at the Paul Pratt Memorial Library. Motion Made by M. Leary to approve up to $25,000 for the exterior door of the Paul Pratt Library. Motion Passed (5-0). Members Chris Peisch, Robert Kasameyer, and Cathy Forest joined in the unanimous votes across all items, ensuring a clear path forward for the town's spring capital warrant.