Rindge’s Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) Committee has outlined almost $500,000 in projects for next year’s town warrant, only $182,600 of which would have to be raised by taxation.
Recommendations presented to the Select Board on Wednesday include $18,000 for the Wellington Bridge, $91,600 to enter a lease on a new fire truck engine, $28,000 for revaluation, $75,000 for a used flail boom mower, $5,000 for the 250th anniversary of the town, $165,000 for a six wheel dump/plow truck, $35,000 for a fire prevention vehicle, and $80,000 for generators at the recreation department and town office.
“This is a smaller part of a larger plan that goes through 2030,” said Jason Paolino, chair of the CIP Committee. “These proposed warrant articles are a piece of a larger plan.”
The two generators would be subsidized by grants, the flail boom mower and $125,000 of the six wheel plow/dump truck would be funded by the town’s sale of tax deeded property, and the fire prevention vehicle would be funded by capital reserve funds. The remaining $182,600 would have to be raised by taxes, if approved by a Town Meeting vote.
Finance Director Ellen Smith told the Select Board that the town received its “not to exceed rates” for health insurance in 2017. Previously accounted for in the budget was a 15 percent increase, but the not to exceed rate is nine and one third percent. Smith said about $9,100 will be saved in the proposed budget as a result.
Town Administrator Joe Byk approached the board about a two-percent wage pool for town employees, which would amount to $21,986. The board said it would consider the proposal.
A total of $8,500 was approved to be transferred from the executive budget to purchase a State Police Operating Terminal System (SPOTS) for the police department, a new firewall for the police department, annual renewal costs for the other firewalls, and a wireless booster for the fire department.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.