Capital Improvements Planning Committee Minutes, September 24, 2015

Condensed from draft minutes

Chair: Doug Phelps

Attendees: Chuck Keyser (Vice-Chair), Jeff Newcomb, Bill Leber, Marj Roy, Dennis Fenton, Duncan Coolidge

Guests: Vicky Mischon, Stephen Barton, John Thompson, Pat Cutter, Glenn Laramie, Nancy Teach, Jim Delaney, Ed Hiller, Jim Reed, Arch Weathers

The meeting opened with a quick review of the advantages of a Capital Improvements Plan, the Town’s 1991 authorization to prepare the plan, and the criteria the committee will use for evaluating submitted capital requests.

Several department heads presented their inputs for capital expenses to the committee.

Fire Department: Stephen Barton

Request: $74,000 for a four-wheel-drive one-ton truck capable of hauling water and firefighting equipment to remote off-road locations.

Requested Timing: ASAP

Funding Source: Tax revenue with possible additional funding through a grant.

Cemetery Trustees: Pat Cutter

Request: $30,000 for fence and trees around the East Andover cemetery.

Requested Timing: Phased installations over the next 10 years.

Funding Source: Tax revenue

Police Department: Glenn Laramie

Request: New facility for Police Department activities. Also noted was an appropriation for a new cruiser. An estimated cost for the facility, including land, was requested in two weeks. Timing of the cruiser purchase was also requested.

Requested Timing: To be determinde

Funding Source: Tax revenue

Road Agent: John Thompson

Request: Expenses related to four road projects (in order of priority): Shaw Hill Road, Old College Road, Flaghole Road, Monticello Drive

Request: Expenses related to bridge projects (in order of priority): Sam Hill Road, Kearsarge Mountain Road, Morrill Hill Road, Gale Bridge, Lawrence Street (estimated cost $1.2 million, 80% state funded)

Funding Source: Tax revenue; bonds if necessary

Note: Directly related to Andover’s road projects, the “Road Surface Management System,” a software tool used by many New Hampshire towns, was discussed. In order to initialize the tool, information derived from a road-by-road survey, which was completed two years ago, must be loaded. The software is available and installed, with data input to be started in the coming days.

Immediately following each Capital Improvement Requests discussion, Marj Roy assisted department presenters with completing the Capital Improvement Project request forms.

These forms will be used to create an overall capital projection analysis.

Committee Business: The November and December CIP meeting dates interfere with holidays.

The committee decided to move the November and December meeting to the third Thursday of November and December (November 19 and December 17) rather than the fourth Thursday.

Collect additional Capital Improvement Requests and begin compilation of all analysis. Doug will be meeting with Mike Izard of the Lakes Region Planning commission for a CIP consultation.