The Board of Finance approved the five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) with a modification moving building a turf field at the rear field of the high school from year five to year one.

The change to the 2022-23 through 2026-27 CIP the board made at its November 8 was made due to the fact that School Superintendent Lorrie Rodrigue said that there may be donations toward the cost of the field and she said that the athletic director talked to the sports teams and they are willing to do some fundraising toward the turf field as well.

“It’s up to your [the BOF’s] wisdom if it is moved from year five to year one,” said Rodrigue.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said that there was “some wisdom” in moving the project forward “so it doesn’t fall through the cracks” if the donations, which is expected to be approximately $200,000, comes through.

Additionally, he said, the school board could use some money from its field surcharge account toward the field. He said the change to the CIP should be made with the caveat that if the donations fall through, then “it’s back to a year five project.”

The plan would be for $460,000 to be bonded with the other $300,000 coming from the donations and other sources.

BOF member Sandy Roussas expressed concerns about the “level of commitment” of the potential donors and “whether this would pull through.”

“It will die on the vine without those funds,” answered BOF Chairman Keith Alexander.

BOF member Ned Simpson said that the board had “spent a year debating how strongly we didn’t want anything to jump to year one,” noting that the reason was because the numbers for later years were mostly just estimates and could change dramatically.

School Director of Facilities Bob Gerber, Jr, said that he was confident with the number they had in the plan because the most recent estimate for the project was done in August.

The BOF approved the change 4-2, but the overall CIP was approved unanimously.

CIP Annual Specifics

The 2022-23 through 2026-27 CIP includes, for the town side Year One, capital road program spending of $3 million, with $250,000 bonded; a bridge replacement program of $400,000, all bonded; the replacement of fire apparatus at $500,000, all bonded; the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial, $1.7 million, with $600,000 bonded and $1.1 million coming from the state; the cleanup of 28A Glen Road, $650,000, all bonded; town match of grants at $200,000; Fairfield Hills building remediation and demolition, $2 million, all bonded; Edmond Town Hall parking lot improvements at $550,000, all bonded; and library renovations, replacements, and upgrades of $550,000, all bonded.

The total for 2022-23 is $9.55 million in spending, with $5.25 million of that bonded.

For the year 2023-24, which would become Year Two of the new plan, the town is planning capital road program spending of $3.05 million; a bridge replacement program of $400,000, all bonded; multipurpose building electrical/mechanical/HVAC work of $413,000, all bonded; a Newtown Municipal Center roof remediation and replacement of $1 million, all bonded; the replacement of fire apparatus at $1.085 million, with $800,000 bonded; town match of grants of $200,000; library renovations, replacements, and upgrades of $831,000, all bonded; Fairfield Hills building remediation and demolition, $1.5 million, all bonded; and Lake Lillinonah park improvements of $500,000.

The total for 2023-24 is $8.979 million, with $4.944 million of that bonded.

For the year 2024-25, which would become Year Three, the town is only planning to include capital road program spending of $3.1 million; $50,000 for a truck washing station; and town match of grants of $200,000.

The total for 2024-25 is $3.35 million, with no bonding. Rosenthal said the town’s government bodies elected to take that year off from any new bonding costs.

For the year 2025-26, which is Year Four of the new plan, the town plans to include capital road program spending of $3.15 million; bridge replacement spending of $400,000, all bonded; the replacement of fire apparatus for $800,000, all bonded; Fairfield Hills building remediation and demolition, $2 million, all bonded; Truck Washing Station of $550,000, all bonded; Public Works site and salt storage improvements, $50,000; Edmond Town Hall building renovations of $550,000, all bonded; town match of grants, $200,000. Treadwell artificial turf and lighting at $800,000, with $250,000 bonded and $550,000 coming from other sources; and the rail trail project at Batchelder Park for $1.4 million, with the entire cost coming from grants.

The total for 2025-26 is $9.9 million, with $4.55 million in new bonding.

Lastly, the current year six, 2026-27, in the ten-year plan moves up to Year Five of the five-year plan, and will include capital road program spending of $3.2 million; town match of grants, $200,000; Public Works site and salt storage improvements of $600,000, all bonded; Fairfield Hills building remediation and demolition, $2 million, all bonded; transfer station improvements of $400,000, all bonded; the replacement of fire apparatus, $820,000, all bonded; the bridge replacement program, $400,000, all bonded; and Fairfield Hills water infrastructure, $750,000, all bonded.

The total for 2026-27 is $8.37 million, with $4.22 million in new bonding.

School District Projects

For the Board of Education, the first year of the CIP, 2022-23, has $2.5 million slated for the Hawley Elementary School ventilation and HVAC renovation project along with $425,000 for projects at Head O’ Meadow Elementary School; $750,000 for work at Reed Intermediate School; $850,000 HVAC work at Newtown High School; and the newly moved $760,000 for turfing the rear field at the high school.

The second year of the CIP has another $4 million slated for the Hawley HVAC project; $750,000 anticipated for continued boiler, water heater, and other projects at Head O’ Meadow; $450,000 for HVAC improvements at Newtown Middle School; and $850,000 for further HVAC work at NHS.

The third year is set as a “no bonding” year, with no projects planned.

The CIP’s fourth year has $8 million estimated for HVAC improvements at NMS.

The fifth year has $1.1 million set for window replacement at Middle Gate Elementary School and $200,000 for bathroom renovations at the school. That same year also has $500,000 set for replacing a chiller at NHS, $400,000 for NHS HVAC replacements, and $450,000 for reroofing projects at NHS.

Reporter Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.