Capital Improvement Bonding and Sewer Projects

The issue of capital improvement bonding and sewer projects emerged during the town's FY2027 budget process as officials weighed options for funding major infrastructure without depleting reserves.

At the May 4, 2026 town council meeting, members discussed capital improvement financing and whether to use unassigned fund balances or pursue long-term bonding, alongside economic development bonding considerations tied to tax impacts.

This set the stage for the June 8, 2026 meeting where bond adviser Joe Cutara presented a detailed $9 million bonding plan covering the library, police station, and sewer projects, including amortization methods and interest rate assumptions.

The same June 8 meeting included approval of a transfer for increased sewer press design costs and unanimous passage of Order 26101 setting a public hearing on the bond ordinance, plus Order 26104 approving sewer use fee changes.

These steps followed earlier budget updates in the March 30, 2026 meeting that referenced the FY27 Capital Improvement Program, creating a direct link from initial planning to formal bonding proposals.

The process has involved no recorded split on the core bonding items, with decisions advancing toward a July 13 public hearing.

At the April 27, 2026 meeting the council authorized issuance of requests for bids for the WPCF sludge dewatering system and Route 2 sewer replacement project, while the Town Manager reported on downtown TIF amendments tied to the police station project and the board signaled a desire to limit additional capital funding requests to preserve fiscal discipline.