Capital Improvement Plan Committee

Committee Materials

From the Town of Westhampton, General Bylaw:

Capital Improvement Planning Committee

Section 1. Committee

8-1-1   The Westhampton Selectboard shall establish and appoint a committee to be known as the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, composed of five members who shall be residents of the Town of Westhampton and appointed annually as follows:  The Selectmen shall appoint three members at large. The Finance Committee and Selectboard shall each select one of their members for appointment.  Any vacancy shall be appointed by the Selectboard or the appropriate board for the remainder of the term. The Committee shall choose its own officers.

Section 2. Duties

8-2-1    The Committee shall develop a list of Town assets, and study proposed capital projects and improvements involving major non-recurring tangible assets and projects which:

• have a useful life of at least five years; and
• cost over $10,000.

8-2-2     All department heads, boards and commissioners, including the Selectmen, shall, by December 1st of each year, give to the Committee, on forms prepared by it, information concerning all anticipated projects requiring Town Meeting action during the ensuing six years. The Committee shall consider the relative need, impact, timing, cost, completeness of the plan, community support, availability of outside funding, and other factors deemed appropriate to the individual expenditures and the effect each will have on the financial position of the Town.

Section 3. Annual Report

8-3-1     The Committee shall by February 1st prepare an annual report recommending a Capital Improvement Budget for the next fiscal year, and a Capital Improvement Program including recommended capital improvements for the following five fiscal years. Said report shall include its recommendations for the scheduling and financing of capital outlays. The report shall be submitted to the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee for consideration and agreement.

Section 4. Capital Improvement Program

8-4-1    The Selectboard shall submit the approved Capital Budget/Program to the Annual Town Meeting for adoption by the town. After adoption, the Capital Program shall permit the expenditure on projects included therein of sums from departmental budgets for surveys, architectural or engineering advice, options or appraisals; but no such expenditure shall be incurred on projects which have not been so approved by the town through the appropriation of sums in the current year or in prior years, or for preliminary planning for projects to be undertaken more than five years in the future.

Section 5. Publication

8-5-1     The Committee's report and the Selectboard's recommended Capital Budget shall be published and made available at Annual Town Meeting. The Committee shall file its original report with the Town Clerk.