With the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) now entering its second year, the CIP committee held its first public hearing on Oct. 13 to review the program and solicit public input.

The program, which replaced LOCAP, is designed to create one comprehensive planning document for all of the town and public school’s capital needs for the next five years and evaluate possible funding options. The CIP Committee is comprised of two members from each the Board of Finance (BOF), Board of Education (BOE), and Board of Selectmen (BOS). Together, they work to prioritize requested expenditures and will submit a recommendation to the BOF and BOS for their consideration.

CIP Chair Jean Fitzgerald reviewed the process the program goes through to a small crowd at Polson Middle School.

“The capital expenditures requests are submitted to the director of finance and the preparation of a draft capital improvement program is done in cooperation with our first selectman,” she said. “The draft is then submitted to the CIP and the committee then reviews it and holds public meetings. Then after research, the committee recommends a capital improvement program, submits it to the BOS and to the BOF. The BOS will then review it. They will then submit their recommendation to the BOF and then the BOF will hold their own public meeting before final approval.”

The annual capital budget is then included in the budget presented to voters at referendum in May. The CIP is funded through a variety of sources including the Capital Projects Fund, grants, donations, and general obligation bonds. This year the CIP was funded at $3,206,306, approved at referendum.

Looking at the next fiscal year’s biggest expenditures, Fitzgerald highlighted the current plan for the library renovation. The project was originally listed in the CIP for $14 million, with $12 million going out to bond, but Fitzgerald explained the bonding number has been reduced.

“The total cost of the project has not changed, but the total impact has because the library has received additional grants and donations so that will offset the cost,” she said. “It will now be $9 million that would go out to bond.”

While the library is listed in the CIP, the project will go out to referendum separately. Additionally, Fitzgerald said there is no cost listed for the school utilization study as no additional steps have been approved by the BOE at this time. Any future plans for the Academy School building are also not listed in the CIP at this time.

“An evaluation of the environmental condition of the former school building and site have been completed,” she said. “The town will be holding a series of meetings and workshops to help determine the next steps for that school and at this point there is no plan for construction requests included in our program.”

Overall, Fitzgerald said the second public hearing held by the committee will offer more information on definite projects. For now, she said the committee needs more input from the public.

“We have public hearings. The idea is to allow the taxpayers a voice in helping the committee decide what capital expenditures should be recommended to the BOS and BOF,” she said. “It is important for us to hear from you and what direction you want the town to take.”

More information on the program and committee meetings can be found at www.madisonct.org/cip.