The budget process for fiscal year 2021-’22 began in earnest last month, with town departments presenting their five-year capital requests to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and the Board of Finance (BOF) at a joint public hearing, with the town looking to balance some immediate and important infrastructure needs as the pandemic rolls on.

The 2021-’22 requests came in at just over $2.4 million. In the past, officials have informally aimed to keep capital expenditures at around $1 million. Capital expenditures are generally for the purchase or maintenance of goods that will serve over several budget years.

Across all town departments, about $1.1 million has been requested for new vehicles, ranging from dump trucks to four-wheel-drive capable transportation for Building Department officials to reach certain areas. While none of the BOS or BOF members questioned the near-future need to replace vehicles, some of which are more than 20 years old, Selectman Sue Renner pointed out there are a large number all coming up at the same time with little warning.

“I’m wondering if there’s a way of doing this that’s a little bit more cohesive, like maybe someone could look at vehicles more broadly, all the vehicles, and propose a plan that would go over five years,” she said.

First Selectman Matt Hoey said the town used to get hand-me-downs from the police department, but has not done so recently as police have instead traded in or scrapped past-life vehicles. He also emphasized the town was still hoping to replace old cars with hybrid or electric vehicles when possible, though they would also look at options for sharing between employees and departments.

Hoey added the town would look into more comprehensive coordination for vehicle replacement.

“For a number of years, we were discouraging new vehicles, so we may be a victim of our own lobbying,” Hoey said.

Selectman Sandy Ruoff traced that policy back to the 2008 financial crash.

The Guilford Police Department (GPD) is requesting just under $120,000 for three patrol cars, with an additional $69,000 for vehicle components, which GPD Chief Butch Hyatt said are things like floodlights, cameras, and radios.

The GPD is trying to acquire hybrid models for these new patrol cars, though Hyatt said the shutdown of Ford plants during the pandemic has made that uncertain.

The Department of Public Works has the largest single vehicle request, with two 10-wheel dump trucks costing $280,000 each. Director Tom Fillion said those vehicles are “at the end of their life.”

A public works employee told the Courier that one truck is 17 years old and the other is 14. Both have about 60,000 miles on them, he said.

A handful of requests were related explicitly or tangentially to the pandemic, including new hands-free touchless sinks at the Community Center, which Parks & Recreation Director Rick Maynard said are something that would be really nice to have regardless but are especially important given the current circumstances.

That project would cost $20,000, and would include other upgrades to countertops and aesthetics.

A new $5,400 alarm system for Town Hall, which would be wireless and could extend more easily and extensively in the building, is important with emotions running high during the pandemic, according to town officials, with Hoey saying there have been “a couple of incidents” where angry or upset visitors were asked to “move along.”

Library Director Rob McCoole also explained around $10,000 for replacement computer hardware and software as more vital during the pandemic, as many residents, particularly seniors, have relied on technology tutorials and access to stay connected or access information.

“One of the services that I really think we do distinguish ourselves at is technical assistance,” McCoole said. “I think we’re one of the only libraries in the state that are continuing to do it even in the pandemic.”

Seniors have come by “every day” since the library reopened in the summer for this kind of assistance, according to McCoole.

Other larger items not related to vehicles include about $155,000 for new EKG and defibrillator equipment on ambulances, which have a five-year, no-interest purchase plan, according to Mike Shove, and a roof replacement for the almost 90-year-old slate roof on a library building, at a cost of just under $100,000.