Selectmen Endorse ACCE Budget, Set Referendum Date

The Suffield Board of Selectmen approved the 2011-2012 budget from the Advisory Committee on Capital Expenditures (ACCE) at the selectmen’s meeting on Wednesday night. The budget will now go to the Board of Finance.

The 36-item ACCE budget was prioritized based on the perceived need of the projects for the town. The 20 items recommended for the coming year totaled $4,011,946.

The overall cost of the ACCE projects to taxpayers is tied to the upcoming referendum on bonding projects. If all four of the pending bonding projects fail to pass the referendum, the cost of the ACCE plans to town residents will be $2,921,646. If the bonding projects pass, the overall cost to taxpayers will be $2,227,646, a difference of $694,000. The total cost will likely change after the budget goes through the Board of Finance.

Budget items of a high priority and cost included funding road repairs at $950,000.

The road repair funding was strongly recommended by ACCE Chairman Craig Horrigan to maintain current road conditions. Selectman Brian Fitzgerald voiced support for the funding as well. Underfunding of road maintenance in past years has led to higher repair costs.

Other high-cost projects include funding farmland preservation at $500,000 and replacing the roof at Suffield Middle School for $180,050, with a 50 percent reimbursement from the state.

“We think the program is successful,” Horrigan said of the farmland and open space preservation program. “We endorse it.”

Horrigan and Director of Public Works Jack Muska attended the meeting to go through the budget with the selectmen.

 “Obviously, we have a challenge here with all [of] the potential bonding permutations,” Horrigan said.

Some of the high-priority items are tied to the bonding projects. They include a new pumper and rescue fire truck at $550,000, with $150,000 in reserve funding available.

“There’s big dollar savings to the town,” Horrigan said of the combination truck, which will replace two current vehicles.

Other items tied to the approval or rejection of bonding projects include asbestos removal at Bridge Street School for $150,000 and replacing Kent Memorial Library’s roof for $139,000.

“It’s a bare minimum fix,” Muska said of repairing the library’s roof.

Additional improvements to the current library beyond basic roof repair would raise the cost to between $3 million and $5 million.

Improvements to Ffyler Place were discussed as well. The cost for reconstruction is $125,000, with $94,000 available to the town in Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP) funds from the state.

“It’s an opportunity to clear up a lot of issues,” Horrigan said.

The potential for economic gains from improving the area was discussed as well.

“They’ve had a couple people look at it in the last six weeks, so there’s some real activity going on,” said First Selectman Tom Frenaye.

A new Boston Neck Road Bridge was also a recommended project. The total cost for the preliminary engineering for the bridge is $468,000. The town’s share of that cost is $93,600, with the rest being paid for by the state. There are town accounts that contain money for bridge repairs.

“I like it,” Fitzgerald said of the projects proposed by ACCE. “We should recommend this year’s [ACCE budget] to the Board of Finance as presented.”

The selectmen also officially set the date for the referendum on bonding projects for April 28 at the meeting.

Selectman Eileen Moncrief said the process is moving along, as all four projects were approved at the town meeting. The referendum is the final step for town residents to approve or reject the bonding projects.

“What happens on the 28th is the big one!” Fitzgerald said.