Capital Planning Committee

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Pelham 5‑2‑1987, Art. 16. Amendments noted where applicable.] 

GENERAL REFERENCES 

Finance Committee ‑‑ See Ch. 36.

§12‑1. Appointment; membership; terms. [Amended 11‑6‑1999 STM, Art. 2] 

The Board of Selectmen shall establish and appoint a committee to be known as the "Capital Planning Committee," composed of one member from each of the following: the Board of Selectmen, the Finance Committee, the Planning Board, the School Committee, the Police and Fire Departments and the head of the Department of Public Works, all of the above to serve a term of one year or until Town Meeting deems to make changes.

§12‑2. Powers and duties. 

A. The Committee shall study proposed capital projects and improvements involving major nonrecurring tangible assets and projects which: 

(1) Are purchased or undertaken at intervals of not less than five years; 

(2) Have a useful life of at least five years; and 

(3) Cost over $10,000. 

B. All officers, boards and committees, including the Selectmen and School Committee, shall, by January 1 of the year, give to the Committee information concerning all anticipated projects requiring Town Meeting action. The Committee shall consider the relative need, impact, timing and cost of these expenditures and the effect each will have on the financial position of the town. No appropriation shall be voted for a capital improvement requested by a department, board or commission unless the proposed capital improvement is considered in the Committee's report, or the Committee shall first have submitted a report to the Board of Selectmen explaining the omission.

§ 12‑3. Annual report; capital budget.

The Committee shall prepare an annual report recommending a capital budget for the next fiscal year and a capital program, including recommended capital improvements for the following five fiscal years. The report shall be submitted to the Board of Selectmen for its consideration and approval. The Board shall submit its approved capital budget to the Annual Town Meeting for adoption by the town.

§ 12‑4. Expenditure on projects.

Such capital program, after its adoption, 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.

§ 12‑5. Availability of report and capital budget.

The Committee's report and the Selectmen's recommended capital budget shall be published and made available in a manner consistent with the distribution of the Finance Committee report. The Committee shall deposit its original report with the Town Clerk.