The Town of Waterford has two capital improvement funds. The first is the Current Year Capital Improvement Department in the general fund. These funds are considered appropriated as soon as the fiscal year budget takes effect on July 1.

The second fund is the Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditure Fund. In the budget, the funds that are raised for a particular fiscal year are delineated in the Transfers to the Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditure Fund. The dollars in this transfer are considered “designated” for the assigned project.

The assigned department must request appropriation from the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting in order to spend dollars on the project. This gives the elected officials a “second bite of the apple” before the actual expenditure is made.

The Board of Finance recently reviewed the requests made by the Board of Selectmen for the Current Year Capital Improvement and the Transfer to the Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditure Funds.

The Current Year Capital request for fiscal year 2019-2020 is $2,992,510. The Board of Selectmen requested $1 million be transferred to the Fleet Management Fund. In previous years, this request has been $1.25 million, but the request was lowered because the Fleet Management Fund expenditures for FY2020 were anticipated to be only $884,123 for a new Public Works recycling truck, two new police cars, three vehicles of the Board of Education (BOE), three vehicles for Recreation and Parks and two vehicles for the Utility Commission.

The Information Technology Committee has requested $169,655 for hardware refreshing, a system log server, an improved backup system and networking and wifi for the Fire Service. The police department requests total $71,812 for infrared cameras, policy directives revamp, architectural plans for the current police building and accident investigation improvements.

The Fire Service is requesting $45,000 for roof replacement for Cohanzie Fire House.

The Public Works Department is requesting $889,283 for reclaiming and paving Industrial Drive, Chapman Avenue/Pilgrim Road and Vauxhall Street.

There is an additional $2,754,000 for work on Cross Road that is expected to be funded by a grant funded through the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments.

The Building Maintenance Department is requesting $187,260 for ADA improvements at the youth service bureau and police department, renovation of Town Hall bathrooms, and upgrade of the RTM meeting room in Town Hall.

The Utility Commission is requesting $85,000 for in-line wastewater solid grinder pumps.

Recreation and Parks Department is seeking $94,500 for rebuilding the Leary Park and Town Hall basketball courts, and replacement of the fence at the dog park at Stenger Farm. In conjunction, the Board of Education is requesting $450,000 for enhancements of the high school fields. This includes the addition of a softball field on the high school grounds; the high school team currently plays at Veteran’s Field by Town Hall.

The assessor is requesting the standard $75,000 installment for the next revaluation planned for 2022.

Information Technology is requesting $46,200 for town-wide wifi installation and core switches and blades for Town Hall and the Emergency Operations Center.

Fire Service is requesting $130,000 for carpet replacement at the Public Safety Complex, hydraulic equipment upgrades, and preemptive light repairs.

Emergency Management is requesting $273,809 for mobile and portable radio replacement.

The Utility Commission is requesting $375,000 for rehabilitation of the Old Norwich Road pump station.

Building Maintenance is requesting $146,000 for Town Hall emergency egress and the Planning and Zoning Commission’s update of the Plan of Conservation, Preservation and Development.

The Board of Education is also requesting $577,300 for construction of an office at the bus lot, school security, tennis court repairs and IT equipment replacement.

The Public Works Municipal Complex Renovations are listed at $6 million, but the funding source is bonding, which as already been approved by the RTM.

After the Board of Finance budget approval on March 25, the budget will be forwarded to the RTM for final approval in the first week of May.

John W. “Bill” Sheehan is a former Democratic Town Committee chair.