Town of Westminster, MA Chapter 15 Capital Planning Committee

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting 5-4-2002 by Art. 43; amended in its entirety STM 2-26-2008 by Art. 14. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 15-1 Establishment; membership; officers.

[Amended 5-1-2021 ATM by Art. 17]

The Select Board shall establish and appoint a committee to be known as the "Capital Planning Committee," composed of one member of the Select Board, one member of the Advisory Board, and three citizens at large. The Town Accountant, Treasurer/Collector, and Town Coordinator[1] shall be ex-officio, nonvoting members of the Committee. The Committee shall choose its own officers.

[1] Editor’s Note: The Annual Town Meeting voted 5-1-2010 by Art 30 to authorize the Select Board to appoint a Town Administrator to replace the position of Town Coordinator.

§ 15-2 Study of capital projects and improvements.

The Committee shall study proposed capital projects and improvements involving major tangible assets and projects which: (1) have a useful life of at least three years; (2) have a dollar value of $15,000 or greater.

§ 15-3 Development of policies and procedures.

The Committee shall develop policies and procedures, as necessary, to establish and maintain a capital improvements program.

§ 15-4 Submission of information concerning capital requests; consideration of and recommendation by Committee.

All officers, boards and committees shall each year, on or before the date specified by the Committee, give to the Committee, on the forms prepared by it, information concerning all anticipated capital requests requiring Town Meeting action during the ensuing five years. 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 at an Annual Town Meeting, or at any Special Town Meeting, unless the Committee has first made a recommendation to such Annual Town or Special Town Meeting with respect to such proposed capital improvement.

§ 15-5 Annual report; submission of budget.

[Amended 5-1-2021 ATM by Art. 17]

The Committee shall prepare an annual report recommending a Capital Improvement Budget for the next fiscal year, and Capital Improvement Program, including recommended capital improvements for the following four fiscal years after that. The report shall be submitted to the Select Board for its consideration and approval. The Board shall submit its approved capital budget to the Town Meeting for adoption by the Town.

§ 15-6 Publication of report and budget.

[Amended 11-16-2021 STM by Art. 4]

The Committee's report and the Select Board's recommended capital budget shall be published and made available in a manner consistent with the distribution of the Advisory Board report. The Committee shall file its original report with the Town Clerk.