Town of Stoddard, NH

Capital Improvements Plan

Committee Members: Terrance McMahon, Chair George Davenport George Preston Dale Smith
Errata to the CIP

The Capital Improvements Planning Committee is a sub-committee of the Planning Board.

NOTICE: Public hearings will be held by the Stoddard Planning Board to take comments on the proposed Capital Improvements Program that has been prepared as authorized by voters at the 2005 town meeting. Hearings will be held at the Town Hall at 7:45 PM on Wednesday, February 6 and at 7:00 PM on Tuesday February 19.

A Capital Improvements Program (CIP) is a tentative 6-year budget plan. It is not a commitment to authorize or to fund any specific project or set of projects. Its main purpose is to foresee high-cost items far enough in advance that they can be coped with in a cost-conscious way.
The CIP includes the purchase of equipment in excess of $3,000, and includes any real estate purchases and such services as surveying and engineering studies when they are related to those purchases. It does not include maintenance costs, personnel costs, or the purchase of expendable items.
All items included in the CIP reflect objectives and policies of the town’s Master Plan that was prepared by residents of the town and adopted in August of 2005.
The CIP is a living document. It will be reviewed and updated each year as a resource in the preparation of the town warrant.
A CIP is also legally required if the town is to undertake some other measures, such as growth management.

INTRODUCTION
The Town of Stoddard, at its 2005 town meeting, authorized the Planning Board to prepare a Capital Improvements Program. At its 2007 town meeting, the town authorized funding for the Southwest Regional Planning Commission (SWRPC) to review, finalize and publish the CIP so that it could be presented to the public for comment.

The CIP is now ready for a public hearing. Copies of the CIP are available for review by the public prior to a public hearing. Copies are located at the Town Hall, at the Town Clerk’s office, and at the Mill Village Store. A copy is also posted on the town web site (www.stoddardnh.org).

The public is asked to attend two (2) public hearings. At each hearing, the purpose and contents of the CIP will be briefly explained and then each attendee will be asked to comment. All comments will be recorded for review by the CIP committee prior to adopting the CIP. All residents are encouraged to attend both hearings and to listen to each other’s comments and needs.

Residents are asked to comment on two issues:

• Is the CIP being prepared and presented in a clear and useful way.
• How well do the individual projects in the CIP meet the wants of each individual.

DESCRIPTION
The CIP was prepared, by a committee of the Planning Board, in accordance with state handbook guidelines. It was vetted and formatted by SWRPC.

The section titled “USE OF THE CIP” explains ways in which the data in the CIP can be employed to guide the town in dealing with financial and development issues.

The section titled “CAPITAL SPENDING TRENDS” charts the town’s history of capital spending and its impact on the tax rate over the past ten years. This provides a benchmark beside which the long-term budget for future expenditures can be compared.

The section titled “STODDARD CIP FOR YEARS 2008-2013” lists and describes projects that are likely to be considered for adoption in future years. All of these projects were identified either by the town officials most involved in their use or by community organizations whose activities involve the use of public facilities.
This section also gives two alternative versions of a six-year CIP budget. One primarily reflects the use of bonding to even out the tax rate from year to year. The other reflects the use of capital reserve funds for some projects to further smooth the year-to–year tax rate. Neither is intended to be a final recommendation. The intent is to stimulate thinking as to how best to handle the various projects.
A second intent is to provide a reasonable estimate of the cost impact of the projects. Where available, the cost estimates for the major projects are commercial estimates, both for construction and for financial charges.

The sole mandated purpose of the CIP is to aid the Selectmen in their consideration of the annual budget, by taking into consideration major costs that may occur in succeeding years.

The CIP has other optional uses that may be of importance to the town.

• It is a statutory prerequisite for a growth management ordinance. Any such ordinance must be supported either by excessive financial impact as documented by the CIP or by steps necessary to the achievement of goals in the Master Plan.
• It can provide a means of coordinating the planned municipal expenditures with those of the School Board.
• It can help determine whether a proposed project or change to an ordinance will be a benefit or a burden to a town, instead of relying on stereotype impressions that may not be true in a particular town such as Stoddard.

The CIP will be updated each year.

The Master Plan will be reviewed each year to assure that projects proposed for the CIP are consistent with goals set forth in the Master Plan.