Town Manager Michael Milone met with reporters Wednesday to explain the nuts and bolts of his $50 million five-year capital budget request, $13.4 million of which would be spent this fiscal year.
This year's plan includes 31 projects, ranging from new technology, a new 10-wheel dump truck, expansion of the Farmington Canal linear trail to money for open space purchases.
While $50 million may sound like a lot, the projects in the five-year plan qualify for grants, Milone said, and that, combined with available reserve funds, reduces that amount by about $12 million.
To qualify as a capital project, it must cost at least $110,000 and have a lifespan of at least five years. Anything that costs more than $350,000 must go before the voters in a referendum.
Because of that, the Town Council approves the capital budget in August rather than the Charter-mandated November deadline in order to get anything that needs approval on the November ballot.
What's not in the plan is money for the Cheshire Community Pool because, Milone said, it's not yet determined what will be done about the cover that collapsed during the February blizzard.
The Pool Evaluation Committee is in the process of coming up with a recommendation as to whether the bubble will be replaced or if a permanent structure will be constructed.
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