The City Council gave its approval to the City Manager’s $18 million Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget for Fiscal Year 2020, though with certain modifications. Approximately $4.7 million of the proposal would draw from the City’s free cash reserves.
A special meeting took place on Tuesday evening, May 28, to ensure the CIP passed ahead of the June 1 deadline.
Among the significant modifications to Ambrosino’s original proposal were financing the second phase of the Mary C. Burke School roof project with $825,000 in free cash instead of the school stabilization fund, and eliminating $450,000 from the FY20 CIP that had been allocated for an updated Master Plan.
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According to Councillor-At-Large Leo Robinson, “Even though I am a huge proponent of the
Master Plan, I think we should take a step back,” He noted that the City will need to address certain zoning matters in the coming months and should prioritize those efforts before pursuing a Master Plan update.
City Manager Thomas Ambrosino had presented the proposed 2020-2024 Capital Improvement Plan to the City Council earlier in the year. The proposal encompassed 45 projects with a combined FY20 cost of $18 million.
“It is my strong belief that this
comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan fully meets our promise to invest the
City’s strong reserves in projects that enhance the quality of life in our
City,” Ambrosino communicated in correspondence to the City Council.
The CIP for FY20 addresses multiple program areas including equipment acquisitions such as furniture, desktop replacements, and library vehicles; roadway and sidewalk enhancements; open space improvements and expansion, including the Mary C. Burke playground; police cruiser replacements, radio communication equipment, and a new engine pumper; and nearly $7 million for infrastructure work including utility replacement on Upper Broadway, localized flooding mitigation, and expansion of the lead service replacement program.
District 8 Councillor Calvin T. Brown stated, “This gives our City Manager the leverage to
go out and continue to fix our sidewalks and roads and also help with school
projects and water projects,” “It’s
a lot of money, but it needs to be done to improve the quality of life in
Chelsea.”
District 6 Councillor Giovanni Recupero supported the CIP but raised questions about the necessity of a Council vote, given that the City Charter already mandates annual CIP adoption. “The charter is telling you it has to be
approved,” he remarked.