Planning Board Reviews Capital Improvement Program Recommendations for 2026

calendar Dec 18, 2025 · 6 min read · Capital Improvement Program Town Budget Public Safety Infrastructure Municipal Facilities

Waterville Valley, NH – The Planning Board convened for a special meeting on December 18, 2025, to review the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Committee’s recommendations for the 2026 fiscal year. The meeting focused on prioritizing various town projects and capital reserve fund (CRF) allocations, which will ultimately be forwarded to the Select Board for consideration and inclusion in the town warrant for Town Meeting.

The CIP process involves the committee developing a spreadsheet of recommended items, which the Planning Board then votes on and may alter. These recommendations are subsequently sent to the Select Board for review and funding decisions, with final approval resting with the Town Meeting. The CIP is a multi-year program, typically looking five to six years ahead, though the master spreadsheet extends to 32 years, the limit for state bonding. (link)

Capital Reserve Fund Discussions

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing various Capital Reserve Funds (CRFs), which are essentially savings accounts for future large expenditures.

  • Community Power Committee Funding: An initial discussion clarified that funding requests from Select Board committees, such as the Community Power Committee, typically go directly to the Select Board rather than through the CIP process. However, a $25,000 request for the Community Power CRF, which currently holds $2,000, was noted as a potential CIP item if it’s for a capital reserve. (link)
  • Municipal Facilities CRF: A request for $50,000 for the Municipal Facilities CRF was rated as a medium priority. The committee noted that with significant unknowns surrounding wastewater treatment and Snow’s Mountain projects, a conservative approach to spending was adopted. The existing balance in this fund is $50,725. (link)
  • Corcoran Pond Dredging CRF: A new CRF for Corcoran Pond dredging was recommended with a $100,000 allocation, designated as a high priority. This is a proactive measure to mitigate future large costs associated with dredging the pond, a long-standing issue for the town. (link)
  • Municipal Equipment CRF: A $50,000 allocation for the Municipal Equipment CRF was also given high priority, based on the Town Manager’s detailed projections for equipment replacement over time. (link)
  • Property Reevaluation CRF: A $50,000 request for a Property Reevaluation CRF was deemed a high priority. This fund aims to spread out the cost of the state-mandated property reevaluations, which occur every five years and can incur significant costs (e.g., $75,000 in 2021, projected $85,000 for the next full reevaluation in 2028). This would help mitigate the annual impact on the operating budget. (link)
  • Streetlights CRF: This item was kept at a medium priority, pending further input from the Select Board regarding its creation and funding. (link)
  • Fire Apparatus and Medical Equipment CRFs: Both of these were designated as high priority. The Fire Chief emphasized the necessity of these funds, with a recommendation for $125,000 annually for fire apparatus, covering approximately 50% of replacement costs, and $50,000 for medical equipment. These CRFs are crucial for managing the constant need to replace and maintain essential public safety equipment, minimizing the impact of large, unexpected expenses on the tax rate. (link)
  • Snow’s Brook Remediation: A request for $50,000 for Snow’s Brook remediation was initially listed as low priority. However, after discussion, it was moved to high priority, with the understanding that the project, aimed at sediment mitigation for Corcoran Pond, has been previously approved but faced bureaucratic delays. The remaining $41,000 from a prior appropriation would need re-approval. (link)

Tangible Projects and Equipment Requests

Several specific projects and equipment purchases were also reviewed:

  • DPW Garage Doors: A request for $50,000 to replace the DPW garage doors was moved to high priority. These doors are old, have major logistical issues, and sometimes fail to open or close properly. (link)
  • Public Safety Garage Door: A $15,000 request for a side door off Bay 4 at the Public Safety building was moved to high priority. The current door is rotting, doesn’t fully close, and exposes sensitive equipment to the elements. The discussion also touched on the general threshold for CIP items, suggesting that items below a certain amount (historically $10,000) might be better handled within departmental operating budgets. (link)
  • Public Safety/Town Administration Building Assessment (Turner Group): A $75,000 request for Phase 2 of the building assessment was designated as high priority. This project aims to provide options for a new or renovated public safety and town administration facility, addressing long-standing issues with the current building, which dates back to 1970. The town has already invested $25,000 in Phase 1. (link)
  • HVAC System in DPW Building: A $50,000 request for a new HVAC system in the DPW building was moved to high priority. The current system is old and inadequate, impacting working conditions for staff, especially during overnight snow removal. (link)
  • Administrative Vehicle (Police Chief): A $25,000 request for a used administrative vehicle for the Police Chief was moved to high priority. This vehicle would allow the chief to respond to calls from home, provide backup, and serve as a replacement cruiser if needed. It was noted that most other towns provide such vehicles. (link)
  • Public Safety Pickup Truck: A $50,000 request for a new public safety pickup truck was moved to high priority. The current truck is 10 years old, has 90,000 miles, and is rusting out, making it unreliable for daily use and towing. (link)
  • Street Sign Replacement: A $10,000 request for street sign replacement was kept at medium priority, as it is a continuation of an ongoing project to finish replacing signs on private roads. (link)

Snow’s Mountain Road Infrastructure

The extensive projects planned for Snow’s Mountain Road were a key discussion point:

  • Road Reconstruction and Water Line Replacement: The $3 million for road reconstruction and $1.4 million for water line replacement were combined and moved to high priority. It was emphasized that these two projects should be undertaken together to avoid tearing up a newly rebuilt road for water line work. The water line frequently breaks, necessitating replacement. (link)
  • Sewer Line: The $2 million request for a new sewer line on Snow’s Mountain Road was kept at a low priority. While acknowledging that the town has previously voted in favor of this project for reasons of fairness, the Select Board intends to present it as a separate warrant article to allow voters to decide on this significant additional cost. The Planning Board agreed that if the sewer line is to be built, it should be integrated with the road and water line work. (link)

Overall Financial Impact and Process Improvements

The total estimated cost for all high-priority items recommended by the Planning Board is approximately $600,000, which could translate to an 80-85 cent increase in the municipal portion of the tax rate if funded solely through taxes. However, the Select Board typically uses undesignated fund balance and other mechanisms to mitigate the impact on the tax rate. The committee also noted plans to develop a more standardized and transparent CIP process for future years, including clear documentation and public-facing spreadsheets. (link)

The Planning Board ultimately voted to accept the amended recommendations of the CIP Committee to be sent to the Select Board for consideration in the 2026 warrants and budget. (link)