Capital-Improvement Plan Sent to Planners

The City Council has sent a proposed $56-million capital-improvement budget to the Planning Commission for review.

Commissioners will evaluate how well the budget--which covers roads, waste-water systems and other projects to be funded over the next two years--complies with the city’s General Plan. The council may then vote on the proposed budget following a public hearing scheduled May 14.

During a budget workshop Tuesday, council members made their first changes to the spending plan. They deleted a provision allocating money for a senior center at the site of the old City Hall. They also added a request to build a sidewalk along one stretch of Olsen Road.

Much of their discussion, however, focused on the budget’s format. It is longer and more detailed and complex than its predecessors, leading Councilwoman Elois Zeanah to complain that the budget was difficult to interpret and compare to previous years.

Both Zeanah and Councilwoman Jaime Zukowski asked that prior capital expenses be included in this and future budgets.

But a majority of the council rejected that request, saying that past expenditures on such items as construction projects had little relevance to future capital spending.

“I’m not going to be looking at last year’s capital-improvement budget and comparing it to this one, because it really is apples and oranges,” Councilman Michael Markey said.