Time to move forward on Capital Improvement Plan
Thursday September 13, 2012 | By:Lee Chowaniec |
LANCASTER- At the recent Lancaster Town Board work session, Highway Superintendent Dan Amatura once again broached the subject of the status of the town establishing a highway Capital Improvement Plan, as he has done for the past three years.
The purpose of a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is to forecast and match projected revenues and capital needs over a (5)-year period. Long range capital planning is an important management tool that strengthens the linkages between community infrastructure needs and the financial capacity of the municipality. Here, it is planning for future infrastructure needs and sets the funding to allow for satisfying those needs. As Highway Superintendent Dan Amatura has been heard to say, “Our long range plan is five minutes.”
Amatura made known that he has in his fleet of 12 snow plow trucks two trucks that are 21 years old and two others that date from 1995 and 1997. He also informed the board that the trucks were not only used for plowing, that he recently spent $56,000 to repair the one 21 year old vehicle, and that it would take until next fall to get delivery on a truck ordered now – because of the assemblage time required.
Amatura needs to replace the two 21 year old plows. The estimated cost to do so is $450,000 and if they were ordered now there would be a one year delay in delivery time.
The CIP will eliminate the need to individually bond for single big-ticket times. It will establish a program and a fund that allows for planning/scheduling for present and future equipmentneeds and projects like bridges/culverts/guiderails/ curbing replacements or improvements.
Supervisor Fudoli is right in looking for savings to justify spending. But beside the tangible savings like truck cost repairs, overtime when trucks break down, etc., one should consider the savings of lives, the protection of lives andproperty, getting people to work and kids to school on time and safely?
We hear all the time on the good work the police, fire and Office of Emergency Management do to protect our well being. During winter snow events, if those roads aren’t plowed none of those agencies will perform efficiently in times of need and emergency.
It appears every town board member is committed to the plan and its funding. There has been enough delay. It is time to move this forward.
The purpose of a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is to forecast and match projected revenues and capital needs over a (5)-year period. Long range capital planning is an important management tool that strengthens the linkages between community infrastructure needs and the financial capacity of the municipality. Here, it is planning for future infrastructure needs and sets the funding to allow for satisfying those needs. As Highway Superintendent Dan Amatura has been heard to say, “Our long range plan is five minutes.”
Amatura made known that he has in his fleet of 12 snow plow trucks two trucks that are 21 years old and two others that date from 1995 and 1997. He also informed the board that the trucks were not only used for plowing, that he recently spent $56,000 to repair the one 21 year old vehicle, and that it would take until next fall to get delivery on a truck ordered now – because of the assemblage time required.
Amatura needs to replace the two 21 year old plows. The estimated cost to do so is $450,000 and if they were ordered now there would be a one year delay in delivery time.
The CIP will eliminate the need to individually bond for single big-ticket times. It will establish a program and a fund that allows for planning/scheduling for present and future equipmentneeds and projects like bridges/culverts/guiderails/ curbing replacements or improvements.
Supervisor Fudoli is right in looking for savings to justify spending. But beside the tangible savings like truck cost repairs, overtime when trucks break down, etc., one should consider the savings of lives, the protection of lives andproperty, getting people to work and kids to school on time and safely?
We hear all the time on the good work the police, fire and Office of Emergency Management do to protect our well being. During winter snow events, if those roads aren’t plowed none of those agencies will perform efficiently in times of need and emergency.
It appears every town board member is committed to the plan and its funding. There has been enough delay. It is time to move this forward.
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