Select Board members reviewed capital requests slated for the upcoming town meeting, including equipment and shared regional items, and discussed how those items will appear on the warrant.

Why it matters: several items have substantial price tags or shared-cost implications with neighboring Wilbraham; the board must decide whether to present articles individually or bundle them for voters.

Items discussed and figures cited in the meeting: a camera system and storage (total cited in discussion as $370,000 for a larger system); the town’s share of that camera upgrade was cited as about $72,016. A two-way radio repeater upgrade was listed at about $11,000 total (town share cited around $2,141). Split (mini-split) AC units for building cooling were listed at about $35,000 total (town share cited ~$6,008). A Kubota RTV was listed at $43,000; the town’s responsibility for that vehicle (when costs are apportioned) was cited at $8,622. Green Meadows (school) switch upgrades were listed at $92,500; staff said that equates to roughly $10,000 per switch if nine switches are replaced. A Community Compact IT grant application was mentioned for roughly $148,000 to replace switches and install wireless access points; staff said they hope to hear whether the grant is awarded before town meeting.

Wilbraham coordination: several of these items are being coordinated with Wilbraham; staff said the town’s dollar responsibilities vary by item and will be presented in the draft warrant. For example, the town’s share of certain larger systems (cameras, radio repeater, Kubota) was presented as a prorated amount in the meeting.

Debate and next steps: board members asked whether items will be separate warrant articles or bundled into a single assessment. Staff said some items will be presented as separate warrant articles; others will be coordinated with Wilbraham to match that town’s articles for assessment clarity. The board also discussed the political risk of bundling high-cost items together in an omnibus override ballot question.

What’s next: staff will finalize numbers and coordination with Wilbraham and return with draft warrant articles and amounts for Select Board approval prior to town meeting.