Planning Board Adopts Six Year Capital Improvement Plan
On June 21st, the Auburn Planning Board adopted a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) intended to be a six-year roadmap that identifies both school district and town capital projects and equipment purchases, provides a planning schedule, and identifies options for financing the individual improvements.
The preparation and adoption of a CIP by the Planning Board is an important aspect of Auburn’s planning and budgeting processes, and provides guidance to department heads, elected officials and the Budget Committee as they work on individual budgets.
Essentially, the plan provides a link and an overview of the needs of the town and its companion school district.
Over the six-year period considered by the Auburn CIP, the plan shows how the School District and Town should maintain, expand, or renovate facilities and services, as needed, to meet the demands of existing and future residents and businesses. The CIP also proposes time frames for each project, to assist in spreading out the annual costs, helping to maintaining a stable tax rate.
A CIP is an advisory document that can serve a number of purposes, such as:
- Provide the Town of Auburn with a guide to be used by the Budget Committee, Board of Selectman, and School Board for their annual budgeting process (RSA 674:5-8);
- Provide a proactive planning tool, for the purpose of contributing to the creation of a stable property tax rate;
- Aid the Town's elected officials, appointed committees, and department heads in the prioritization, coordination, and sequencing of various municipal and school improvements; and,
- To inform residents, business owners and developers of needed and planned improvements.
For the purposes of Auburn's CIP, a capital improvement is defined by its cost and its useful life. Items included have a cost of at least $10,000 and generally have a useful life of at least five years. Eligible items include new buildings or additions, land purchases, some studies, substantial road improvements and purchases of major vehicles and equipment. Operating expenditures for personnel and other general costs are not included. Expenditures for maintenance or repair are generally not included unless the cost or scope of a project is substantial enough to increase the capacity of a facility, or an improvement is a major long-term repair that maintains the useful life of a capital facility.
Furthermore, many capital improvements recommended in this CIP are consistent with the long term goals detailed in the Auburn Master Plan.
Click here for a copy of the Auburn Capital Improvement Plan.