Planning Commission makes recommendations on capital budget
NORWALK — The Norwalk Planning Commission recently got its first look at the city’s five-year capital budget and plan after Angela Fogel, director of management and budgets, submitted her recommendations earlier this month.
“Meeting the capital needs of the city is of paramount importance in developing a recommended capital spending plan,” Fogel wrote. “While favorable debt ratios are important, investments in the city’s infrastructure, facilities, and projects with demonstrable economic payback are essential to maintaining the city’s long-term vitality and quality of life.”
Norwalk’s annual capital budget covers paving roads, repairing and maintaining municipal buildings and undertaking long-lasting infrastructure improvements, which are paid for largely through the issuance of municipal bonds.
Fogel said in her letter to the mayor, Common Council, Planning Commission and Board of Estimates and Taxation that departments in Norwalk requested a net capital plan of over $200 million for the years 201920 to 2023-24.
“While all of the capital requests have merit, the city does not have the financial capacity to fund all projects while maintaining its debt ratio targets,” she wrote. “Moreover, if all of the requests were approved, it would result in substantially higher debt service obligations requiring tax revenue support.”
Because of that Fogel said she “reduced the total requests” to $174.8 million over a five year spending plan, of which $143.2 million would be bonded and paid for through debt service. The first year of her request calls for a capital budget of $51.7 million, of which $37.6 million would be bonded and the remaining money would come from grants and revenues from city authorities.
The Planning Commission adopted a resolution on Tuesday evening recommending that the Common Council adjust some of the finance department’s proposals, which added about $1.9 million to the capital budget for 2019-20.
The largest items in the recommended capital budget include over $23.5 million for Board of Education capital projects, of which $18 million, $9 million per school, would go to renovations to the Jefferson and Columbus schools.
“This year’s capital budget is impacted by capital financing related to the Board of Education’s approved 5-year renovation plan,” Fogel wrote. “As expected in last year’s capital plan, these initiatives have significantly increased the authorized but unissued capital balances that impact the city’s debt metrics.”
She also recommends spending $5 million in road reconstruction, $1.5 million to fund the West Rocks Soccer Complex, $550,000 to replace the Norwalk High School courts that were damaged due to water and $2.5 million to make mechanical and safety upgrades at the Lockwood Mathews Mansion. The spending plan calls for $5.7 million to go to the Water Pollution Control Authority for rehabilitation of the city’s 180 miles of sanitary sewers; pump station and other facility upgrades and $1.5 million for Norwalk Parking Authority project, both of which Fogel said will be repaid through revenues from each.
The Planning Commission added back $1 million for public works to address sidewalks and curbing, $150,000 for the Norwalk River Valley Trail, $175,000 for the Nathan Hale Athletic Complex bathrooms, and put an additional $33,000 into asbestos remediation at Rowayton Elementary School, along with other projects. The commission decided to reduce funding in a few other areas including for the police department’s facility upgrades and certain Redevelopment Agency projects.
The rationale for adding back some of the projects stemmed from the commission’s desire to follow some of the public input members heard at hearings on the city’s new Plan of Conservation and Development.
“We have that fresh in our minds,” commission member Tamsen Langalis said.
The commission received the capital budget presentation on Tuesday from Fogel and Tom Hamilton, the chief financial officer of Norwalk Public Schools, who has been helping the city with portions of the budget process after Robert Barron, the city’s chief financial officer, resigned in January.
Hamilton’s dual role was questioned on Tuesday evening as the Board of Education received almost all of its requested funds in the finance department’s recommendations, while other departments had their requests cut.
“Which hat are you wearing making that statement?” commission member David Davidson asked, citing his multiple roles this budget season.
Hamilton said the reasoning behind funding the board’s request was because of the needs of the schools.
“The needs at the Board of Education are very great,” he said. “What’s in here is really the bare minimum of what needs to be done.”
Other members of the commission thanked Fogel and Hamilton for stepping up to put together the budget.
“That effort is much appreciated by everyone,” commission member Michael Mushak said.
The resolution and a letter with the commission’s recommendations will be sent to the city’s Board of Estimate and Taxation, the Common Council and the mayor to consider before the capital budget is adopted later this spring.