$1.4M Meredith capital budget largely funds new fire engine

MEREDITH — The Planning Board unanimously approved $1.4 million in allocations recommended by the Capital Improvements Program Advisory Committee for 2026 through 2031. The figure is largely made up of a downpayment on a new fire engine.

Mark Billings, CIP Advisory Committee chair, laid out recommendations to the board on Nov. 25, that amounted to $1.4 million in projects. Adding $1 million in long-term debt, the amount is actually $2.4 million, or a 3.5% increase over the funding level of 2025.

He noted these are long duration investments — in other words, they have more than five years of effective life, and a minimum of $90,000 for the total contract.

“I believe there has been a slight shift of thinking across the town here, that we’re falling a bit behind in capital investments. And that we should be taking a look, and we are, of other projects that are out there in front of us,” Billings said.

He noted the “lion’s share” falls into the categories of fire and public works, notably the downpayment for an increasingly expensive Engine 1.

The committee recommended allocating $535,000 in 2026 for the Fire Department Vehicle Expendable Trust Fund, which will require the necessary funding to order Engine 1. There would also be remaining funds to cover the full amount when the engine is delivered.

“Fire engines cost a fortune,” Billings said.

Billings noted when the committee started looking at costs associated with replacing Engine 1, it was $800,000 total; that number has since increased to $1.3 million. A 90% deposit for a vehicle that won’t be delivered for another five years is $1.2 million.

“It is painful, however you want to cut it up,” he added.

The expendable trust fund was at $673,973, so the allocated funds would bring it to the total needed to make the purchase.

The committee recommended allocating $182,000 for the Fire Department Equipment Replacement Expendable Trust Fund, as well. This would be added to the current balance of $78,670 in the fund.

The committee also recommended allocating $337,000 to the DPW Equipment Replacement Expendable Trust Fund.

From 2026 to 2028, the town will be financing a wheeled excavator at $105,463 annually. There is also still a need for a wheel loader valued at $225,000, an F550 truck at $90,000, and a new Ford 600 dump truck with a sander that continues to increase in price, but is vital.

“If there is a single item out there we do almost every year, if not two in a year, it is those 13 dump truck sander plows,” Billings said. “I can show you CIP data for 10 years ago, and it didn’t meet the threshold of $190,000. It is now $220,000.”

The dump truck with a sander has gone from $190,000 to $225,000 over a 10-year period, Billings said. This is about 8% in inflation during that time, giving a sense of what has happened to the cost of equipment.

The committee recommended allocating $75,000 to the Main Street Rehabilitation Expendable Trust Fund, for a project that has been in the works for many years. Billings said the final phase of engineering for the improvements shows an estimated cost of $432,936. Currently the balance of the ETF is $37,510.

An allocation of $75,000 to the Waterfront Infrastructure Expendable Trust Fund was also recommended. Billings reminded the planning board the current balance of $1.1 million will be drawn from. Of it, $500,000 will be used to repair the canal walls of the Waukewan dam system through the center of town.

The final design process for the overhaul of Prescott Park is in the works, with Ironwood Design Group. An allocation of $200,000 in 2026 was recommended, and Billings said he anticipates the project will happen in phases.

“Additional funding beyond the current recommendation will be needed for any construction,” Billings said, adding the current balance in this expendable trust fund sits at $45,978.

Billings discussed the long-term debt total, and said between now and 2035, the total will be maturing. The public works and library bonds that are ending that year make up 90% of the amount.

He also addressed the school district’s capital needs. This year, the district had no requests, even for information, and it still has $650,045 after paying for resurfacing the athletic field. However, the district has secured $2 million in financing to replace a boiler in both the elementary school and high school.

During the public hearing on the capital improvement plan, there was no discussion from residents or board members before a 5-0 vote was taken to accept the recommendations.