Finance Committee Supports Brooks Academy inclusion In Capital Plan

HARWICH – The finance committee has voted to alter the capital plan approved by the select board, restoring three projects that were removed from fiscal 2025 based on a lack of funding.

The committee voted unanimously on April 2 to adopt the plan containing $1,160,000 for the Brooks Academy restoration, $2.5 million for an irrigation system at the municipal golf course, and $1.5 million for road maintenance projects for the department of public works.

The select board supported the decision by Town Administrator Joseph Powers to remove those projects for fiscal 2025. The Brooks Academy and golf department irrigation projects were left out of the rest of the five-year plan, while the road maintenance line item has the funding restored in fiscal 2026.

Dropping the Brooks Academy project drew public outcry as a portion of the funding would provide an elevator for people with disabilities. The elevator is essential to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the historic town structure that houses Brooks Academy Museum and the Harwich Historical Society. Without the certification, the public could not access the building. Members of the Brooks Academy Museum Commission and the historical society emphasized the importance of having the building available to the public in the run-up to the country’s 250th birthday in 2026.

The select board made it clear that they are looking to a fall special town meeting for restoring funds to the Brooks Academy project.

The finance committee has taken the position that the three projects should remain in the capital plan. Finance committee member Dana DeCosta recommended the committee put forward a positive motion on town meeting floor next month to fund the plan. To make changes to the plan would require the select board to amend the motion, he said.

DeCosta said questioned where funding would be coming from in the fall. He said he did not think free cash would be certified and available and it was his understanding that the funds could not be raised through taxation. It might be possible to use stabilization funds, he added.

“Leaving these projects in the capital plan is the prudent thing to do,” DeCosta said.

“Taking things that worked their way up through the capital plan and just throwing them out is like saying we don’t need to do it,” said finance committee chair Peter Hughes. “The need for that money for Brooks Academy was identified and they all knew it was coming. You can’t just say that project is abandoned. At least I hope you can’t.”

When the select board talks about a fall town meeting, it could be as late as Christmas, Hughes said. If free cash was certified, the board could call a town meeting to fund one of the projects, but in the meantime, it’s off the capital plan. The finance committee had a hearing with the capital outlay committee and select board a couple of months ago and they agreed to the capital plan, “and now it’s not the capital plan,” he said.

Finance Committee member Robert MacCready questioned using fiscal 2024 free cash in the fall to fund a project, which would be like spending next year’s free cash in advance. MacCready backed keeping the Brooks Academy project in the plan.

“It makes next year tough,” Hughes said of spending newly certified free cash.

Brooks Academy Museum Commission member Sandra Hall also questioned where the funds would come from for Brooks Academy in the fall, questioning the availability of free cash.

“If you don’t have the money now, how are you going to have it then?” said Hall. “They should put out for a debt exclusion now rather than waiting until November. The whole thing makes no sense.”

Hughes said the select board could have placed three debt exclusion articles in the warrant to fund the projects.

In other action on the fiscal 2025 operating budget, the finance committee voted to amend a $231,000 overtime request for the fire department. The committee voted to remove $75,000 of the funds from the fire department’s line item and place it in the finance committee’s reserve fund.

Finance Committee member Michele Gallucci wanted to know whether the funds could be accessed in the reserve account for other uses. Hughes responded that those funds would be encumbered for fire department use. The oversight provides a better understanding of how the town spends its money, he said. It also helps the town’s bottom line when the state Department of Revenue assesses municipal finances, added DeCosta.

“We have no intention of questioning the fire department’s management. It’s a matter of good management practice,” said Hughes.

The committee had a number of questions about the revolving account for 204 Sisson, the cultural center. It is a revolving account with a $300,000 limit, the highest limit of the 11 revolving accounts in place for various departments, which have different spending caps.

DeCosta said none of the funds go into the treasury and it is difficult to track the funding and how the money is spent. The accounts are under the purview of the town administrator, he said. DeCosta and Hughes expressed concern for the amount of spending in the 204 Sisson account and the difficulty in following money generated and spent in the account. Hughes suggested the 204 Sisson account should be reduced to $100,000.

“I recommend we vote to indefinitely postpone (the article) and let the select board explain what they are doing, and we’ll put in our comments on why we think more work needs to be done on this,” DeCosta said.

The committee voted 6-0 to indefinitely postpone the revolving accounts article.

Committee members also said they are concerned about the 8.1 percent fiscal 2025 operating budget increase, citing growing numbers in the town’s debt service in coming years. MacCready said an 8.1 percent increase is not sustainable.