Preston officials to ask voters to back $3.7 million in bond purchases
Preston — The Board of Finance on Wednesday approved a proposed capital projects bond totaling $3.75 million, and will ask selectmen to put what would be the largest proposed capital purchasing package in several years to voters for approval.
The proposal will be forwarded to the Board of Selectmen to schedule a town meeting and referendum. The proposed purchases include $1.9 million for education purchases and $1.8 million for town purchases.
On the education side, the list includes 11 full-size school buses, two nine-passenger school vans and a wheelchair lift vehicle. In addition, the proposal would include $95,000 to repave the school bus garage parking lot.
In addition to the transportation items, the finance board approved $215,000 to repave the Preston Plains Middle School parking lot, roof repairs, science lab upgrades and new lockers at the middle school. The Preston Veterans' Memorial School would receive a new gymnasium floor and new playground resurfacing.
On the town side, a fire tanker truck estimated at $400,000 and a pumper firetruck estimated at $600,000 are on the bond proposal, along with breathing apparatus for firefighters and a fire service truck.
The town Public Works Department hopes to replace a 10-year-old snow plow for $160,000, a loader for $156,000 and a backhoe for $105,000, as well as replacing a tractor, a mower and a smaller plow truck and a trash compactor.
Board of Finance Chairman Norman Gauthier said the finance board culled the request list somewhat, including removing a proposal to reconfigure the school bus traffic pattern at the elementary school, proposed new air conditioners and a new 8-foot-tall fence at the middle school.
First Selectman Robert Congdon said the Board of Selectmen will discuss the timing of the town meeting and referendum at its meeting on Thursday. He said selectmen “have some work to do” on the proposed package, including determining the time period for the bond, whether it be for 10, 15 or 20 years.
The town last went out to referendum on a capital bond in 2013 for $2 million in equipment purchases and projects, Congdon said. A nearly $4 million bond is unusual for Preston, Gauthier said.
“It's the biggest bond issue we've had since we built the (elementary) school,” Gauthier said. “The most we usually have is $2 million. We've been doing this about every five years, bond a bunch of things that will last 10 to 20 years.”
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