Avon Capital Improvement Projects Proposed for 2013-14 Budget, Next Five Years

At its budget workshop Wednesday, to his proposed $2.47 million capital improvement budget to make room for some school board requests.

In addition to the capital improvement proposal, Avon Town Manager Brandon Robertson initially recommended $28.99 million includes $20.85 million for the town operating budget, $1.81 milion for sewers and $3.86 million for debt services. Combined with the $52.83 million request from the Avon Board of Education, the original Avon budget proposal amounted in gross to $81.82 million going into Wednesday's budget workshop.

Robertson and Finance Director Peggy Colligan will be making changes recommended by the Town Council to bring the spending increase down to about 3.7 percent.

Here are some of the highlights of the capital improvement projects requested over a five-year span in the budget presented to the council Wednesday. Unless otherwise noted, the amounts listed pertain to the 2013-14 fiscal year.

To see the complete proposed budget, view the attached PDF or click the Annual Town Budget link on the Avon town website homepage. The following information comes from Tab R of the budget (pages 280 to 322), as seen online.

Please note that some of the funding recommendations will change once town staff revises the budget request.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT REQUESTS

Assessor's Office

• 2013 revaluation: $150,000 total through the 2014-15 fiscal year.

Town Clerk's Office

• Expansion of the records vault: $375,000

Town Manager's Office

• Town Hall, Building One renovations: $1 million through over a five year period through 2017-18. The project will involve making the building more energy efficient and upgrades to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Avon Volunteer Fire Department

• Replacement of fire apparatus (two trucks): $900,000 over three years.

• Northwest fire station: $5.05 million over three years from 2014-17. The proposal includes training offices, a classroom and outside training area:

• Avon's share in multi-town fire training facility in the works in Farmington: $350,000 over three years.

• Water supply installation and upgrades: $105,000 over three years. That includes a 30,000 gallon tank on Deercliff Road and a 15,000 gallon cistern for 2013-14 and a 30,000 gallon one on Stony Corner the following fiscal year, as well as associated installation and legal fees.

• Radio system upgrades: $300,000 by 2014-15.

Public Works

• Pavement improvement program: $6.01 million over five years through 2017-18. That includes milling and overlaying Haynes Road, Stagecoach, Avonside, Kingsbridge, Copplestone, Highwood Drive and Highwood circle, as well as sealing cracks on 16 miles worth of roads. 

• Parking lot improvements at the Company 1 fire station on Darling Drive and Countryside Park on Huckleberry Hill Road: $632,500 over five years through 2017-18.

• Sidewalk improvements: $250,000 over five years.

• Replacement of 1992 Bobcat Skid Steer with a trailer: $60,000

• Replacement of 1998 field mower with trailer: $70,000 over two years

• Replacement of 1989 John Deere backhoe: $130,000

• Replacement of 1999 pickup truck: $60,000

• Replacement of 2002 heavy duty pickup truck: $50,000

• Replacement of 1993 Michigan loader: $185,000

• Replacement of 2002 quarter-ton 4x4 pickup truck with plow: $50,000

• Replacement of 1995 half-ton pickup truck: $60,000 over two years.

• Replacement of 1996 plow truck: $200,000 in 2014-15.

• Replacement of 1998 Chevy dump truck: $90,000 in 2014-15.

• Replacement of 1994 dump truck: $195,000 in 2015-16.

• Replacement of 1999 international dump truck: $200,000 in 2015-16

• Replacement of 2001 utility truck: $60,000 from 2015-17.

Secret Lake Association

• "Drain" and dredge" Secret Lake: $25,000 over two years, according to the budget request.

Engineering

• Improvements of Old Wheeler Lane bridge: $420,000 over two years. The Connecticut Department of Transportation rated the bridge "poor" during a 2010 inspection. The town has already been working with a consultant to evaluate the situation, according to the budget request.

• Landscaping and construction of canoe launch site on Old Farms Road: $300,000 over four years. The is in addition to the plan for state-funded upgrades to the bridge and road near the Route 10 side. In 2013-14, $75,000 of that requested money would be for "coordination with and monitoring ConnDOT to ensure project process and final design," according to the proposed budget. Design costs are entirely reimbursable, the budget states.

• Old Farms Road reconstruction: about $12.63 million over four years. The town is also seeking state and federal reimbursement to help with the project.

• Add connecting street between Arch Road and Darling Drive: $180,000 in 2017-18.

Social Services

• Replace Dial-A-Ride vehicle: $55,000

Recreation and Parks

• Developing more fields at Fisher Meadows: $1.22 million in 2014-15.

• Improvements to Sperry Park parking lot: $160,000 from 2015-18.

• Installing tennis court lighting at Thompson Brook School: $112,000 in 2017-18.

• Improvements to Avon Senior Center and Community Room: $100,000

• Possible field and parking lot development next to the Farmington Valley Greenway on Thompson Road: $3 million in 2017-18.

Avon Board of Education

• School security upgrades: $240,000

• Replace second section of Roaring Brook School roof (20,500 square feet): $381,000 by 2014-15.

•  Avon Middle School science labs upgrade: $120,000 in 2014-15.

• Avon High School science labs upgrade: $120,000 from 2014-2016.

• District-wide two-way radio system: $50,000 in 2014-15.

• Roaring Brook School playground upgrades: $25,000 in 2014-15.

• Avon High School track resurfacing: $55,000 in 2016-17.

• Pine Grove School boiler replacement: $276,000 in 2017-18.

• Board of Education administrative offices renovation: Estimated to cost about $1.92 million spread from 2016-18.

• The board recommends collaborating with the town to study the possibility of converting the Avon High School football field into a turf field and installing lights or finding another site for an athletic complex of that nature, according to the proposed budget. The estimated cost is $1.2 million, requested for the 2017-18 budget.

What capital projects are most important to you? Tell us in the comments!

Editor's Note: This article was updated at 12:39 a.m. on Feb. 21 to reflect updates from the Town Council budget workshop.