NORTHAMPTON — City residents can expect some upgrades after Mayor David Narkewicz aired his five-year, $83.4 million capital improvement plan this week.
Among its 113 projects, the planning document proposes replacement of the Department of Public Works’ fleet of vehicles, Forbes Library repairs, roadway resurfacing and water and sewer line replacements. The plan is scheduled to appear before the City Council next week. Votes to officially spend or borrow money associated with the projects, however, will come later on as individual orders.
Narkewicz said the plan details “not just what we’re going to spend, but how we’re going to pay for it.”
“Some of it’s borrowed; some of it’s paid for with funds we’ve built up over time,” he said.
Taxpayer money planned for road resurfacing sits among the largest sums in the mayor’s plan. He said he proposes spending $4.25 million over the next five years to smooth out roads that have fallen into disrepair, like Hinckley Street and Day Road.
“That’s kind of an acknowledgment we’ve been trying to work on our street infrastructure,” he said, adding Chapter 90 funds from the state have fallen flat and are therefore not enough to do the work required. “We’re renewing and expanding our commitment to invest tax dollars in road resurfacing.”
The capital improvement program also includes $230,000 for Round House parking lot renovations, a recommendation that addresses the second phase of the Pulaski Park reconstruction currently underway. The overhaul to the park’s south end makes cuts into the city lot, and City Hall subsequently recommends adding parking spaces back in.
The downtown E.J. Gare Parking Garage is slated for $127,000 in maintenance.
The mayor said he plans to rebuild windows at the historic Forbes Library to make the building more energy-efficient, as well as adding a specialized climate-control system for the library’s special collections, for a total of $600,000.
Bridge Street and Leeds elementary schools are likely getting roof replacements for a total of nearly $1.5 million. That money, he said, comes with a $1.59 million-dollar matching Massachusetts School Building Association grant that will cover more than half of the project. And Ryan Road School is slated for a much-anticipated gym floor replacement for $75,000.
As for the DPW fleet, new director Donna LaScaleia has been taking inventory since her hiring and is drafting a plan to regularly replace the department’s vehicles when they reach a certain age and mileage.
“This reflects what she is projecting they’ll need,” Narkewicz said of the proposed $755,000 in vehicle replacements.
The plan also includes $1.4 million to replace the city’s water lines, $400,000 to replace the city’s sewer lines, $500,000 in storm line replacement and $1.6 million to fix drainage issues in the city’s reservoirs.
The full plan is available on the city website.
Narkewicz said his office has been working on the plan since September, when city departments submitted spending requests. With the help of Finance Director Susan Wright and an ad hoc advisory committee, he prioritized the requests and included those most pressing and feasible in the plan.
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.