Harwich Town Administrator Tony Schiavi is recalibrating the town’s long-term financial roadmap, signaling a shift toward more granular reporting and a presentation timeline that pushes past traditional deadlines. During a Wednesday meeting of the Capital Outlay Committee, Schiavi outlined a strategy to present the FY27-FY31 Five-Year Capital Plan to the Select Board on January 5, acknowledging that while the Town Charter specifies a December delivery, the delay is necessary to ensure the document is fully baked and accurate for the new administration.

The revised plan introduces a $50,000 minimum threshold for capital items, a move Schiavi said is designed to strictly adhere to the definition of capital expenditures. This shift has already resulted in the removal of smaller requests and the reorganization of Department of Public Works (DPW) filings. Rather than approving a lump sum for vehicle replacements, the town will now identify specific machinery and vehicles. Schiavi also moved dredging expenses from the operating budget into the capital plan, describing it as essential infrastructure maintenance. Committee member Michele Gallucci questioned this reclassification, noting, I look at dredging and I think, well, I do see it as an operating expense. Schiavi countered that dredging doesn't depreciate, comparing it instead to the ongoing maintenance required for the town’s road network.

Funding strategies for the upcoming cycle remain in flux as the town awaits Free Cash certification, which Schiavi warned may be lower than in previous years. To mitigate the impact on taxpayers, the administration is considering shifting $700,000 in road maintenance costs from Free Cash to excluded debt. This is part of a broader effort to build a graphical debt schedule that visualizes when old borrowings drop off, allowing the town to smooth out the impact of new projects. Paul Doane raised concerns about the town's total indebtedness and the committee's obligation to the current Charter requirements, asking, Is there anything we have to do? I'm fully supportive, it's just a matter of our obligation to follow the Charter until we have a revision.

Schiavi, who meets weekly with the finance team to manage the town’s AAA-rated fiscal profile, emphasized that capital requests should be driven by departmental needs, though the timing of those projects can be adjusted based on the debt schedule. We are building out a clearer presentation of the debt schedule... so we have a better idea of spreading out various borrowings, Schiavi explained. This professionalization of the capital process aligns with the Charter Commission’s ongoing work to refine Section 9 of the town’s governing document, though the committee opted to table specific charter revision discussions until Chair Martha Donovan could attend. Acting Chair Anne Tucker noted that Donovan has most of our changes and revisions and had requested the delay.

The committee also handled minor administrative business, including the correction of the meeting record. Motion Made by P. Doane to approve the minutes of September 17 with the spelling correction for Michele Gallucci. Motion Passed 4-0-0.

Looking ahead, the committee established an intensive schedule for November to interview department heads regarding their specific capital requests. Schiavi plans to group smaller departments together while scheduling major entities like the DPW, Police, and Fire departments for individual sessions. Meetings are set for November 5, 12, and 19, and will continue into December to finalize the plan for the January debut. My suggestion would be that we would start department head meetings the first Wednesday in November, Schiavi told the committee, allowing time to incorporate data from the Monomoy Regional School District into the final forecast.