LEWISTON — The city would replace an aging Fire Department pumper truck, build a facility to wash city vehicle undercarriages and replace Lisbon Street lamps with LED bulbs, according to a capital projects plan presented to councilors Tuesday.
City Administrator Ed Barrett and Finance Director Heather Hunter outlined a plan that called for $14.9 million in capital spending in the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Next, councilors will decide which programs they want.
“The capital plan is a fairly consistent document from year to year,” Barrett said. “A lot of what you will see in it are repeating items having to do with streets, equipment and things like that.”
Work on the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan is typically one of the first parts of its annual budget discussion. Councilors agree to put projects and equipment purchases in the plan, then vote later on whether to fund those purchases.
Purchases councilors will consider this year include replacing the Fire Department’s 1988 pumper truck, Engine No. 6, for $575,000.
The city tried to build a large-vehicle-washing facility last year, and that project would be on the 2014-15 list at a cost of $450,000.
“This would be a scaled-down version from what was talked about early, but we do need to consider some kind of equipment to wash our vehicles and buses,” Barrett said, because of corrosion problems.
He said the city could also consider retrofitting Lisbon Street’s streetlights with LED bulbs, at a cost of $240,000 in the 2014-15 fiscal year.
“I have heard from almost everyone about burned-out streetlights on Lisbon and Canal streets,” Barrett said. “It’s extremely time-demanding to keep those systems going, so we tend to wait until there’s enough burnout that it’s enough to send somebody down there.”
The LED lights would have a 20-year life expectancy, compared to two years for the current lights.
“Could you imagine going 20 years without having a light burn out on Lisbon Street?” Barrett said.
The city would also continue to demolish vacant buildings, at a cost of $400,000; to promote redevelopment in the Riverfront Island area for $500,000; to fund street maintenance for $877,000; and to continue rehabilitation projects for $575,000
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