The Duxbury Finance Committee met on Thursday to review the town’s Article 6 capital budget, a $6.6 million roadmap for infrastructure and equipment as the community prepares for the March Town Meeting. Alex Chin of the Fiscal Advisory Committee presented the recommendations, highlighting a significant $562,000 investment in town computer replacements. Betsy Sullivan opened the discussion noting, we continue with our work and tonight's menu is article six, the capital budget. Chin explained that the current IT fleet is aging out, with most units over six years old and unable to run modern operating systems. Ashley Maher asked for clarification on the school technology lease, questioning, are we still on the same talk or are we still on line one? Chin clarified that the town is purchasing Dell PCs while the schools will utilize an interest-free four-year lease for Apple products to better manage cash flow.

Public safety needs were a focal point, including the $1.2 million replacement of a fire engine and the purchase of two fully outfitted police Tahoes. Finance Director Mary MacKinnon explained the complexities of financing the fire engine given the multi-year lead time, stating, we’re not allowed to do that until there is an asset that is available for us to take title to, which means waiting for the chassis to be built. Kathleen Glynn raised concerns regarding maintenance for school facilities, noting, I was going to ask about the two other HVAC items because I know we're doing the big ticket one for the fire, but then the school district had districtwide 50k and then Chandler 60. The committee also discussed a $100,000 cost increase for the new fuel depot, which is slated for construction this summer to ensure 24/7 fuel access for emergency vehicles.

The conversation shifted to the town’s water infrastructure, specifically a $1.6 million request for continued PFAS design engineering. Al Hoban expressed concern about the prioritization of design over physical repairs, observing that the sewer upgrades and maintenance cost us a fortune when we had to keep pumping them. The committee debated whether the Water Enterprise Fund’s $2.7 million retained earnings should be used for the PFAS project or more aggressively for water main replacements on St. George and Depot Streets. Friend S. Weiler, Sr. requested a clear breakdown of the $2.2 million cemetery expansion project, saying, I just wanted to make sure I got in my head the sources of the approximately $2 million, which Mary MacKinnon confirmed would draw from several trust funds and the sale of lots and graves.

As the meeting concluded, the committee looked forward to future discussions on battery energy storage and the Alden School feasibility study. Charles J. Weilbrenner inquired about upcoming guest speakers, asking, how about is someone coming in to talk to about this battery energy issue? Town Manager René Read confirmed that while the Selectboard schedule is still being finalized, saying, we haven’t come up with a date yet since we talked this afternoon, several experts are queued for the committee's next meeting. Motion Made by Betsy Sullivan to approve Article 6 for the annual meeting March 28, 2026 as presented. Vote Passed 5-0.

The meeting was adjourned at 01:14:15