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Section 1:
The Board of Selectmen shall establish and appoint a committee to be known as the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, composed of one member or representative each from the board of Selectmen, the Finance Committee, the planning Board, the Board of Assessors. The Town Treasurer and the Town Accountant shall be ex-officio members. The Board of Selectmen shall also appoint two at-large members to the committee, to increase the total voting members to seven. The Committee shall choose its own officers, determine the length of terms and procedure for filling vacancies.

Section 2:
The Committee shall study proposed capital outlays, projects, and improvements involving major non-recurring tangible assets and projects which; 1) are purchased or undertaken at intervals of not less than five years; 2) have a useful life of at least five years; 3) cost over $25,000. All officers, boards and committees, including the selectmen and the School Committee shall, by a date to be set by the Committee, each year give to the Committee on forms prepared by it, information concerning all anticipated project requiring Town Meeting action during the ensuing six years. The committee shall consider the relative need, impact, timing and cost of these expenditures and the effect each will have on the financial position of the Town. No appropriation shall be voted for the capital improvement requested by a department, board, or commission unless the proposed capital improvement is considered in the Committee’s report, or the Committee shall first have submitted a report to the Board of Selectmen explaining the omission.

Section 3:
The committee shall prepare an annual report recommending a Capital Improvement Budget for the next fiscal year and a Capital Improvement Program including recommended capital improvements for the following five years. The report shall be submitted to the Board of Selectmen for its consideration and approval. The Board of selectmen shall submit the approved Capital Budget to the Annual Town Meeting for adoption by the town.

Section 4:
Such Capital Improvement Program, after adoption, shall permit the expenditure on projects included therein of sums from departmental budgets for surveys, architectural or engineering advice, options or appraisals; but no such expenditure shall be incurred on projects which have not been approved by the town through the appropriation of sums in the current year or in prior years, or for preliminary planning for projects to be undertaken more than five years in the future.

Section 5:
The Committee’s report and the Selectmen’s recommended Capital Budget shall be published and made available in a manner consistent with the distribution of the Finance Committee’s report. The Committee shall deposit its original report with the Town Clerk.

Section 6:
The Committee may amend, add to, or delete from any Capital Budget recommendation previously adopted by the Town, if it finds reasonable cause why such information was not submitted for consideration at the Annual Town Meeting, and must be acted upon before the next Annual Town Meeting. Any such amendment, addition or deletion must be submitted to the Board of Selectmen for its consideration and approval and reported to the next Special Town Meeting for adoption.