Capital bill preview: bonding plan, fish hatchery study and early plans for new women's facility

An unidentified capital-bill presenter briefed members on the capital bill during the March 27 caucus, describing the bill's structure, bonding limits and major project categories.

The presenter said the capital bill is primarily a two-year bonded program and described three spreadsheet columns (light blue, grey and burgundy) used to show current allocations, prior two-year budgets and proposed changes. She said the committee's bonded authorization is constrained by statute and that the current bonded amount before members was approximately $130,600,000; the presenter also explained that some projects are funded with cash (general fund) in addition to bonds and that moving projects between cash and bonds freed up roughly $5,000,000 for the general-fund appropriations committee.

Key project areas cited included courthouse and state office work, correctional facilities, state police barracks, Agency of Natural Resources projects (drinking water and wastewater), and municipal matching for federal IIJA funds.

On the Salisbury fish hatchery, the presenter said the capital bill includes language and $100,000 for a feasibility study to determine what renovations would be needed to meet permit requirements after the permit expires on Dec. 31, 2027. She emphasized the study would not fund construction or mitigation but would identify needed renovations and whether the current facility could comply.

On corrections, the presenter said the committee is actively planning replacement of the women's correctional facility. She said the Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS) and the Department of Corrections need land (about 25 acres) to begin preliminary design work; the bill includes about $15,000,000 set aside for the project, and the presenter estimated total project costs in the range of $70,000,000 to $90,000,000. If land is identified this summer or fall and design work proceeds, the presenter said the new facility would likely be 5 to 7 years away from being operational.

Members asked whether the hatchery study would include pollution mitigation or cover construction; the presenter reiterated the study is limited to planning and feasibility, not funding construction.

The presenter encouraged members to consult the burgundy spreadsheet column for specific project changes and to contact corrections and institutions committee members for details.