Capital committee approves $75,000 emergency van after Facilities’ vehicle declared out of service

The Capital Improvement and Planning Committee voted unanimously on March 9 to add a $75,000 replacement van to the Town of Southborough’s FY27 capital plan after the Facilities director said the department’s van was taken out of service.

Chair Jason moved to accept the facilities director’s request to add the van to the FY27 capital budget; a committee member seconded the motion and the roll call vote was unanimous. Chair Jason called the vote, recording three ayes.

The facilities director, John Parent, told the committee the current van is "out of service" and the department has been "forced to go rent a van," which he said is inefficient because the van serves as the department’s "mobile shop" carrying tools and supplies from job to job. "It's kinda like throwing good money after bad," Parent said, describing continued rental costs and limited workspace in temporary vehicles.

Parent said the department does not plan to substitute a truck; the $75,000 request covers a van configured as a mobile shop so crews can transport equipment and complete routine maintenance work. The chair said the committee recognizes the request as an emergency and moved it forward to the FY27 capital plan with the condition that adding the van should not automatically displace other capital items already recommended; if conflicts arise, the committee will reorganize priorities.

Committee members and select-board representatives also discussed overall capital pressures, noting long lead times for DPW vehicles and other equipment. Members said deferring capital this year may push projects out multiple years because of ordering and delivery schedules.

The committee took the action immediately after hearing Parent’s explanation and approved adding the request to the warrant as an emergency capital item; final appropriation still depends on subsequent select board recommendation and town meeting vote.

Next steps: the committee will record its recommendation for the warrant and coordinate with the select board and advisory committee as the borrowing and capital articles are finalized ahead of town meeting.