By Amanda Estes

Staff Writer

With a limited amount of surplus funds available this year, South
Portland Acting City Manager Jim Gailey said the 2008 fiscal year
capital improvement plan (CIP) does not include funding for all
projects, but it does move the city forward in a positive way.

Gailey presented the plan that calls for $5.7 million in funding for
projects in 2008 during Monday’s workshop. Although Kay Loring, Ralph
Baxter, Mayor Claude Morgan and Maxine Beecher were the only town
officials present, Gailey planned to schedule a meeting with Councilors
Jim Hughes, Jim Soule and Linda Boudreau in order to move the CIP
forward for passage at the council's July 16 meeting.

The CIP reflects a request by the city’s Financial Director Rob Coombs
to boost the undesignated fund balance and build up reserves, Gailey
said. The city is seeing $300,000 surpluses at the end of the year
rather than $1 million or $2 million, he said.

Funding for the 2008 projects comes from a combination of the current
year surplus of $398,651; $257,804 from general fund reserves; $160,000
from sewer user fund reserves; $2.4 million from grant funds; $2.2
million from tax increment financing districts (TIF) and $245, 185 from
prior-years’ CIP balances.

Gailey said he went back into previous years’ CIP budgets, dating back
to 1997, to acquire funds from projects that either came in under
budget or were never completed.

Morgan applauded Gailey’s efforts at finding surplus funds.

“It’s nothing short of tapping water out of a stone,” he said.

Among the projects funded by the TIF reserves, more specifically the
National Semiconductor TIF, which had a beginning balance of $3.2
million, is the replacement of a treatment plant outfall diffuser for
$1.5 million. The pipe that currently discharges water into the Fore
River was constructed in 1978 and Gailey said replacing it with a
multi-port diffuser will increase the dilution ratio of the discharged
water.

Beecher said she would like the city to “really utilize” TIF money and
questioned why Gailey didn’t use more of the available funds. Gailey
said TIF funds come with a limit as to what projects they can fund.

Also included in next year’s CIP is $25,000 for phase two of Willard
School park improvements. Gailey said the new playground located
between Cottage Road, Pillsbury Street and Davis Street has become a
popular attraction with local families and there are more improvements
to come this summer. Phase two of the project addresses the lower end
of the park, closer to Cottage Road, and includes the addition of
benches, trash receptacles and plantings.

Funding for improvements to Willard Square are also included in next
year’s CIP. The allocated $38,000 will go toward phase one B of the
project, which includes curb work, sidewalk replacement, two
streetlights and landscaping.

In the Mill Creek area, $520,000 will be allotted for traffic signal
and pedestrian safety improvements. Of that $520,000; $478,560 will be
funded through a grant from the Maine Department of Transportation.

The traffic signal work will be aimed at improving traffic flow on
Broadway by allowing the signals at each intersection to communicate
with each other rather than running on a timer. Gailey said it would
replicate the system that is currently in place at the Maine Mall.

Improving pedestrian safety on Broadway would also be another goal,
particularly where motorists make a right hand turn off of the Casco
Bay Bridge.

The installation of thermoplastic crosswalks, which Police Chief Edward
Googins said can be seen in Falmouth, is one recommendation for the
project. Googins said the crosswalks, which are sealed to the pavement,
are very bright and more durable than painted crosswalks.

Gailey also allocated $200,000 for next year’s street paving program.
During budget deliberations earlier this year, Gailey pledged to build
up the paving reserves. Next year, the plan is to have at least
$400,000 for summer paving work.

Also included in the CIP is $1 million for dispatch console and
equipment upgrades. The majority of the upgrades to computer technology
and equipment such as cameras on fire and pilot boats will be funded by
a Port Security Grant for $949,000.

The grant was captured by public safety officials from South Portland
and Portland to assist with their efforts to move forward with the
consolidation of the two cities’ emergency dispatch services.

As a condition of the grant, South Portland must raise a match of $105,000.