Stamford Planning Board Capital Budget Meeting - October 7, 2026

This was the first in a series of capital budget presentations for the FY 2027-28 budget cycle. The board reviewed requests from public safety, emergency communications, fire, and municipal departments. The total bond cap available is approximately $33 million, constrained by prior commitments to school construction. The meeting was originally noticed for October 6, 2026 (as per the agenda and transcript) but the instruction for this summary specifies October 7, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of September 22, 2026 Planning Board Minutes: Moved by Ravi, seconded, and passed unanimously.

Discussion Items

Police Department – Captain Scott Duckworth

• Police Range Infrastructure Improvements: Request to extend steel plating and replace outdated range electronics. Previously approved $800,000–$825,000, with $425,000 spent. The current request amount was not explicitly stated; board member Jeremy suggested exploring operational funds to reduce the ask.
• Specialty Police Vehicles – Command Truck: Joint PD/fire command vehicle, total cost $875,000–$900,000. The city already holds $400,000 from prior appropriations; an additional $450,000 is requested to replace a 20-year-old vehicle. Costs have escalated ~10% per year. Duckworth noted the vehicle is critical for major incidents and events. Board members recommended providing cost comparisons of ongoing repairs and noting the 20-month delivery delay is not expected.

Office of Public Safety, Health & Welfare – Director Louis DeRubeis

• Blue Light Emergency Call Box Program: Request of $350,000 for 8 new locations (Schofield Park, Mill River Park, Bakutse Park, Cummings Park, West Beach, Chestnut Hill Park, Leone Park). Current system handles over 120 calls/year (60% medical, 40% law enforcement). DeRubeis emphasized these are needed in areas without cell service. Board discussed phasing and master planning.
• Public Safety Equipment (Citywide): $425,000 total for five sub-items:
  1. Citywide camera program for sensitive locations and coastline ($125,000).
  2. Drone as First Responder (DFR) expansion ($95,000) – 800+ deployments in first year, pilot funded previously.
  3. Generator for public safety facilities (no separately listed amount).
  4. Medical trauma kits and fire hose/ladder replacement. DeRubeis prioritized life safety items (kits, hoses) as top. The account is ongoing; current balance $430,000 expected to drop to ~$20,000 by January.
• Public Safety Vehicle Replacement: Request $1.88 million to replace 20 police vehicles, 3 fire marshal vehicles, 2 motorcycles (at $40,000 each), and a fuel truck for the fire department. Current fund balance $750,000 will buy 7–8 cars. Board noted the police fleet rotation goal is 20 vehicles/year, but only 10–12 have been funded recently.
• Public Safety Complex: Not submitted this year; mayor directed resubmission at a later date.

Emergency Communications Center – Director Brian Faughan

• Citywide Radio Replacement and Upgrade (Phase 2): Request $2 million to outfit police mobile radios with TDMA capability, replace fire department repeaters, and license all radios for state interoperability and AES encryption. Motorola’s end-of-life is 2032; total project cost estimated at $12–$20 million. Phase 1 (portable radios) and fire mobiles already done. Board encouraged phasing and providing cost escalation details (repeater costs up 30% in 7 months).
• Network Communications Equipment (Modems): Replace LTE modems with 5G units for police/fire vehicles to improve GPS tracking (AVL). No specific request amount; Faughan indicated cost ~$1,500–$1,800 per unit. Board asked for phasing options.
• Generator Replacement for 911 Center: Replace two aging generators with one 200 kW generator to ensure 96-hour continuous power. No specific dollar amount given; Faughan noted a single bid will be required. The generators failed during a test, causing temperature spikes threatening servers.

Stamford Fire Department – Chief Robert Morris

• Firefighter Gear (Annual): $243,000 for 54 sets (mandated by collective bargaining). Current funds are being expended.
• Hydrant Replacement: $250,000. Hydrant costs have nearly tripled (from ~$2,000 to ~$6,000 each). Prior bulk purchase used up; ongoing replacement program.
• Air Cylinder Replacement: $60,000 for 30 cylinders (15-year lifespan replacement cycle).
• Fire Apparatus – Tanker: New 1,500-gallon tanker to replace a 40-year-old 500-gallon unit. Request amount not specified; last year’s plan involved a $400,000 private contribution from Turn of River, but this year the city would own the asset. Chair suggested it may approach a mandated safety replacement.
• Lean-to Structure: $100,000 for a 40’x40’ cover over shipping containers to protect apparatus from weather. Price has not increased. Board asked about width vs. depth and confirmed design.

Office of Administration – Director Anthony Romano (new to role)

• Acquisition and Disposition of Property: $50,000 as cap non-recurrent funds for appraisals, surveys, title searches (e.g., for municipal waterfront access identification). Board member Ravi questioned whether this could be covered by operating budget; Romano explained it is funded from operating surplus. No current projects.

Town Clerk – David Hoak

• Land Records Backfile Conversion (Year 3): $99,715 to digitize 269,500 pages (769 volumes) at $0.37/page. This multi-year project now covers back to 1983. Year 1 (to 1992) is underway; Year 2 (to 1987) will be funded through restricted revenue. One more annual request will reach 1976. Benefits include preservation, public access, and revenue generation.

Other Items

• Office of Administration – Technology (Prasant Tangirala): Not present; presentation postponed to a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on any capital budget requests; this session was solely presentations and discussion.
• Board members consistently asked for phasing options, cost escalation evidence, and comparisons of ongoing maintenance costs to support funding decisions.
• The public safety complex request was withdrawn per mayoral directive.
• The Chief Information Officer’s presentation was postponed.
• The board will continue capital budget hearings on October 13 and October 27, 2026.