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The Windsor Planning Commission voted 6-0 on March 26 to recommend the proposed Windsor Fiscal Year 2026-30 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to the Windsor Town Council for approval.

The tally of votes did not reach seven because Commissioner LaTara Harris was not present for the commission’s March 26 meeting.

The FY 2026-30 CIP, as presented by Windsor Town Manager William Saunders during the meeting, featured a five-year total of $1,428,345 for projects related to the town’s General Fund and a five-year total of $1,530,000 for projects related to the town’s Water Fund.

Saunders opened his presentation of the CIP at the Planning Commission meeting by saying, “As you’re aware, the Planning Commission typically reviews the annual update to the town’s Capital Improvement Plan and makes a recommendation to the Town Council in that regard. The purpose of the CIP is to allow a locality to examine its current resources and to determine what future projects may be needed to provide for its citizens. 

“The CIP covers a five-year period, with the first year adopted as part of the upcoming annual budget for the town,” Saunders continued. “Funding shown in subsequent years is not immediately committed, but instead, gives an idea of the funding levels needed in the future. This draft CIP covers the period from 2026 through 2030 and includes the town’s General Fund and Water Fund separately.”

Under the category of the General Fund, the FY 2026-30 CIP includes a $544,545 allocation for FY 2026, with $226,200 of that total coming from the FY26 General Fund and the other $318,345 coming from FY26 Fund Balance.

Under the category of the Water Fund, the FY 2026-30 CIP includes a $485,000 allocation for FY 2026, with $10,000 of that total coming from the FY26 Water Fund and the other $475,000 coming from FY26 Fund Balance.

Following is information from the General Fund portion of Saunders’ FY 2026-30 CIP presentation:

General Operations

• Future Development & Space Needs: $100,000 is allocated for each year, from FY26-30.
• Caboose Restoration: $35,000 is allocated for FY26 and another $35,000 for FY27.
• IT Upgrades: $5,000 is allocated for each year, FY26-30.

Planning

• GIS System Improvements: $5,000 is allocated for FY26.
• Comprehensive Plan Update: $35,000 is allocated for FY26.

Police
• Outfitted Police Vehicle: $65,000 is allocated for each year, from FY26-30.

• Panasonic Toughbook Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) (5): $7,500 is allocated for FY26 and $15,000 for FY30.
• Police Technology – Taser Replacement: $8,550 is allocated for each year, from FY26-30.
• Body Worn Camera Replacement: $8,150 is allocated for each year, from FY26-30.

Public Works

• Street Lighting Extension in New Areas: $2,000 is allocated for FY26 and another $2,000 for FY28.
• Utility Task Vehicle (UTV): $30,000 is allocated for FY26.
• Stormwater Projects: $243,345 is allocated for FY26.

Cemetery

• Construction of Cemetery Parking Lot: $35,000 is allocated for FY29.

For FY 2026, the amount of money coming out of FY26 Fund Balance includes $243,345 for stormwater projects, $35,000 for caboose restoration, $35,000 for Comprehensive Plan update and $5,000 for GIS system improvements.

Saunders noted six differences between the General Fund portion of the adopted FY 2025-29 CIP and the General Fund portion of the draft FY 2026-30 CIP that he was presenting.

• A police vehicle is included.

“Last year there was no police vehicle included,” Saunders said.

• Police Panasonic Toughbook MDT replacements

“That’s for five MDTs, which are the mobile laptops that the officers have in their cars,” Saunders said.

• Police body worn camera five-year installments are initiated for replacements. 

“We just paid, I want to say the year before last, the last of a five-year installment,” Saunders said. “We had one year without a payment, and now we’re going back in with the new one.”

• Police taser replacement in five-year installments are initiated for replacements.

“We just finished paying off a five-year run with those, and we’re starting up another one on that,” Saunders said.

• Public Works replacement of the UTV

“The Polaris utility vehicle that they have is getting some age to it, it’s starting to require more repairs,” Saunders said.

• Caboose restoration

“Town Council, as you may be aware, is having a 1927 model Norfolk & Western caboose donated to it,” Saunders said.

It had been located in Suffolk, but the town had it moved to Repair Tech Industrial Contractors’ facility in Franklin for exterior renovations.

The Windsor Town Council had previously reached a consensus to pursue acquisition of the caboose with the hope of ultimately putting it on display in Windsor as a tribute to the locality’s history as a train town.

Saunders noted that the total amount of funds that will be required to complete exterior and interior renovations of the caboose represents unknown costs at the moment, but he indicated that the two installments of $35,000 in the CIP can serve as a placeholder, if nothing else, to get things started.

Following is information from the Water Fund portion of Saunders’ FY 2026-30 CIP presentation:

• Water Meter Replacement: $10,000 is allocated for each year, from FY26-28, with $5,000 allocated for FY29 and another $5,000 for FY30.
• Water Main / Service Line Replacement: $10,000 is allocated for each year, from FY26-30.
• Install 3,000 linear feet of eight-inch water main and fire hydrants on Route 460 from the Burger King to the town limits: $400,000 is allocated for FY30.
• Upgrade four-inch water main on Holland Lane, install fire hydrants and relocate water meters: $150,000 is allocated for FY29.
• Upgrade and extend four-inch water mains on Taylor Avenue, install fire hydrants and relocate from under Farm Bureau building: $150,000 is allocated for FY28.
• Install eight-inch water main on Route 460 from new main to Watson Avenue, upgrade and extend water mains and install fire hydrants on Watson Avenue: $250,000 is allocated for FY27.
• Duke Street / Virginia Avenue Water Main Replacement Project: $215,000 is allocated for FY26.
• Relocate two-inch water main under Windsor Supply, extend eight-inch line from the rescue squad to B Avenue and install fire hydrants: $250,000 is allocated for FY26.
• Update water mapping and masterplanning: $25,000 is allocated for FY27.

For FY 2026, the amount of money coming out of FY26 Fund Balance includes the $250,000 for relocating two-inch water main under Windsor Supply, extending eight-inch line from the rescue squad to B Avenue and installing fire hydrants; the $215,000 for the Duke Street/Virginia Avenue Water Main Replacement Project; and the $10,000 for Water Main/Service Line Replacement.

Saunders noted that there were not many changes of note to the water CIP in the draft FY 2026-30 CIP.

“(We’re) basically continuing with projects that we’ve already undergone as well as the ongoing items, like water meter replacement, water line replacement,” he said. “We are working on the Duke Street and Virginia Avenue Water Main (Replacement) Project in hopes of finding alternative methods of completing that project. So that is still in the foreground, and we have not started the next big project yet because of unknowns still related to Duke Street and Virginia Avenue.”