The newly reconstituted Capital Planning Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend two major infrastructure projects to Town Meeting, setting the stage for a May 5 vote on $14.4 million in proposed debt exclusion overrides.
The 8-0 votes support Article 33, which requests $5.75 million for renovations to the Mary Alley Municipal Building, and Article 34, seeking $8.61 million to replace the roof and HVAC systems at Marblehead High School.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer, who chaired the meeting, explained that both projects address critical infrastructure needs in buildings suffering from aging, failing systems.
“The bottom line is, even if (Town Meeting approves) both projects, it would be a net reduction on the tax bills,” Kezer said, noting that the town’s 25-year high school construction debt is coming off the tax rolls in fiscal 2026.
According to financial projections presented at the meeting, the combined annual tax payments for both projects would be approximately $117 per year for median-valued homes over the next 15-20 years, significantly less than the $253 homeowners have been paying for the expiring high school debt.
The Mary Alley project focuses on replacing the municipal building’s 70-year-old heating system and antiquated cooling units. Building Commissioner Stephen Cummings described deteriorating conditions throughout the structure.
“The heating system has had upkeep, but the whole heating system is about 70 years old in its entirety,” Cummings said. “There isn’t a single (cooling) unit that works properly anymore.”
The project would replace the existing system with a Variable Refrigerant Flow system that eliminates fossil fuels and improves energy efficiency.
Logan Casey, the town’s sustainability coordinator, highlighted environmental benefits of the proposed upgrade.
“From the beginning we did make sure that this net zero objective, carbon free goal was looked at as part of what Town Meeting adopted in 2018,” Casey said. “Given that this is a whole gut of the building, we’re putting in a brand new system, this is a great opportunity to consider fossil fuel free alternatives.”
A Mary Alley Building feasibility study estimated the new system would reduce energy usage by 30 to 40 percent compared to the current fossil fuel system and noted that state grants and rebates could offset portions of the cost.
The high school project would address failing roof-mounted HVAC units that use refrigerant no longer available. Michael Pfifferling, assistant superintendent of finance and operations for Marblehead Public Schools, described units held together “with bubble gum and band-aids and duct tape.”
“The idea was to redesign the entire rooftop system,” Pfifferling said. “It made absolutely no sense, financially or mechanically, to replace the roof material without doing the HVAC equipment at the same time.”
An alternative, potentially cheaper solution using fluid-applied roofing material emerged recently and is being tested, but school officials recommended proceeding with the full funding request. If the cheaper approach proves viable, Pfifferling said the town simply wouldn’t borrow the full authorized amount.
During deliberations, Capital Planning Committee member David Harris raised concerns about making major project recommendations without more comprehensive facility planning but ultimately supported both proposals.
“Having worked with Amy (McHugh, DPW commissioner) and her department, they’re probably one of the best examples in town that has a capital plan, and they have five and 10-year outlines on what they want to accomplish,” Harris said. “I hope that will become one of the outputs of this committee when it comes to facilities.”
The projects now head to Town Meeting on May 5, where they require two-thirds majority approval. If passed, the Select Board must vote to place the debt exclusions on the June ballot, where they would need simple majority approval.
The committee meeting marked the first gathering of the reconstituted capital planning group, which includes three at-large residents and town department heads with significant roles in capital projects.
“Now that we got this committee officially up and running, we will be a lot more time efficient going forward on projects,” Kezer said.
Committee members expressed hope that the group would develop long-range plans for town buildings similar to what the school department has accomplished by cycling through school building improvements.
