February 26, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
The select board, school committee, and advisory board met in joint session with the capital outlay committee this week to consider its $29.1 million-worth of recommendations for fiscal 2026 as part of the town’s five-year capital plan.
These include: $3 million for Weir River Water System improvements; $14.6 million for a major repair/replacement of the Hingham High School roof; $1.9 million to construct pickleball courts near Cronin Field (requested by the recreation department); $630,000 as part of the cost to replace the HHS synthetic turf field; and $750,000 to demolish the South Shore Country Club pool and $657,887 for golf course equipment.
All of the above recommendations are related to warrant articles for the April 28 Town Meeting.
Other recommendations include five new police vehicles and a DPW plow and sander.
The COC ranks each project either 1, 2, or 3, with 1 being the highest need. Departmental priorities are taken into account. The COC’s goal is to fund as many “1s” as possible. Anything not funded in fiscal 2026 gets deferred to the next fiscal year.
Requested funding sources include borrowing ($14.6 million); Community Preservation Act funds; grants; the SSCC enterprise fund; unassigned fund balance (reserve fund); the Weir River Watershed enterprise fund; and other funding sources.
Looking ahead, the COC shared proposed significant future capital projects, including:
- $30 million in fiscal 2027 for construction of a new Center for Active Living facility;
- $30 to $40 million for Hingham Harbor wharf resiliency improvements;
- $5 million and $4 million-plus for new roofs for Plymouth River School and South Elementary, respectively, in fiscal 2027;
- $16 million for fiscal 2027-2030 school mechanical system repairs;
- a South Fire Station solution;
- $10 million in fiscal 2029 to dredge the harbor;
- $4 million for school boilers;
- solar projects;
- library chiller and parking lot improvements, $2 million-plus;
Central Fire Station HVAC system, $1 to $2 million; and athletic field and ADA-accessibility improvements.
Town Meeting has the final say on all warrant articles, including the one related to the municipal, school, and capital budgets.
Driving the streets of Hingham shows there is a growing need for extensive road repair. Based on past warrants there seems to be a lack of funding for resurfacing throughout the town, e.g., Beal Street, Cushing Street, all streets leading to the town landfill area, etc.
Of course, this requires asphalt, which is probably on the climate change don’t do list, but if not done could push us back to the horse and buggy era.
I understand that the Department of Publics Works has a rotation schedule to resurface all the public roadways in Hingham. And I have noticed that there appears to be an increase of traffic over the past 10 years. The DPW can only do so much with the budget they have been assigned. The best way to get road repair is to vote to give them a larger budget.
I understand that the Department of Publics Works has a rotation schedule to resurface all the public roadways in Hingham. And I have noticed that there appears to be an increase of traffic over the past 10 years. The DPW can only do so much with the budget they have been assigned. The best way to get road repair is to vote to give them a larger budget.