Whitman Capital Committee elects new chair, accepts member resignation at October meeting

WHITMAN — October 22, 2025 — Whitman Capital Planning Committee reorganizes and confronts a projected $2.7 million gap between capital requests and available funding for fiscal year 2027. The committee unanimously elected a new chair, identified as Steve, after the previous chair stepped down from the role while remaining a member, and unanimously accepted the resignation of longtime member Frank Linum, leaving one vacancy. With free cash projected at approximately $1 million and policy-required transfers to stabilization funds and retirement obligations consuming the bulk of that sum, the committee estimated only roughly $470,000 would be available for capital spending — against requests already totaling $3,242,000. The single largest pending item is a Whitman-Hanson Regional High School pavement project quoted at up to $998,000, with Whitman's enrollment-based share likely around $609,000. Facilities staff also flagged an emerging HVAC crisis: town hall's multi-zone systems use R-410A refrigerant being phased out nationally, potentially requiring a full simultaneous replacement of all three main units and associated piping at substantial but as-yet-unquoted cost. The committee's next meeting is set for Wednesday, November 12, at 5:30 p.m.