Newbury Capital Planning Committee defers software upgrade, flags multiple building conflicts

Capital Planning · Meeting of February 25, 2026

Newbury's Capital Planning Committee deferred a $30,000 financial software replacement and shelved two Fire Department IT projects pending a building decision at 3 Morgan Avenue. Meeting February 25, the committee heard from IT staff member Jonathan, who said the town's SoftWrite ERP system, in use since at least 2013, faces a cybersecurity end-of-life problem but that the $30,000 figure is a placeholder without firm vendor quotes; Jonathan agreed to return with pricing before the annual Town Meeting warrant is finalized. A $10,000 request to relocate public-access TV broadcasting equipment from a moisture-prone basement at 25 High Road to the Town Hall IT office was presented with a projected $11,000 annual savings by eliminating redundant internet connections.

The Council on Aging presented a site-selection report, described as saving the town between $30,000 and $50,000 in consulting fees, recommending a parcel next to the town library for a new COA building, with a feasibility study warrant article as the next step; the COA's current lease expires around May 2027. The committee scheduled a follow-up meeting for March 11, 2026, and intends to seek Select Board time to coordinate the town's overlapping building projects.

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Source: the Capital Planning meeting of February 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.