Selectmen Launch

2010-11 Budget Deliberations

By John Voket

Department heads attending the first night of selectmen’s budget deliberations, and any member of the public on hand, knew going in exactly which direction officials planned to take through the proceedings. A pile of draft budget summary forms were piled by the door for the taking — and the bottom line on page 15 reflected an apparent preliminary goal to reduce this year’s spending plan nearly $3.3 million below last year’s final amended budget.

This move to further cut spending below last year’s reductions, which eventually yielded a 0.9 percent increase in the approved plan, also heralded a new process for the Board of Selectmen to process the 64 separate line items.

Following a brief public comment period that was led by several enthusiastic supporters for a Newtown skateboard park, selectmen dug into budget details for the police, fire, Parks & Recreation, and technology departments.

On Thursday, after The Bee went to press, the building department, highway, winter maintenance, the landfill, and public building maintenance were scheduled for detail review.

Both nights, the balance of budget line items were scheduled for just necessary and brief reviews before voting. Interviews and proposed cuts to all these other department and agency requests already occurred between the town finance authority and various department heads and agency representatives.

During the police department presentation, Chief Michael Kehoe, Captain Joseph Rios, and Police Commission Chairman Duane Giannini explained that the bulk of their requested $241,933 increase represented contractual and large equipment costs — basically wage and benefit increases, and vehicle replacements.

Chief Kehoe said based on the department being at full compliment from a staffing level, and the need to replace vehicles that were beginning to approach recommended retirement mileage, any cuts selectmen might make beyond those already proposed “would effect public safety directly.”

Under questioning from Selectman Will Rodgers about how much revenue the department might be affecting through the enforcement of local ordinances, Chief Kehoe approximated his department has generated $4,000–$5,000 annually by enforcing local ordinances tied to noise, underage drinking, parking, hawking, and fire zone violations.

Task Force Commitment

First Selectman Pat Llodra asked the panel to expand on the placement of one full-time officer onto a statewide narcotics task force. All three police officials defended the program enthusiastically, saying the shared intelligence, investigations, and personnel resources available to the town because of the partnership were invaluable in affecting drug-related arrests locally.

Commissioner Giannini likened the relationship to having the full resources of the entire state drug enforcement task force at Newtown’s disposal when the occasion or investigation called for it. And Chief Kehoe reminded the selectmen that the state reimbursed Newtown for part of the cost of contributing that officer.

On the subject of the department’s vehicle replacement program, selectmen reiterated a perennial concern about the cost, and came to the table already cutting $60,000 from the police capital line, which was earmarked for vehicles. Again, Commissioner Giannini defended the program, explaining that the department can get along for a few years stretching the vehicle mileage on some cruisers. But, he said eventually those incremental reductions will domino into a budget year when the emergency replacement of as many as four to six cruisers will be required.

Chief Kehoe added that he is already, in effect, stretching some high mileage patrol cars by retaining them exclusively for private duty placement, where they basically sit beside construction or road work zones, and are not expected to be used for frequent or emergency responses.

In response to a question from the first selectman about the rumor that other departments use cruisers full-time well beyond recommended retirement, Chief Kehoe replied that in fact, Bridgeport attempted to push the envelope on recommended retirement mileage for its police fleet. That resulted in so many vehicles going out of service at one time, that the city was forced to float a $1 million bond to replace a substantial part of the fleet.

Adventure Center Reduction

In a review of the Children’s Adventure Center, the town’s state-affiliated child care facility, Mrs Llodra explained that the agency would receive a $5,000 cut from the town’s previous $30,000 subsidy, and employees would be expected to contribute three percent more to cover their health care benefit.

The first selectman also noted that the town still provides the Children’s Adventure Center $135,000 additional in-kind support by covering all utility expenses, maintenance, and rent.

Under questioning from Mr Rodgers, center director Mae Schmidle said today’s population of 65 students and children are all from Newtown, and that depending on either the center’s sliding scale or the state mandated charge, parents are paying between $5 and $75 per week for child care there. Thirty-five of the current students are partially or fully state subsidized, and most also receive breakfast and or hot lunch subsidies as well.

Mrs Llodra had already telegraphed previously that she would be supporting an added staff position to the town technology department. During discussions, the first selectman admitted that the town had cut a position in 2009 with the intent to fill it midyear, but then took the payroll savings without completing the hire.

As a result, technology director Scott Sharlow said he was relegated to “putting out fires,” and was forced to back off on special maintenance and projects his department had scheduled to save the town the expense of outsourcing.