Selectmen Economize—

Highway Department Loses $1.3 Million In Budget Review

By Kendra Bobowick

Like the sound of a heavy blade striking the block, Selectman Paul Mangiafico’s message at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting Thursday, January 24, was clear. Simply, the town budget proposal of nearly $43 million was too high, prompting Mr Mangiafico to utter a phrase he often repeated throughout the night. “That’s not going to fly,” he said. By the end of the meeting the selectmen had agreed to shave $1.3 million from the Highway Department’s budget request alone.

Quickly setting the night’s trend for pulling dollars from departments’ spending proposals, Public Works Director Fred Hurley was first in line to face serious reductions. With a department budget of $7,554,763 — roughly $2 million higher than last year’s numbers, Mr Hurley sensed cuts coming. From his seat three rows back, he stood and said with humor, “I’ll move to the front and take the sting from there.” Roughly one half hour into discussions for possible cuts, he again looked for something brighter than the slash marks through his line items. Mr Hurley quipped, “You can’t do this job without a sense of humor.”

Before discussions began, however, Mr Mangiafico made his position evident on the overall $42.9 million town budget. “Before you get into the details, I want you to know where I am coming from,” he said. Reaching for the three-ring binder in front of him he tapped what he called, “the book,” and looked at Mr Hurley. “This book has a 16 percent increase for the town, and that’s not going to fly,” he began. Regarding the Highway Department, he said, “You have a huge increase…I’ll scrutinize this intensely. The numbers have to come down.”

Mr Mangiafico advised, “If you see an area where you can cut, say so now and spare the agony.” Concerned about the town’s debt service, Mr Mangiafico repeated advice from a friend. “When the debt service is up…the flexibility in the operating budget decreases.”

To Mr Hurley, he said, “It’s not about going after you, this is a $43 million budget and you’re $7 million of it.”

Nearly a third of the department’s request was a $2.5 million item for road repairs. Speaking from his experience as former first selectman for the last ten years, Selectman Herb Rosenthal spoke up. Years ago a road system study revealed a “very large” number for repair costs. “We determined to spend about $2 million a year on capital road items and about ten years ago we bit the bullet.” He explained that the money was budgeted, rather than borrowed. “So, we eventually upped the budget to $2 million [a year], but because of other pressing projects we weren’t able to maintain it,” he said. Cutting from that item during budget hearings was “an easy target,” Mr Rosenthal said. “It just means less miles of roads done each year.” Last year’s budget number for capital road improvements, for example, was $1.6 million.

Looking at this year’s proposed expenses, however, Mr Rosenthal’s tone of understanding changed to uncertainty. “I was startled to see it go to $2.5 million,” he said. Mr Hurley explained why that item and the overall budget appeared high. “We know some will be cut and we understand, but we wanted to make clear what we’re up against with funding road projects.”

Capital equipment requests also drew questions. Last year’s sum of $237,000 is up to a proposed $894,000 this year. The selectmen and Mr Hurley whittled the number down to roughly $350,000.

Conversation turned to a request for a gear-puller, which is a tool more essential than the selectmen at first realized. His crew is regularly borrowing a puller from another department, Mr Hurley said. Mr Mangiafico then asked, “Why can’t you keep doing what you’re doing?” Ready with a practical answer after explaining that his department “tries to buy one piece of equipment each year to help us function,” Mr Hurley explained the problems they encountered at times without the gear puller. “Sometimes we’re down a truck and if we can’t borrow [the tool] during the storm or on a holiday…” he let the implication hang that they would be down one truck for the duration of a snowstorm or until other departments were back at work. More than a once-a-year occurrence, Mr Hurley said problems could arise as much as a dozen times a year.

Further discussions about the roads and repairs, personnel and salary costs, and other estimates, the highway budget dropped from the $7.5 million to $6.2 million

 

In Other Departments

The Economic Development Commission asked for $35,000 and got it. Land Use’s numbers changed slightly, but its request for $565,812 earned three favorable votes from the selectmen. A reconfiguration in the last 12 months has seated George Benson as the department director, and Rob Sibley as the department’s deputy director. Of note was a capital cost of $5,000 for software. Mr Benson explained, “We’re trying to computerize [information] and get it all into one system,” he said, referring to maps, digital files, etc. “This is the beginning and we won’t do this all in one year,” he said. He also wants to modernize the permit process, he said. Computerized data is more efficient for the public, for one, and more convenient for his and other departments to use, he said.

“This increases productivity?” asked Mr Borst.

“Yes,” Mr Benson replied.

Another item — $14,000 for indexing — is intended for a part-time file clerk, Mr Benson said. Asking a final question, Mr Mangiafico wanted to know why travel costs were up. “More programs and a lot of travel,” Mr Benson noted.

Book lovers left the selectmen’s budget meeting after a brief compromise last Thursday. Representing the C.H. Booth Library board, Judge William Lavery gladly accepted the $70,000, rather than the proposed $84,000 increase from last year. With the library board asking for $1,022,000, the selectmen moved to reduce the library’s budget to approximately $1,007,000. Mr Mangiafico said, “It’s still a $70,000 increase — you should take it and run.”

Smiling, Judge Lavery answered, “I’ve learned in life to get a little you give a little.”

 Representing the group responsible for the Edmond Town Hall, Board of Managers Chairman Jay Gill laid out his department’s wish list. Asking for not only sufficient funds for daily operations, he also included items indicating capital repairs to the parking lot, for example, and had hoped to include funds that would be necessary to obtain matching grants for projects within the building.

Like other department heads, Mr Gill went before the selectmen understanding that his requests would likely be cut, but would at least gain the board’s attention. “I knew it was too much, but I put it in the budget to let them know,” he said. Last year’s budget of $165,000 had jumped with its wish list to a proposed $790,000. Swiftly, the selectmen dropped the number to $240,000. Operating costs alone, aside from grant funds or repair projects such as the driveway, have jumped. “Our biggest expenses are oil and electricity,” Mr Gill said. Oil bills for a month can be more than $7,000 during the winter. Benefactress Mary Hawley had donated the building and at the same time established a trust fund to support the building. The funds no longer support the facility, however. “We get less and less from the trustees,” Mr Gill noted. The past year has seen discussions around the managers’ table about possibly changing trustees in hopes of seeing a higher return from the fund.

Mr Gill’s bottom line is to sustain the Edmond Town Hall after municipal offices vacate their rooms for a new building at Fairfield Hills, and ultimately, “We’re trying to return the building to its original glory,” he said. Will the suggested $240,000 be enough to cover the year’s operating expenses? “One would hope,” Mr Gill said.

Last in line for budget talks was the Fairfield Hills Authority. Asking just $26,000 more than last year’s budget of $498,500, member John Reed answered questions regarding the proposed $525,000. “We spend most of our money on maintenance, landscaping, grass cutting, electricity, security from the management company,” he said. The past year has also required consultants and legal work accompanying progress toward leasing buildings to developers, he said. “We have used professionals,” stated Mr Reed. Security has also been a large part of maintaining the campus.

Despite trying to cut expenses, Mr Reed said, “We have had break-ins.” Picking up on the aura that some individuals attach to the former state psychiatric hospital, Mr Borst asked, “Looking for ghosts?” Mr Reed noted, “We’re worried about someone falling, being hurt.”

The selectmen opted to reduce the request by $10,000 overall, leaving the Fairfield Hills budget at $515,240, rather than $525,000.

 

Sink Or Swim?

Parks and Recreation Department representatives encountered some resistance from the selectmen Thursday.

Mr Mangiafico said plainly, “I see a dilemma with the numbers you submitted.”

Budget request of roughly $2.2 million over last year’s $1.9 million added up to slightly more than $2 million after cuts by the end of the meeting.

Ready with his reply, commission Chairman Ed Marks said, “We have a 16 percent increase. We want to show you where we’re coming from.” In Mr Mangiafico’s words, Mr Marks said, “We know it’s not going to fly,” mentioning they would need to single out what pieces of the budget are most critical. Regarding the 16 percent hike, Mr Marks continued, “We feel it’s important to make the representation; we’re not expecting 16 percent,” he said. “We’ll work with you to bring it down.” Mr Marks then reminded the selectmen, “Many things we’re asking for have been two or three years in the works.”

With his first question for the recreation department, Mr Mangiafico wanted to know why he saw a 12 percent increase in salaries. Ms Kasbarian had added a person to the staff. Despite the tensions raised over an additional staff member, the person remained in the recreation budget.

Eichler’s Cove is among the recreation areas that will benefit from additional staff. An addition to the department, for one, will facilitate the department’s intent to take over the privately managed and town-owned beach, marina, and park setting, and bolster overall recreation staff manpower. “For nine months out of the year we’re short 60 a week in labor hours and that’s with no one out sick,” Mr Marks explained. Mr Mangiafico later said, “I am not sure I am convinced, sorry. Adding a person with the load we’ve got is not going to fly.”

Hoping to open Eichler’s Cove not only for a public boat launch onto Lake Zoar, but as an additional swimming area, Mr Marks stressed that the recreation department has done lengthy work to renovate the cove for public use. Past months have seen crews dredge the boating and beach areas, broaden the beach, repair boat slips, relocate the boat launch, and more. Replying to Mr Mangiafico, Mr Marks stressed his position. “We were prepared to take over [Eichler’s Cove] if we could staff it. So, we won’t take it over and we won’t continue to do work there.”

Ultimately, the employee request remained in the line items.

Also prompting conversation were equipment requests, including heavy-duty trucks and mowers, for example.

Dropping costs, Ms Kasbarian suggested cutting one of two $78,000 trucks from the equipment requests. She also suggested pushing back by a year mower purchases. Matching funds for a skate park, with the expectation that a private group of volunteers would raise funds, can be deferred, Ms Kasbarian said. “They’re not ready,” she noted. Mr Marks said, “It doesn’t look like we’re in a position to utilize those dollars.”

Questions arose regarding mowing contract costs, and whether or not schools and the Board of Education should handle their own maintenance. The recreation department also receives no funding from the education board for the school fields.