Selectmen Approve A $31.8 Million Budget

By Jan Howard

The Board of Selectmen on Monday approved a budget of $31,811,790 for submission February 17 to the Board of Finance. The budget reflects a 5.9 percent increase over the current fiscal year’s budget of $30,030,015.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said the 5.9 percent increase is comprised of 2 percent for debt service, 1.5 percent for pensions and insurances, and 0.8 percent for Fairfield Hills. The 1.6 percent remaining covers salaries and “everything else,” he said.

The budget is the result of the selectmen’s continued review of department requests on January 28 and Monday night, which resulted in reductions and changes to various budgets.

“It’s my goal to take $1.1 million out of the budget,” Selectman Bill Brimmer said. That goal was reached toward the end of the meeting Monday. Some reductions included $25,000 from the Town Hall Board of Managers, an additional $55,660 from the fire department capital account for possible application through Local Capital Improvement Program (LOCIP) funding, $3,990 in additional personnel hours for the town clerk’s office, $1,670 for equipment for the dive team, and one police cruiser for $28,000.

Mr Rosenthal said the Newtown Police Department had made a strong plea not to cut any cars, but Selectman Joe Bojnowski said his concern was that the police budget was up significantly from that of the current year. He made the motion that one police car be eliminated, which was seconded by Mr Brimmer. The vote was 2-1, with Mr Rosenthal voting against the cut. He also voted against the additional cut to the dive team.

The selectmen also cut the police department’s request for an additional police officer, plus funding for an automated fingerprinting system, but agreed to replace three of five requested computers.

The police department budget as approved by the selectmen is $3,157,372.

Debt service was also reduced by $375,000 to $8,055,057. The selectmen also removed $91,933 from the state aid roads account, because, Mr Rosenthal explained, it is a “wash” account. If the town receives the money, it is all spent.

The selectmen voted 2-1 to further reduce the capital road budget by $30,000 to $1.82 million. Mr Rosenthal cast the dissenting vote. Two million dollars had been originally requested, but the selectmen had previously cut it to $1.85 million.

The nonrecurring account in a selectmen account was reduced from a request of $620,000 to $290,982.

The C.H. Booth Library took a big hit last week, losing approximately $80,000 from its budget request of $879,609. Board of Trustees President Phil Kotch noted that personnel comprise 60 percent of the budget request. He explained that a compensation survey indicated that some salaries currently paid by the local library were below the average.

The other proposed increase was for a capital reserve plan for maintenance of the library.

Mr Rosenthal, however, said the increase was too large, up $113,609 from the current budget of $766,000. “I can’t support the capital reserve plan,” he said. “I can support a four percent increase for lower paid personnel.”

“It’s a sharp cut,” Mr Kotch said. However, Mr Rosenthal noted the reduced budget includes a $33,000 increase in comparison to the $6,000 the library received in the current year’s budget.

In regard to the Parks and Recreation Department, the selectmen debated whether $200,000 requested for renovations for a maintenance facility should remain in the department’s operating budget or be recommended for borrowing.

“It’s a major improvement to a building,” Mr Rosenthal said. The facility, the former Fairfield Hills laundry/fire house, would be shared with the Board of Education.

The selectmen on Monday decided to remove the $200,000 from the department’s operating budget and recommend it for borrowing. They cut another $167,952 from Parks and Rec, leaving a request of $105,383 for capital requests.

The department also offered to have some budget requests funded through its surcharge account, including $29,940 for ball field fencing and backstop repairs.

The selectmen and department representatives also discussed funding for the proposed skateboard park. Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Larry Haskel said skateboarding is a growing sport, adding, “The kids need a place to go.”

The former tennis court location at Fairfield Hills is the site favored for the skateboard park. Once the property is conveyed to the town, Mr Rosenthal said the town’s Public Works Department would pave the court, with the Parks and Recreation Commission responsible for the cost of fencing, estimated to cost about $7,000.

The department’s budget request is now $1,438,206.

A request for a fire truck at $320,000 was also removed from the budget to be recommended for borrowing this year.

The Board of Selectmen approved a budget of $25,000 for the Children’s Adventure Center, a $5,000 increase that Mae Schmidle told selectmen would be used for a feasibility study to examine how to provide additional space at the center, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, she said.

“One of our problems is space, particularly in the winter,” Ms Schmidle said. “We’re wondering if we can get additional space in the back. We want to see if there is a way to enhance the building for additional space.”

 The communications budget of $697,002 was pared to $678,442, which included $10,000 each from full-time operators and overtime. Director of Emergency Communications Joe DelBuono told the selectmen there would be fewer turnovers in employees because it takes less time to reach the top pay step. “They will see a reason to stay because they get to the top step quicker,” he said.

On Monday, the selectmen decided to remove $16,456 for a defibrillator and other emergency equipment from the communications budget because the items would be eligible for LOCIP funding.

In other business, the selectmen accepted several parcels from the State of Connecticut that were part of the negotiations for the Fairfield Hills campus, including Deep Brook, Commerce Road property, four acres on Oakview Road, and five houses on Mile Hill South, subject to mandatory referral to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The board also reappointed Mark Streck as an alternate to the Board of Ethics.

Discussion regarding the Fairfield Hills Master Plan will take place at the selectmen’s next meeting on February 17. Mr Bojnowski said one area for discussion is whether to renovate Shelton House or demolish it and build a new town hall.