Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes
Thursday, February 13, 2014 – 4:30 PM
Board of Selectmen: Chairman Rob Wimpory and Selectwoman Karen Day, Selectwoman Davidson absent due to the snow storm
Staff: Administrator Patt, Police Chief Brian Giammarino, DPW Supervisor Tim Murray
The meeting was called to order at 4:30 PM by Chairman Wimpory.
Documents for Approval/Review/Signature
The Selectmen reviewed and/or signed the following items:
§ A/P Invoices
§ A/P Checks
§ Payroll
§ Town Warrant
§ MS-6
§ Town Report
§ R5-9 Subdivision Notice – Reg. Mail
§ Corrected Minutes – Jan. 30th
4:30 pm: Documents Review and Approval
At 4:30 pm the Selectmen Reviewed and signed A/P Invoices and A/P Checks, a subdivision notice, and a copy of the draft Town Report. In addition to the budget and warrant, the Selectmen signed payroll and AP Checks.
At the beginning of the meeting DPW Supervisor Murray requested an update on the status of the DPW budget following the budget hearing. Murray indicated that prior to the public budget hearing he had outlined the need to increase the DPW Buildings Repair and Maintenance line by $3000 because the line item is already exhausted due to end of life issues with the diesel tank and other equipment. The Selectmen could not recall if the subject had been thoroughly discussed at the budget hearing and the minutes of the hearing do not explicitly state that there was a discussion. The Board determined that the addition of funds to this line item would need to be brought up at Town Meeting.
The Selectmen reviewed the final Town Warrant and decided to move the warrant article regarding the buffer along the Greenvale Cemetery to a different position on the warrant. The Board requested that this be done and the warrant renumbered.
5:00 pm: Police Chief Brian Giammarino
At 5:00 pm Police Chief Brian Giammarino came before the Selectmen to make a presentation about the need for a third full time police officer. The Board and Chief Giammarino discussed several issues comparing full-time officers to part-time officers; with Chief Giammarino presenting the case he has developed and will be sharing at Town Meeting.
Chief Giammarino outlined the high level of activity in the Greenfield Police Department and how the loss of three part-time officers during the late summer of 2013 has caused an increase in the amount of time that the full-time officers are expected to provide. The two full-time officers provide 40 hours each week and 20 hours each week of call-time. During call time the officers can be called out at all hours of the night to respond to emergencies. One of the concerns with part-time officers is that they can not always work when the department needs them to work. As a result full-time officers work double shifts. Secondly the call volume has increased steadily over the years:
In 2008 Calls for Service were 1957
In 2009 Calls for Service were 2117
In 2010 Calls for Service were 2266
In 2011 Calls for Service were 3020
In 2012 Calls for Service were 2317
In 2013 Calls for Service were 3166
Calls-for-service are logged at the County Dispatch center and do not include walk-ins, and telephone calls directly to the department. In addition there are 100 or more (105 in 2013) criminal cases a year in court that are above and beyond the calls for service. The Calls-for-Service have increased 161% over a 6 year period. Activity in the community has increased significantly. The Police department is a busy department when compared to surrounding towns a lot of which stems from the seasonal influx of people during the summer.
The budget has grown from $151,847 in 2003 to $228,698 in 2014 or an increase of $76,851 over an 11 year period from the time that Chief Giammarino started with the department.
Working with Part-Time officers puts the Town in the position of being a training ground. While at the academy officers are paid for their time. There are additional costs to outfit each officer such as utility belts and weapons. Ultimately the town ends up with officers that are in-training to go to other departments. Additionally, part-time officers are not always available when needed by the department. This constitutes a safety issue. A full-time officer in contrast is required to work 40 hours and provide an additional 20 hours of call time each week.
The Selectmen discussed the Chief’s presentation. Healthcare, which is not required by the officer that the department is looking to hire, is still an issue with respect to the overall budget going forward. The question of the amount of hours per week was discussed. There are 168 hours in a week (7 days X 24 hours) and two full time officers cover 80 hours with an additional 40 hours of on-call time. Adding a third full time officer provides an additional 40 hours per week and an additional 20 hours of call time. In order to prosecute court cases the Chief attends court on a regular basis. There will be some overlap of schedules because of the requirements of specific call types – some go longer and can develop at the end of a shift. Then there are vacations and personal time to cover. But with a third officer
the coverage gaps will be far fewer and coverage will be more reliable.
Chief Giammarino summed up his presentation by saying that Greenfield has been ready for a third-full time officer for the past 6 years. He hasn’t wanted to bring it forward, especially when he had committed part-time officers. But as the recent year has shown that can dissolve rapidly, which puts a big strain on the department. Ultimately it’s a safety issue and one which the residents at Town Meeting should discuss.
The Selectmen discussed the presentation and offered several thoughts on how Chief Giammarino could strengthen and condense his presentation for the residents benefit. The Chief thanked the Board and extended his appreciation for their support.
Adjournment
On a motion by Chairman Wimpory and a second by Selectwoman Day the Board voted to adjourn. The motion carried 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 6:05 PM.
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Board of Selectmen. A signed copy is on file in the Selectmen’s office.
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
Rob Wimpory, Chairman Karen Day, Selectwoman Debra Davidson, Selectwoman
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