BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Special Meeting Minutes
Town Office Building December 13, 2010
Selectmen’s Conference Room 2:30 P.M.
First Selectman Mailhos called the meeting to order at 2:30 P.M. with the following in attendance: Selectman Millix & Blessington with Donna Latinscics and Lynn Nicholls.
Lynn presented a budget with reducing the chip seal route to 4.18 miles of Road, which currently equals 5 roads. Selectman Blessington suggested that we look at quoting chip sealing for the entire package as opposed to the way we currently do it, which is separating and quoting each portion out. First Selectman Mailhos would like it quoted both ways. She then said that we need to find out how much we want to spend on chip sealing to set the budget. We can figure out which roads at that point. Selectman Blessington said it is up to Lynn to figure out how many Roads need to be done and then figure out where to make the cuts in her budget.
The entire Public Works and Transfer Station line items were reviewed. Cuts were proposed for misc. maintenance for roads, oil-roller& chipper and stone; (depending on the size of the chip seal route), maintenance of the Public Works building, propane, dry hydrant maintenance, cell phone usage, parts & supplies, crack seal, aggregate and training & education. Because we hold many of these programs at our library, we get reduced rates.
Discussion was held on pumping catch basins, and the regulations of how many times it needs to be done each year. Wetlands insists we do each basin once per year. First Selectman Mailhos will investigate to see what the statutes and regulations are.
The snow plowing budget was then reviewed. Selectman Blessington suggested that we look at Ashford’s Public Works department and how they operate. They do not use contractors. They have a Foreman and 3 truck drivers plus one maintenance employee who plows parking lots, etc. They have 11 less miles of road than we do, but spend much less. Last year, Ashford’s entire Public Works operation costs were approximately $670,000 and ours was approximately $930,000. For the amount that we spend on contractors, we could probably afford another full time Public Works employee instead. Lynn suggested that the Selectmen go out with the crew during a storm. It is a different story when they are driving in white out conditions in the middle of the night. It is a different
situation. Also, the next morning after a storm, our roads are clean, the crew is done for the day and Ashford hasn’t even started because each driver is responsible for more miles. Selectman Millix said that we have 4 contractors for an extra 10 miles of roads, which is quirky. He suggested trying to bring only one contractor each (as opposed to two) for a storm to see how it works. Lynn said it might work, as it would only add an extra road or two for each driver.
Selectman Blessington also pointed out that Ashford’s Foreman does all of his own paperwork. Lynn said that he also does not attend half of the meetings that she does (ie: Inland/Wetlands, Planning and Zoning, etc.) and he doesn’t do any job or vehicle maintenance reports. There is a big difference between how he runs his Town and the way she does hers. She puts in over 50 hours per week. Selectman Blessington said as the director of Public Works, you have a Crew Leader, and an Equipment Operator as well as laborers; they should be doing the outside work, while you do the paperwork. Lynn said that she does not always have a full crew on any given week. She is out there to help out and get the job done. Selectman Blessington said his idea of a Director and hers are two different
things.
First Selectman Mailhos would like to review the General Selectmen’s budget at another workshop. She has not heard back from our Union with a meeting date as of yet. She has sent a letter to the Board of Education to request that the board consider asking their Unions for concessions.
Next meeting will be held on December 20 at 1PM to discuss the Transfer Station operations with another workshop to be held on January 3, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.
Meeting was adjourned at 4:05 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Robin Campbell
Robin Campbell
Administrative Assistant
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