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Director explains surplus savings account, high utility bills and staffing tweaks
Summary
Milford’s dispatch director told the board the town uses a surplus savings account to separate community funds, reported high heating costs tied to HVAC operation and a small rate increase, and described potential schedule changes for part-time dispatcher coverage.
At the May 15 meeting, the department director explained Milford’s surplus savings account, described recent high utilities charges tied to HVAC operation at town hall, and said part-time dispatch coverage may be adjusted to reduce overtime.
Ray, the director, described why the surplus savings account was created: to remove end-of-year surplus amounts from the general fund and hold each community’s share separately until towns (for example, Wilton) decide how to accept their return. "So once we approve the financial review and we have the calculations of what each community gets or should be receiving in a return of surplus, those funds are moved out of the general fund ... and into our surplus savings account on an individual transaction level," Ray said. He added Wilton typically takes its surplus back each year and currently has no funds sitting in the savings account, while Milford has left funds there.
On utilities, Ray told the board the department experienced unusually high bills in February and March because weekend boiler shutdowns affected residual heating and the building’s HVAC, and that a small electricity rate increase was negotiated as part of a new contract. "We experienced high bills because of the HVAC heating problem here at town hall...and we did get a rate increase for this year," he said, adding the rate-term increase was on the order of about 1.4 cents (as described in the meeting).
Ray also reported staff work on part-time scheduling: he held one-on-one meetings with part-time employees to evaluate whether Sunday morning 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. dispatcher shifts remain the best use of resources. "Looking at the analytics call volume... those hours might be better suited to you somewhere else in the middle of the week," he said, explaining the goal is to avoid overtime and increase participation.
The board asked questions about budgetary impact and enrollment in family health plans; Ray said fiscal projections show the department can absorb the proposed furniture purchase and an example potential health-plan change, and he provided a rough monthly cost differential if a single plan were replaced by a family plan. He said the department is full-staffed at present.
No formal vote was taken on the surplus account or utility matters at the meeting; the discussion provided context for the board’s review of year-to-date finances and upcoming budget planning.
