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Public Works requests include vacuum 'vac' truck and wastewater grants; highway salaries reflect settled contracts
Summary
Public Works presented a 3.8% overall operating increase driven by salary adjustments, a capital request for a vacuum/jet truck (~$640,000), cold storage replacement and wastewater projects (UV disinfection design awaiting grant decisions). Transfer approvals moved $74,454 between road-maintenance and supply object codes.
New Canaan Public Works presented its fiscal request to the Board of Selectmen, citing a 3.8% overall operating increase largely driven by the recent settlement of town labor contracts and pay adjustments that aggregated multiple years of salary changes.
Lou, the newly appointed highway superintendent, and Public Works Director (presenting) reviewed department operating lines and several capital needs. The department requested a new vacuum/jet ("vac") truck (purchase price shown at about $640,000) to meet the town’s MS4 stormwater obligations, clean catch basins, perform hydraulic excavation and support leaf/seasonal operations. Officials said an equivalent rental market is limited (staff cited a $3,600/day rental rate where available), and that a comparable unit previously served the town for roughly 15 years. The vendor lead time cited for a new truck was roughly 11 months.
Highway staffing and salary lines rose primarily because this year’s budget includes two years’ worth of negotiated increases that were not previously budgeted in fiscal 25; Selectmen moved to normalize future budgets by placing base increases in department lines rather than leaving amounts in contingency.
Capital requests included replacement of a 40-year-old tractor, zero‑turn mowers, and a proposed new cold‑storage building (long-delayed in the capital plan) because staff reported concerns that the existing metal storage shed may be failing. Selectmen asked staff to prioritize and reconcile previously authorized but unspent capital before new bonding.
At the transfer station, the department proposed a $35,000 replacement safety railing at the commercial drop area. Transfer-station recycling revenues and volumes were discussed; staff said volume brought to the town facility varied partly because a private hauler was directing some material elsewhere.
Wastewater requests covered several items: continuing engineering for nutrient/zinc control studies, equipment replacements, sewer relining, and a planned UV disinfection upgrade for which staff are awaiting grant guidance. Staff said grant timing and federal grant conditions have delayed firm package bids; they also noted the plant’s permit renewal schedule and that grant awards could substantially affect capital timing.
The Board approved a set of inter-object transfers to reclassify $74,454 from road maintenance to vehicle and supplies object codes (the change was described as accounting hygiene to keep federally/state-eligible road maintenance separate for grant compliance). The transfer vote was recorded later in the meeting and passed on voice vote.
Why it matters: the vacuum truck and sewer projects link to regulatory compliance (MS4 and wastewater permit conditions) and will affect capital planning; salary normalization affects department budgets for upcoming fiscal years.
The department will return with reconciled lists of previously authorized-but-unspent capital and firm bid documents for large equipment and construction items.
