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Council backs hydrant-maintainer proposal after members warn many hydrants are failing
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Summary
Councilors heard a proposal to hire a full-time hydrant maintainer to inspect and repair town fire hydrants and agreed to add operating funds and capital placeholders, citing recent failures and public-safety risks.
Town Manager Sean proposed adding a full-time fire-hydrant maintainer — paid at roughly the fire-inspector level — to replace a contract and enable the town to inspect and maintain all hydrants within about a year.
"If we brought them in at the fire inspector level, $63,700," Sean said when describing the position’s base salary; staff said an in-house maintainer could inspect an average of eight or nine hydrants per working day and thereby cover the town’s inventory in a year.
Several council members raised alarm about failing or poorly maintained hydrants. One councilor said the town had neglected hydrant upkeep for decades and described a recent call where firefighters struggled to open a private hydrant; that speaker added, “I’m ashamed that we’ve let it go this far,” and urged a prompt hiring and inspection schedule.
Councilors discussed the trade-off that a comprehensive inspection program might reveal many hydrants requiring replacement; staff estimated replacement costs could be material (the transcript cited sample figures around $12,000 per replacement), so members supported adding a $100,000 capital placeholder and $75,000 in operating funds for the position to begin work and to cover initial replacement needs.
The council’s discussion emphasized public-safety as the top priority and directed staff to incorporate the position and related one-time replacement funding into the budget worksheets for further deliberation. Members also asked staff to return with more precise cost estimates and a plan for phasing repairs.
