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Public works seeks major budget increases as storm costs and waste contract rise
Summary
Public works director Frank Aanelli told the town board he needs larger allocations for salt, snow-plowing overtime and vehicle repairs after an expensive winter, and warned that contracted garbage disposal costs will rise under a new contract.
Frank Aanelli, director of public works, told the Seymour board at its May 4 budget hearing that unusually heavy storms and mounting maintenance costs require notable increases in next year’s public works budget.
Aanelli presented line-item requests that include a jump in snow-plowing materials from $90,000 to $161,220 and an increase in snow-plowing overtime from $35,000 to $72,000. "I'm asking consideration for an increase of $60,000 from the current $90,000 to $161,220," Aanelli said, citing a four-year average and a costly winter that drove overtime and salt use well above typical levels.
He also asked the board to restore repairs and maintenance to roughly $100,000 — about $20,000 above the current allocation — after a year of heavy fleet damage. "We lost the rear end in a truck," Aanelli said, listing recent failures including two turbos and a PTO that drove this year's maintenance over budget. He told the board the department maintains a large fleet: "we are maintaining eight large trucks and nine small trucks, two pickup trucks, three backhoes, two loaders, [and] a bucket truck." Those assets, he said, drive high repair and parts costs.
Another notable request would set aside $130,000 annually for 5500-series truck replacement to keep vehicles under warranty and reduce long-term maintenance costs. Aanelli said the town’s mechanic earns stipend incentives for additional certifications and that a separate line for mechanics' uniforms and rags would improve budget tracking.
Waste and transfer-station costs also factored into the presentation. Aanelli said contracted garbage service under IWS will rise by roughly 3.5 percent under the vendor’s pricing, increasing the purchase-service garbage disposal line from about $999,287 to approximately $1,034,262. He described transfer-station overtime needs and the costs of scale-software licensing and electrical upgrades, and said household hazardous-waste removal fees have risen.
Board members pressed on where cuts could be made if the budget must be held flat. Aanelli said highway materials (pipe, stone, guardrail posts) are often the first target but warned that cutting salt, overtime or repairs creates short-term savings at the cost of higher emergency spending later. Several members praised the department’s storm response and in-house repair work that saved the town money.
The board asked staff to return with supporting spreadsheets — Aanelli said he had included storm-cost breakdowns in the packet — and to provide year-to-date transfer-station revenue figures so members could weigh revenue offsets against proposed increases. No formal votes were taken at the hearing; the board will deliberate further as part of its upcoming budget schedule.
