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Select board approves FY27 budgets after debate over parks staffing, roads and facilities
Summary
The board approved FY27 budget requests for Recreation & Parks, Public Works, Building Maintenance, Building Department, Fire Services and Finance after departmental presentations and targeted debate over parks staffing, Quaker Hill facilities, public‑works road and waste costs, and fire‑department staffing. Several motions (including a failed request for an extra maintainer in parks) were considered; exact vote tallies were not read into the record.
The Board of Selectmen approved a slate of fiscal‑year 2027 departmental budgets after a night of presentations and focused questioning on staffing, maintenance needs and long‑range capital planning.
Recreation and Parks presented a FY27 request that the department described as a 4.52% increase, driven almost entirely by personnel costs tied to contractual wage obligations, city‑wide cost‑of‑living adjustments and changes to the state minimum wage. Director Ryan told the board the increase also restores a Maintainer 2 to a full‑year position and that the department has invested in fleet attachments to reduce capital costs. Selectman Greg moved to add $60,000 to fund a second Maintainer 2 position; the motion failed for lack of a second. Later, Greg successfully moved to add $2,800 to the maintenance‑of‑properties line for Quaker Hill repairs and ADA‑related pieces; the board approved that amendment by voice vote.
Public Works director Gary presented a combined Public Works and Building Maintenance overview highlighting two long‑lead cost pressures: rapidly rising solid‑waste tipping fees through the regional authority (SCARA) and forthcoming stormwater permit work that will require physical treatment of outfalls. Gary proposed funding a Facilities Manager in Building Maintenance at 75% by keeping a Maintainer 2 position authorized but not funded in Public Works. The board approved the Public Works request as presented.
Building Maintenance came before the board with the formal request to fund a Facilities Manager for three quarters of the year to oversee asset management, preventative maintenance, NFPA inspections and contract oversight. Members pressed about qualifications and whether the town would have trouble recruiting; Gary said the role requires technical, reporting and project‑management skills and that he would notify the board if filling the position proved difficult.
The Building Department forecasted increased permit revenue tied to an active development pipeline: small commercial conversions (retail and restaurants), a large planned conversion at the Crystal Mall by Electric Boat, and an anticipated new Project Learn facility with an estimated project value in the tens of millions. The department requested a temporary assistant inspector slot (three months of funding) to handle the near‑term workload; the board approved the department budget.
Fire Services presented the largest dollar increase among departments. Director Chris described the FY27 request as the first comprehensive step to reshape the town’s five legacy volunteer companies into a unified municipal fire department. The budget adds an Assistant Chief (position previously authorized but not funded) and increases full‑time staffing so that the department moves toward eight firefighters per platoon (24 total across three platoons) once hires are complete. Chris said overtime appears large partly because prior record‑keeping did not distinguish replacement, training and scheduled overtime; the department has begun implementing scheduling software and internal tracking to clarify drivers and trends. The board approved the fire‑services budget as presented.
Finance director Kim confirmed contracts and subscription lines are held in the town’s procurement system and said staff can produce a consolidated report of active contracts on request. The board approved the Finance budget as presented.
The board took recorded voice votes or voice affirmations to approve the departmental requests as presented. The transcript records motions and voice approvals but does not provide numeric vote tallies for these approvals.
Board action list (motions recorded in the meeting record): - Recreation & Parks FY27 budget request in amount quoted in the transcript — approved by voice vote (tally not specified in the transcript). - Failed motion: add $60,000 for an additional Maintainer 2 in Recreation & Parks — failed for lack of second. - Motion and voice approval: add $2,800 to line 52420 (maintenance of properties) for Quaker Hill — approved by voice vote. - Public Works FY27 budget request (amount quoted in transcript) — approved by voice vote (tally not specified). - Building Maintenance FY27 budget request (including Facilities Manager funded 75%) — approved by voice vote (tally not specified). - Building Department FY27 request (includes 3‑month assistant inspector funding) — approved by voice vote (tally not specified). - Fire Services FY27 budget request (includes Assistant Chief and added full‑time firefighters) — approved by voice vote (tally not specified). - Finance FY27 budget request — approved by voice vote (tally not specified).
What this means: department leaders framed FY27 as a year focused on stabilizing staffing, addressing deferred maintenance and improving data for capital planning. The board repeatedly asked for clearer line‑item backup and for departments to return with follow‑up details (e.g., pavement‑study timeline, Waterford Beach crane inspection costs, and utility billing data). Several members also pressed departments to explore grant opportunities and sponsorships to offset operating costs.
The board adjourned the budget items and recessed; the record shows the budgets as approved and departments were instructed to return with requested clarifications where needed.
