Coventry council hears DPW plea for more staff, salt and equipment in FY2026–27 budget

At a March 12 special budget meeting, the Coventry Town Council reviewed the Department of Public Works’ proposed FY2026–27 budget, which Director of Public Works Bill Watkins said must increase to maintain roads, facilities and fleet operations.

Watkins told the council the department has 19 employees and maintains 240 miles of roadway, multiple beaches, athletic fields and 107 town-owned vehicles. He asked for payroll increases including a new Maintainer 1 position, higher overtime lines and additional temporary staff; he also proposed equipment purchases such as gas meters, a walk-behind road saw and a hydraulic hose press.

Watkins highlighted snow-response shortfalls, saying the department has used "roughly 1,800 tons of salt" this winter and expects to end the season with about 500 tons in the shed compared with a full capacity of 1,500 tons. He requested a $40,000 increase to the cement/sand/salt/gravel line to restore the account to FY25 levels and $20,000 for additional overtime.

Councilor Matthew Kyer noted the Town Manager’s proposed budget contains lower service-contract amounts and asked what items would be cut under the manager’s figures; Watkins responded the DPW would not be able to repair the failing garage door or pay for power washing under the smaller allocation. Finance Director Cherie Trahan clarified that the Town Manager’s salary lines reflect STEP increases but do not include the proposed Maintainer 1 position.

Town Engineer Todd Penney told the council the engineering office (he described it as "1½ persons") is stretched thin and cannot pursue new grant work until existing projects are completed. Penney asked the council to increase the architects and engineering line so contract services can move smaller projects forward; he estimated $30,000 would purchase about 300 manhours, enough to get a single project off the shelf, and asked for an additional $90,000 overall to address the backlog.

Councilors discussed capital priorities that Watkins presented. Priority 1 items included a summer road project, a street sweeper (proposed for a bond referendum), large and small dump trucks (on a two-year replacement cadence), a Bobcat/Toolcat utility machine and other routine fleet replacements. Priority 2 requests included a line-painting robot (estimated $48,000–$49,000) and a replacement cover for a ClearSpan building used for secondary sand/salt storage; councilors raised environmental and regulatory concerns about that storage site and noted DEEP requirements.

Watkins also reported operational pressures in cemetery care and tree removal: he said burial fees were increased in December 2025 and described a current lack of funds for tree removals, with a list of outstanding complaints on his desk. The DPW requested adding a Deputy Tree Warden stipend and additional equipment-rental funds to allow more work to be done internally.

Town Manager James Drumm and councilors asked for additional detail on fleet age and mileage and asked staff to provide the financial impact (including benefits) of the proposed Maintainer 1 position. The council did not vote on budget items at the meeting; Chairwoman Lisa Thomas asked members to digest presentations ahead of the March 16 follow-up meeting.