Ad Hoc Committee backs $58,507,263 Health & Human Services and Public Safety budget

The Budget Ad Hoc Committee voted unanimously April 13 to recommend that the City Council approve the Mayor’s Health & Human Services and Public Safety budget totaling $58,507,263.

Chair Frank Salvatore convened the meeting at 6 p.m.; committee members Lou Giordano, Claire Jabbour, Paul Rotello and Michael Henry participated along with City staff and department heads who answered detailed questions about grant reserves, staffing and revenue assumptions.

The committee spent the bulk of its time reviewing line items and contingencies. Fernanda Carvalho, Director of Health & Human Services, said the department keeps contingency funds to cover grants that do not materialize and confirmed the grants identified in the packet have been received. Members asked for a list of nonprofit recipients and for clarification of specific grant line numbers; Taylor O’Brien, Chief of Staff in the Mayor’s Office, confirmed those grants fund nonprofit partners that deliver city programs.

Members probed service-level and staffing issues across departments. Emergency Management Director Matthew Cassavechia told the committee the Ambulance Fund’s estimated net revenue is $4.7 million and that no FTE changes are anticipated. James Schullery, Building Official, said the office has completed more than 7,500 inspections so far this fiscal year, that electronic records are preserved from October 2019 forward, and that his secretary spends about 60–70% of daily time processing FOI requests; the department is planning further electronic-archiving with grant support.

At the Airport, Administrator Michael Safranek said airport usage is up about 20% year over year and described a $9,000 contractual salary increase reflected in line item 516101; he also said FAA grants and lease revenue continue to support operations. Shawn Stillman, UNIT Coordinator, reported roughly 1,500 service requests last year and expects that workload to increase in the coming year.

On public safety staffing, Police Chief Ridenhour described funding for five new officers and an intelligence analyst position and said overtime reflects current staffing needs; he and members discussed plans to evaluate locations for a potential local police academy. Interim Fire Chief Lounsbury confirmed salary increases are contractual, said additional firefighter positions are budgeted to staff the planned Fire Station 27, and reported progress on HazMat and electric-vehicle response training.

Committee members also noted smaller revenue items and operating details: Chair Salvatore cited about $20,000 in blight-fee revenue; Peter Buzaid reported approximately $32,000 from parking violations issued in partnership with the Police Department; O’Brien described a $30,000 administration fee in Community Services distributed through United Way; and members discussed whether EV charging port oversight rests with the state.

Council member Lou Giordano moved, and Council member Paul Rotello seconded, a recommendation that the City Council approve the Health & Human Services and Public Safety budget as presented; the motion carried unanimously. The committee then voted to adjourn at 7:53 p.m.

What’s next: the recommendation will be transmitted to the full City Council for consideration during the council’s budget review process.