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Public Works director proposes $1.69 million budget; grants, aging equipment drive increases
Summary
Public Works director Eric Waltke presented a proposed $1,693,913.16 departmental budget to the Deep River Board of Finance, citing a 5.7% overall increase driven largely by grant funding and noting significant capital and equipment needs; no votes were taken at the informational meeting.
Eric Waltke, Deep River's public works director, presented a proposed Public Works budget totaling $1,693,913.16 at the Board of Finance's informational session on Feb. 3, 2026. The department projects a 5.7% overall increase, but Waltke said the net increase after grant funding is about 1.5%.
Waltke outlined key line items: general road and highway maintenance is unchanged at $206,000, while town road maintenance shows a roughly 30% increase funded by a state grant. He said all road funds from the previous year were fully expended on paving and that an additional $130,000 from the water company might be used to complete final paving. Board member Jackie Calamari volunteered to assist with a STEAP grant application to offset road expenses.
The budget includes modest increases to program lines: the MS4 stormwater program rises from $25,000 to $26,000 to cover last year's overages, and the tree removal line remains at $70,000. Waltke flagged a beech tree near the library that arborists recommend removing within roughly three years; he said mitigation could extend the tree's life by about that long and suggested potential funding through library contributions or contingency funds.
A $15,000 storm contingency line was proposed for emergency responses related to storms and tree removal. Waltke also noted a jump in winter materials use, with sand and salt consumption rising from 150 tons to 225 tons after recent storms, and said salt prices continue to climb annually; overtime for drivers is covered within the current budget.
Equipment life-cycle concerns were a recurring theme. Waltke proposed a 3% increase in equipment maintenance because several pieces of equipment are up to 30 years old. Capital requests total $1,095,000 and include a new hook truck (F550) with interchangeable bodies, repair or replacement for a dump truck and a tri-axle truck used for trash hauling, and options for replacing or renting a 1998 mini excavator with about 12,000 hours. Waltke said the department's goal is to make one major capital purchase per year to manage long-term needs.
Waltke described the town's salt shed as undersized and in poor condition; a proposed steel replacement was estimated at $350,000 to increase capacity from about 70 tons to roughly 400'500 tons, and grant funding may be available for that project. He also proposed adding a miscellaneous capital line for OSHA training, safety gear, and storm-related food expenses.
The meeting was informational only; no formal votes or budget approvals were taken. The Public Works budget and capital requests will be rolled up into a consolidated budget and forwarded to the Selectmen for further review.
