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Council flags street‑department shortfall and considers tighter timekeeping and pay changes
Summary
Council members noted the street department fund showed a negative balance for the January–May period; staff said payroll was the largest expense and proposed reinstating detailed timesheets and considering a change to pay schedule to resolve cash‑flow timing issues.
A council member flagged that the street department fund is in the red for the January–May period and urged closer review of expenses.
"We're coming up negative in the street department fund," the committee member said, asking whether there had been major expenses driving the shortfall. The Chair responded that payroll was the biggest factor and described recent cross‑department work that complicates charge‑outs.
To address the issue, the Chair proposed reinstating detailed timesheets so employees list when and where they worked, allowing the town to charge labor to the correct department. ‘‘They turn in a time sheet and they mark down from when to when they were on his job... That way, I can regulate for which to be charged out,’’ the Chair said.
Council members also discussed the town’s 4×10 schedule and the timing of pay checks. One option raised was shifting pay timing so that paydays fall Friday morning, or moving to a one‑week lag or biweekly pay to avoid having checks signed before employees complete their workweek. No formal change to payroll policy was recorded in the meeting; members directed staff to examine the numbers and bring recommendations back for further consideration.
