Shellfish constable defends 35% budget increase, FinCom questions overtime controls

Shellfish Constable Danielle Ewart told the Finance and Advisory Committee that the department’s proposed FY27 budget reflects a 35% increase driven primarily by salaries: a full‑time deputy replacing part‑time/seasonal employees, standard union and M&P increases, and required overtime and shift stipends under union rules. Ewart said the department’s work runs year‑round — summer family shellfishing and holiday events, winter commercial scalloping including Thanksgiving harvests, weather‑related oversight, and shellfish propagation — and that the long‑overdue deputy position provided essential support this winter.

FinCom member Ruth Konigsberg pressed Constable Ewart to manage staffing to reduce overtime costs. Ewart responded that seasonal demand, regulatory oversight and commercial fisheries work make seven‑day coverage necessary at times, and that stipends compensate deputies when on‑call. The department noted it supports a locally profitable shellfishing industry and that while state regulations exist, many day‑to‑day rules are set by individual towns and the Island’s shellfish departments frequently consult each other on lagoon and pond problems.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting include that a full‑time deputy was budgeted with a corresponding reduction in part‑time/seasonal hours, and that overtime calculations reflect holiday and seasonal schedules. FinCom asked about tradeoffs to contain overtime, and recommended close tracking of staffing and supplemental pay in future contract negotiations and budget reviews.