http://rutlandherald.com/article/20141217/NEWS02/712179961
Published December 17, 2014 in the Rutland Herald
Paving, equipment woes on radar as budget process begins
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield is millions of dollars behind schedule on money it should be putting into road maintenance and equipment replacement, according to Public Works Director Jeffrey Strong.
Strong presented his proposed 2015-2016 highway budget to the Springfield Select Board on Monday night, and it included $500,000 for paving, and $100,000 budgeted toward road reconstruction.
He also outlined an ambitious equipment replacement schedule as part of the town’s capital budget.
Strong told the board that he would like to increase the town’s paving budget $100,000 a year until it reached $1 million a year by 2019. He also said that the town was facing a lot of major equipment purchases in the next few years.
Strong said he wanted to get the town on a 14-year paving plan.
“The key to keeping up with it is funding,” Strong said.
Strong submitted an additional equipment request totaling $928,000, to get back on a four- to five-year equipment replacement plan.
Strong also said that another big increase in his budget — $60,000 for road salt — was due to a big increase in the cost per ton, as well as increased number of storms.
The Springfield Budget Committee, which re-elected Everett Hammond its chairman, has in the past been an advocate for investing in the town’s roads.
The Select Board took no action on Strong’s outlines, as the budget process is just beginning in Springfield. The Select Board will meet again tonight to hear from Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston and Fire Chief Russell Thompson, as well as Library Director Russell Moore.
Monday night the board heard from Town Manager Thomas Yennerell, Strong, Town Clerk Barbara Courchesne, Assessor Cyrus Bailey, Recreation Director Andy Bladyka and Comptroller Jeff Mobus.
The proposed operating budget is 3.95 percent higher than last year’s budget of $10.7 million, but Select Board Chairman Kristi Morris conceded that it did not include the proposed capital budget, which stands at just over $2 million. Last year, the town spent about $625,000 on capital purchases.
Most of the operating budget increase is due to the first bond payment of $191,000 on the town’s stormwater project, and a wage increase for all town employees, at a cost of $137,000.
According to the budget summary prepared by Yennerell, who is completing his first month on the job, the proposed budget, including all the requested capital purchases, would be $12.3 million, up from $10.7 million last year, an increase in spending of $1.6 million, or roughly 10 percent.
Roads and paving have become an increasing topic of conversation in the past few years, as the Select Board has held the paving budget level over several years, limiting the amount of work.
Last year, the entire paving budget was devoted to Pleasant Valley Road, but the work was postponed a year because of concern over its base.
Susan Smallheer: Have you driven down the Pleasant Valley Road lately?
ReplyDeleteIT IS PAVED. Last fall it was done, rather quickly I must say.
Crappy reporting as usual.
i think,somebody needs to look into the amount of equipment the town has,seems like a lot to me for the size of the town.compare it to other towns the same size.
ReplyDeletelook into why some many town employee's take town owned vehicle's home.
why does the town think they need to replace their equipment so often,take a look at some of he construction companies in the area,some of there stuff is 20-30 years old and they still use it every day,we need to stop spending,we don't need new loaders and graders every 5 years,take care of what we have and it will last
only one employee takes his truck home every day, strong takes his home once in a while
DeleteLet's start with the town employee raises...Simple solution. No raises in tough economic times. Sorry!. But the reality is that those of us who work and ARE the tax base are not getting raises; I know I am not. So let's just scrap that from the budget. The other stuff...get more use out of the equipment you have. There is no money. You know what happens when my vehicle needs service of breaks down? Yup, I get it fixed. Problem solved. Paving: Yeah, most of the roads are horrible. But focus on the worst ones for now. When the economy rebounds (who knows when) then you can look at other spending. This year I will be working under a balanced budget. The same as last year. The town should do the same. Sorry folks, but the money just isn't there.
ReplyDeleteTown employees are the tax base also, I know of no tax exemption for town employees. As far as raises, town employees that saw an increase in wages in 2009. Hey, don't you listen to the news, Obama says the economy is better, so based on his majesty, pay raises should be back in play.
DeleteYour federal government is conspiring with the media to portray the lower oil and gas prices as "tax breaks" for the consumer! By doing so, they can then justify gouging you for more because in their warped and greedy minds, you now have more to GIVE! They can't bear to see you with more money in your pockets!
Deletehow about town employees using town issued cell phones for personal business..kinda funny how they use them 95% for family calls
DeleteProblem is, paving is hugely expensive. When the state repaves state roads (and this usually includes rework to the base material to give the pavement a chance at lasting longer) it's on the order of $1M a mile. Now most town roads are narrower than the state roads, and most don't see the same loading so base construction can be a little different. But unfortunately, most of our roads don't have engineered base under them which is why they go to heck so quickly even after a repave job. Hence why they focused hard on doing Pleasant Valley right, Craigue Hill was done right a few years ago, and is holding up nicely. But based on the current spending of $500,000 a year, you can see that doesn't cover too many miles of the many many miles of roads that need repaving in town.
ReplyDeleteI agree on equipment. I'll be interested to hear what equipment has only a 4-5 year shelf life...Many construction companies are going to rent per project...it's often cheaper than owning and having to maintain, and we have Nortrax right in town.
Use of the word "woes" in the headline is evidence of the government and media conspiring to sell a particular message to readers. You are supposed to feel sorry for the poor municipal government and just roll over and give them what they want (MO' MONEY), which will CURE THEIR WOES!
ReplyDeleteThe next select board meeting needs to be on a Saturday afternoon at the town barn, where every piece of rolling stock can be placed in a line, (dress right, dress) so that the equipment and maintenance logs can be readily inspected by the public works director, the town manager, the board, and any citizens in attendance. Let the chips fall where they may and let the facts then speak for themselves.
Management by wandering around. It's a great concept!
It sounds like we neglected to pay ongoing attention to our town yet again with the roads.What actually went on in the town manager office over the past several years? Lets stop demoralizing public employees for potential raises. Many people get them but they don't have to tell you. If you don't get one ask yourself why? And in the end, try voting. It's this thing where you exercise your right by going into a little booth at Riverside and mark you preferences.!
ReplyDeleteBut, I do vote, I vote every year, I vote NO on the school budget because it is just too much money and I don't have anything to do with the schools, but I always vote YES for the town budget because it is not too much money and things with the town have been going so well.
Delete@ 12/19/14 1:50 PM: You are right. Much neglect over the years and it's finally catching up with the town and its' residents. I don't get the sense that people are demoralizing the town employees or would even argue that raises are expected or deserved. I can tell you with 100% certainty that I did not, and will not get a raise this year (and no one else in my company will either). It's not a matter of poor performance, it's a matter of increasing costs and decreased reimbursements. So I would never say someone doesn't deserve a raise but it comes down to simple math. If the taxpayer of the town doesn't get a raise then they cannot sustain a raise for the town employees either. And for the record, I NEVER miss a vote despite the fact that there are so many low-imformation voters in our town who either mark the ballot blindly or vote along party lines. In closing, you make many assumptions about the taxpayers in this town and I find it unfair that you don't want the town workers demoralized but it is somehow ok to demoralize the hard working taxpayers of this town who also are fighting to merely survive in an almost impossible economic climate. Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteNice post. Merry Christmas!
Deletesome town employees went 3 -4 yrs without a raise
DeleteSome 6 years and only a contract extension
DeleteNo one is entitled to a raise or a job for that matter. If one is dissatisfied with their compensation, they are free to find other employment. We are sick and tired of hearing about the alleged plight of government workers at all levels as though they are some special class or provide work or services that are more valuable than other segments of the economy. With the federal debt now surpassing $18 TRILLION, it's high time for a wage freeze for all federal government workers and consideration should be given to similar courses of action at state and local levels. If they have trouble making ends meet, then get them get a second or third job like the rest of America has had to do as a result of the hollow economy that our insipid politicians have created.
ReplyDeletedidn't know town workers were government employees
DeleteWhich is a dead giveaway that you are a Springfield voter - numb from the neck up!
Delete