Board of Selectmen Budget Meeting March 11, 2020

Board of Selectmen Budget Meeting March 11, 2020

I am concerned that the Board of Selectmen has not considered the long-term implications of hiring more staff without any background other than the presentations from Chief and Heads of Department for their input. The legacy costs associated with each employee that is added to staff increases the budget long-term.

Many of the Service Improvement Priorities are redundant expenditures that are not the core services of government.

The Users who benefit from the improvements should pay for the improvements.

The Board of Education Facilities Report and implementation of many of the findings will increase long-term debt and place pressures on Operating budgets in the future.

Chief Boulter is asking for a Deputy Chief at a cost of $183,872 and an additional Lieutenant. The presentation by Chief Boulter does not account for his time spent presently in managing the department.

I am sure that one of his officers could be assigned to PR. Chief Boulter takes time to teach a class that is time away from Simsbury.

We presently have expenses for Labor Attorney fees that have not been budgeted that is over $100,000 with the Town and Police both in disciplinary union hearings for terminated employees.

Most of Chief Boulter’s time this year has been spent on Internal Affairs Investigations, hearings and termination of Sgt. Trombly.

There will be additional costs when Sgt. Trombly returns to the Police Department to make him whole.

It is alleged Chief Boulter spends his time micro-managing the Department, overseeing every aspect of the Department leaving the police officers without the ability to grow with their responsibilities. It is alleged that most of Chief Boulter’s investigations have proven to be inconclusive spending time on his personal witch hunts that are without merit than managing the department. This should not be rewarded.

Adding more staff would not alleviate the internal issues dominating Chief Boulter’s style of management.

The $183,872 for a Deputy Chief and an additional Lieutenant of $5,000 does not correct the institutional failures of the Police Department and should be eliminated.

The contracted Inspection Services of $25,000 is an add needed service to inspect properties to estimate full value for assessment in conjunction with building permits and site plans that flag additional developments and property renovations. The inspections will add value to the Grand List and more than pay for the services rendered.

Adding a maintenance technician of $95,000 is a redundancy since the Public Works Department has the employees that could share maintenance with the Recreation Department. Services rendered to outside organizations should be assessed for the service.

Increased funding for Library materials at $20,000 should be paid though the money collected from the book sales.

The Board of Selectmen should urge all outside organizations to provide cost-sharing with the Town,

Improvements to the Band Shell that is used primarily by the Performing Arts should be paid for by the Performing Arts.

The Bike and Sports organizations should provide cost sharing to the Town and the Board of Education.

The taxpayers should not be asked to pay for services that do not directly benefit them and not part of the Town’s core responsibilities.

The Board of Finance is not required to micro-manage the Board of Selectmen budget.

It is the responsibility of the Board of Selectmen to produce a budget under the guidelines of the Board of Finance and not “kick the can down the road.”