OPEN LETTER to the BOARD of SELECTMEN

To the Board of Selectmen:
     An excellent budget presentation, as usual, by Randy.  The “business as usual” concept by the manager was evident throughout, especially in the planning to bond the Library cost in full, rather than reduce it by the $2.2 million from the High School and stabilization fund saving some $200,000 over 20 years.  Why are we continuing to hold these funds?  Politically, the $6 million contingency (slush fund) in the school account noted at bid time instead of the $1.1 million estimate (noted in the Building Committee minutes April 2010) could have nearly paid off the library cost!  Didn’t happen, ... as the parties involved ignored their own presentation to the Town Meeting of the total intended required work, and have spent several million more on items never presented or approved by the Town!!!  Nothing has changed, ... this also happened at the Safety Building ... witness the 17 flat screen TVs being paid for by the 20 year bond issue!  Yes, business as usual!
     Past police annual reports have noted some $200 to $320,000 in fines and forfeiture annually returned to the Town and incidentally some $100 to $200,000 plus in grants annually; extent of which and life cycle costs has also been officially requested and this request has been ignored.  The new budget handout indicated but $110,000 for the total fees and fines, which include only $24,500 as reimbursed!  The solar panels were highlighted with gross savings.  What is the life cycle cost of the solar panels slated for the highway garage and the landfill?  These panels do not last forever ... disposal and replacement cost, maintenance, etc.  Merely call Tri-County Vo-Tech School and ask them what happened with their panels?  This life-cycle cost data is important, is required by statute, and ignored by our building committee programmers, on the Safety Building, High School, and Library projects.  Yes, business as usual!
     There are distinct recording problems as well ... fees and fines do not agree with Department records listed in the annual reports.  A 20% differential cannot be waved away by claiming the fiscal year or calendar year issue ... adjusting the one half prior or following year still leaves this differential.  I have asked for these numbers for 18 months and have been ignored with the comment that these are not available or not public records (the manager’s comments to the Attorney General twice earlier this year).  Who is in error?  Yes, business as usual!
     Snow and Ice overage was most interesting ... a number of $345,000 was presented.  The manager, in a response to a request for information (RFI), noted this number as $450,436.35!  And he also wrote this is not “public record”!  Randy even quoted the statute! ... chap 44 ... And Larry, you asked some questions on this item ... yet no one noted the content of this statute as requiring “advisory committee approval”, in addition to the town manager.  There is no record in the AdCom minutes, and when asked in open session, they indicated that no request or vote on this item had occurred!!!  Yes, business as usual!
     The manager noted that they were pursuing a total 1.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the coming year ... was this another directive from your Board for which no record exists (as with the prior ZERO/3% COLA increase)?  And what of the public statement that they only got ZERO/3% this year? ... everyone continues to ignore the 1% already built in to two contracts for FY 11 and 12!  Here again is the quandry ... is the COLA a raise, or is the step a raise, or are both? ..., or is the COLA the “goody” dangled to get those on max (the majority of the members) to vote for the contract?  If this latter is so, lets apply the COLA only to those on max as a payment similar to the longevity payments!  Randy reported that the CAP increase would be $846,000; the COLA alone will take care of $584,000 of this.  What is the total step cost?  How far does it exceed the remainder? ... are we bound to cut anyway just to meet the cap?  Yes, business as usual!
     When someone asked what is the total tax increase anticipated after being told that we are better by 1/3 than last year at this time, in spite of only a $700,000 estimated shortfall, the answer was colored with laudatory statements concerning the exclusion bonds and the Town’s appropriate funding of these, the number stated was in a 5+% range.  We must note that since 1997 population has increased by but 6%; Consumer Price Index by 36%; and our spending by 100%!  This has been possible with the non-recorded transfers, fees, and grants, above the 5+% noted above.  These funds are used to meet expenditures above appropriations rather than reducing the tax rate!  And noted that this acceptance of the Town’s responsibly has occurred for years (except for the Ahearne school for 30 years and the town hall for 48 years).  Who is responsible to maintain Town Hall?  The Board of Selectmen!  “Business as usual”?  Is incompetency also included in this “as usual”?
     Let’s return instead to doing the “PEOPLE’S BUSINESS”!

Dick Heydecker - 543-9412