BY RYAN O’CONNOR
For the second consecutive Bow selectmen’s meeting, newly elected board member Thomas Keane deferred reponsiblity of making roughly $500,000 in budget cuts to Town Manager Jim Pitts.
When the board met Tuesday, May 29, a week after the second portion of Town Meeting, members were able to pinpoint some areas where concessions may be made to eliminate $472,158 from the board’s original proposed budget.
Still, Keane and Town Manager Jim Pitts disagreed about where the responsibility of the cuts lay.
“It’s my understanding that the town manager has primary responsibility of coming up with the budget,” said Keane, who pointed out town managers carry more responsibility than town administrators.
Pitts, however, said RSA 37 specifies the duties of a town manager, but RSA 32, he said, makes it clear that his role is to draft a budget to present to selectmen, who make modifications then send it to the budget committee, who then send the budget to Town Meeting along with the selectmen’s recommendation.
“The RSAs don’t permit much argument,” said Pitts.
Keane disagreed.
“I’d prefer to hear what the person that’s closest to the staff has to say about it,” he said.
Other board members had suggestions, however.
Selectman Harry Judd suggested cutting more than $190,000 for the paving of Dunbarton Center Road and One Stack Road.
“Obviously, we have a paving schedule we’re trying to adhere to, but it’s become apparent we may have to delay it a year,” said Town Manager James Pitts, who noted the town could feasibly remove as much as $240,000 to $250,000 from asphalt, which was originally budgeted, and eliminate all paving, with the exception of emergencies, for the upcoming fiscal year.
Judd, however, said he was not suggesting eliminating paving altogether, but rather selecting roads that, for various reasons, can wait a year.
Selectman Leon Kenison, who is a retired Department of Transportation commission, said once a road begins to break up, the cost goes up. Board member Jack Crisp said he is fearful of Kenison’s point, combined with asphalt costs going up $18 to $25 per year.
“I’m concerned that we’re saving $190,000 this year to spend $300,000 next year to accomplish the same thing,” said Crisp. “My question is, ‘Where is the savings there?’”
Judd then asked Pitts what the feasibility would be of changing trash pickup from every week to every other week, to which Pitts said there would be no savings, as the contracted company would either have to expand man hours or add trucks.
Crisp suggested going back to a simple transfer station program of trash disposal to which Judd said the town could feasibly do after this year, the final year of its contract.
Pitts, at the request of the board, suggested the following cuts, noting they are not recommendations, but possible areas that can be cut with the least impact on town services, though he said there is no doubt the town will lose out on both services and personnel:
• Street sweeping – $24,000
• Alexander Cemetery survey layout – $5,000
• DPW truck painting – $5,000
• Planning Department legal expenses – $8,000
• Hazardous Waste Removal Day – $6,000
• Heritage Commission – $10,425
• Town clerk: DMV printers – $11,100
• Town manager: conference recorder – $2,500
• Bow Center School foundation repair – $3,000
• Elections: laptop computer – $2,000
• Bow Bog Meeting House trim repair and painting – $2,500
• Old Town Hall floor refinishing – $3,000
• Fire Department: deluge gun, ground monitor – $4,000
• Library: 5.77 percent removed from bottom line – $23,092
• Asphalt – $240,319
• Guardrail – $5,000
• DPW: tire service equipment – $5,000
• DPW: cemetery mower – $11,000
• DPW: brush dump from 19 days to 10 – $1,500
• Police cruiser – $29,000
Pitts explained a new police cruiser must still be purchased, but he is willing to wait and use surplus funds for a replacement vehicle.
He also said he would not cut benefits or wages to town employees, who have put in countless hours over the past couple years.
The subtotal for suggested services cut would be $401,436. To get to the $472,158 made necessary by Keane’s amendment, Pitts said personnel cuts would need to be made as well.
To accomplish the task, he said the Fire Department would have to go to 24/6 coverage instead of 24/7, leaving only an on-call service between Saturday and Sunday, which would save roughly $39,111.
Part-time police officers would also have to be cut, with the exception of one officer who regularly works 32 hours a week. The savings would be $31,611, said Pitts.
Combined with personnel cuts, Pitts’ total suggestions would reach the goal of $472,158.
Keane said he was disappointed Pitts didn’t suggest cuts in any new or expanded positions, including the Planning Department and full-time police lieutenant.
He added that Celebrating Children, the town-run preschool, should not be adding two new teachers and an associate aid.
Kenison told Keane he had the opportunity to make similar suggestions the previous meeting.
“I threw out a basket and said, ‘If you have some ideas, throw them in,’” said Kenison.
Pitts said the police lieutenant position would only be increasing eight hours a week.
Judd further explained that Celebrating Children brings in just as much revenue, through tuition, as expense and, therefore, is essentially a self-funding entity within the municipal government.
Kenison said it’s not a concern as the program will likely split from the town in an upcoming year.
Keane also voiced displeasure about the cost of dispatch services in town, citing the revenue from other towns covered under Bow dispatch doesn’t cover the exorbitant expense of the service.
“I strongly recommend contracting with Merrimack County Sheriff’s Department dispatch services,” he said.
Pitts said the idea has been suggested and rejected in years past, including via a petitioned warrant article, which was voted down at Town Meeting.
Keane did, however, agree with some of Pitts’ cut suggestions, but questioned the need for a new police cruiser at all.
Pitts said the police cruisers are on a one-per-year purchase schedule, noting the replaced cruisers are always well over 100,000 miles when they are replaced after three to five years.
Kenison had other concerns.
“As far as street sweeping is concerned, as a motorcyclist, I don’t like it, and as a bicyclist, I wouldn’t either,” he said.
Other ideas suggested include shutting off street lamps selectively or altogether, and not funding as much to Parks and Recreation maintenance.
Kenison ended the discussion by suggesting each selectman consider the proposed cuts and return to the next meeting, on Tuesday, June 12, for further discussion, including input from department heads.