KENT, Conn.—The Board of Finance cast a gimlet eye on the Selectmen’s proposed $17,121,362 budget on Wednesday, March 11. The budget, with education costs and capital projects included, reflects an increase of $938,411, or 5.80 percent.
Finance member Jason Wright commented that there “doesn’t seem to be a lot of nice-to-haves” as opposed to items that are necessary, but that the year-over-year increase is “significant” and might be hard to sell to taxpayers.
Finance Chairman Nancy Odea Wyrick said that when all the budget presentations have been made “we might have to think about moving this or putting that back.”
Of particular interest to finance members was a new line item, $23,000, that represents Kent’s 20 percent share of a program designed to keep hydrilla, a highly invasive plant, out of Lake Waramaug.
Other towns that border the lake, Warren and Washington, will assume 40 percent each.
The Lake Waramaug Authority is purchasing a decontamination unit that will spray hot water into hidden recesses of boats and trailers before they can be lowered into the water. Vessels and trailers will be visually inspected at the public boat launch and if there are any plant materials or zebra mussels evident, they will be referred to the decontamination unit, which will be located at the New Preston Firehouse.
Any boat or trailer with hidden recesses will automatically be sent for decontamination.
There will be two inspectors at the boat launch and an assistant and supervisor at the decontamination unit.
Kent officials have been resistant to the $23,000 charge. Finance member Jason Wright notes that the town has only 15 percent of the shoreline and much of that is taken up by a state park. He believes that the town should negotiate with the other towns for access to more amenities for Kent residents if it is to assume a portion of the cost of lake maintenance.
Finance member Charles Cogut wondered if the assessment is “pursuant to some agreement.” “It’s part of an interlocal agreement that goes back long before me,” said newly elected First Selectman Eric Epstein.
Epstein added that the $23,000 is for a pilot program for the coming season. “They are still figuring it out,” he said, “but it will probably have to continue in future years.”
Because the decontamination center will be manned by different numbers of employees at any one time and for varying numbers of hours, the lake authority has figured its budget at 1,579 hours at $22 an hour for assistants and $30 an hour for the supervisor.
Selectman Lynn Harrington reiterated her objection to the pay rate, saying that the towns could end of paying $700 a day “and not see a boat come in.” It is estimated that about 150 boats access the lake from the general public during the season and an additional 150 are launched at the beginning of the season by property owners.
Members objected to the Lake Waramaug Authority setting a pay scale that would then be paid by municipalities. “I would imagine there will be some sprightly discussions in the towns,” said Odea Wyrick. “That the authority is going to make decisions that the towns will pay for is not right.”
Wright urged that permits be sold for those accessing the water. “We have an expense related to the boats on it,” he said. “They’re asking the rest of the townspeople to subsidize the boaters.”
Epstein told the finance members that hydrilla has now infested lakes all around Lake Waramaug. “It’s in Twin Lakes and they have spent a million dollars over three years to try to control it. It’s very prevalent in the Connecticut River and anglers drop a boat in the river and then take them to another lake.”
Indeed, studies by the Connecticut Agricultural Experimentation Station, show that there has been no spread of hydrilla except where there are boat launches.
“As a one-year thing, I don’t think we have a choice,” said Wright, “but then we have to look at how to mitigate this going forward.” He suggested that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection should raise park usage fees to offset some of the expense.
Attention turned to what Kent is doing to protect water bodies within its own borders and it was suggested an ordinance be crafted and a task force formed.
Turning their attention elsewhere, finance members discussed a new $23,400 line item in the selectmen’s budget for a website and social media specialist. Epstein explained that the work has been managed out of the Town Clerk’s Office and that the town clerk has sought to negotiate with several administrations about recompense for the additional work. That had never been successful, and Town Clerk Doreen Brady notified the Board of Selectmen that her office would no longer be responsible for the town website after June 30.
Epstein said he is working on a job description for the new position.
Health insurance will rise from $30,137 to $40,894, more than 35 percent. Treasurer Barbara Herbst explained that part of the increase results from a change of status for one town employee who went from a single ensured person to married.
Another new line item, for communications, added another $2,000. This, Epstein said, results from a request from the Broadband Subcommittee for funds to use for postage and mailings to constituents. The fund can be used by any town committee.
Wright noted that all the increases added up to a 22 percent increase in the selectmen’s department expenses. “Even if you take out the new position, that’s still a big increase,” he said.
Looking at other items, Epstein said the selectmen reduced the cemetery sexton line item from $28,000 to $18,000 based on hours worked, and reduced the salary line for the registrars of voters by $4,000 based on funds expended over the past two years.
Large increases were noted in maintenance costs for town hall. It was explained that the increases include upgrades to the building and the fact that the previous custodian retired. “We put it out to bid and the rates were tremendously higher,” Epstein reported.
He reported that the paramedic service contract will expire in June, a fact that member towns had not realized until it was too late to advertise for bids and negotiate a new contract. The current service has agreed to a one-year contract extension at $189,484, a 3 percent increase. The Kent Volunteer Fire Department grant will increase $5,000 or 3.7 percent, to $140,000.
EMS staffing will cost $20,000 (5 percent) more, up to $420,000 because of contractual increases. Odea Wyrick asked why 5 percent more was budgeted when costs will actually go up only 3 percent and suggested the selectmen sharpen their pencils and reduce it to $412,000.
The selectmen allocated 14 hours a week for the fire marshal, boosting that line item from $26,687 to $35,363, about 32 percent. At the same time, they removed all funding, $3,000, for fire investigations as that item will be covered by the hourly wage.
Town employees will receive 2.8 percent increases in their salaries, with the exception of the Public Works Department, part of the Teamsters’ Union, which negotiated 3.2 percent annual increases through June 2029.
Police protection would rise 11.62 percent, from $164,462 to $183,574, including $15,000 for over time. Epstein explained that last year police overtime was required to deal with summertime gatherings that crowded accessible points along the Housatonic River.
Finally, the selectmen added $40,000 to the Schaghticoke line item for legal services to oppose federal recognition of either the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe or its rival group the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. The line item now totals $85,000.
