The Board of Selectmen completed its review involving the 2021-22 Municipal budget request after hearing from several more department and organization representatives, January 28. Selectmen then met virtually February 1 to approve a slightly modified spending plan before sending it to finance officials for the next requisite phase of vetting.

The modified proposal requests municipal spending in the amount of $43,925,927 after a few small motions reduced the anticipated increase from 2.24 to 2.2 percent — a $951,168 bump, according to Town Finance Director Robert Tait. This proposal contains the entire debt service expense on bonding, including all interest on borrowing for school district capital projects.

Tait said on February 2 that the Board of Education approved an $80,682,470 budget request for the next fiscal year — a 2.58 percent bump, adding $2,030,694 to the current year’s approved amount. (See separate coverage in today’s edition.)

Both the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council have the wherewithal to adjust each budget plan before voters have the final say at referendum April 27. Those officials have line-item authority on the municipal request, but any reductions made to the school district’s proposal can only be applied to the bottom line total.

During the February 1 selectmen’s meeting, Selectman Maureen Crick Owen had the responsibility of introducing each of the more than 50 line items that, for the most part, were quickly and unanimously approved.

The first pause in the process occurred with the Board of Fire Commissioners request, which allocates any municipal spending among the town’s five separate nonprofit volunteer fire companies. Selectman Jeff Capeci noted that over the last two years the equipment line increased first by 11 percent (current) and then by 18.75 percent (2022 request).

After noting that the increase appeared to reflect mostly a need for replacement hose at the Botsford fire company, Capeci moved to reduce the equipment allocation by $11,269.

Crick Owen asked if the increase was because of a need for more hose in the coming year, and First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said he would consult with the commissioners to determine if a flat year-to-year allocation could be applied for new hose. Capeci noted that the fire budget increase stood at 4.4 percent — double the overall budget proposal, and suggested the reduction could be absorbed.

His colleagues agreed, recasting the fire commissioners’ bottom line at $1,447,603 with Rosenthal pledging to support a budget transfer to the commissioners if the need for additional unbudgeted equipment arose at one or more fire companies.

NUSAR Request Reduced

Capeci also zeroed in on the request from the Newtown Underwater Search and Rescue agency (NUSAR), pointing to an 88 percent increase in professional services. With a relatively small $7,500 request to begin with, Tait noted that a $3,500 increase in medical physicals for members was likely responsible for the stark increase in that line.

A motion to reduce the NUSAR budget by $1,000 was then made and unanimously accepted.

A few minutes later, the first selectman addressed the fact that the Cultural Arts Commission budget line was zeroed out in the current request. According to budget details that Rosenthal related, in 2008-09 the first appropriation of $2,000 was approved to help the new commission with its administrative expenses.

In the same fiscal year, an additional $10,000 was approved to help fund the Connecticut Film Festival. Since that first year, annual budget amounts have been relatively level, and Rosenthal said the budget in 2019-20 was reduced to $0 due to a healthy fund balance in the cultural arts special revenue fund.

That fund had a balance of $182,111 on June 30, 2020, the budget document reflects.

The next pause came over the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers request, when the first selectman related that the initial budget was submitted with a formulary error and was $41,000 short of what was actually needed to meet anticipated expenses, including revenue losses. But instead of making an addition to the budget at this late juncture, Rosenthal asked his colleagues if they would be willing to address the shortfall through the Capital Nonrecurring fund, “depending on how the year unfolds.”

Crick Owen said she was confident there were other avenues to fund an operating shortfall if one developed.

“If I thought this was going to be an ongoing ask, I’d feel more compelled to adjust this [proposed] budget,” he said. Capeci, again noting the significant year-to-year increase, wondered if the shortfall projections were appropriate, and agreed to support a future allocation if it was justified.

“If the time comes, we’ll have to do something,” Rosenthal said.

Wrapping up their work for the evening, the selectmen completed recalculating the new bottom line and requested increase before adjourning.

Edmond Town Hall

The final review meeting January 28 welcomed representatives from Edmond Town Hall, the fire commissioners, and Public Works Director Fred Hurley.

Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers Chair Jennifer Chaudhary explained that the higher-than-anticipated budget request was tied to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions her board believes will continue to affect operations and revenue. Documentation she provided showed a $176,000 projected operating revenue deficit because of the postponement of a series of live concerts, the cancellation of a live NewArts production of A Christmas Carol, and revenues generated by facility rentals for sports teams.

In addition, the Edmond Town Hall incurred an unanticipated $5,244 to cover COVID-related sanitization, with the expectation that cost would increase in the coming year. Chaudhary also pointed out that plans to lobby for a permanent liquor license were delayed, and that plans to schedule a Borough of Newtown public hearing related to an overlay district had stalled.

Future action by the borough government relaxing tight restrictions on the types of facility rentals and tenants allowed will continue to be sought, in the hopes of expanding the pool of possible tenants in the future. Chaudhary also reported that a number of repairs and improvements continued despite the pandemic, including installation of an upgraded stage lighting system that would enhance the possibility of hosting more live events.

To reduce expenses, Chaudhary said a full-time theater coordinator position that had been recently created was eliminated, and another full-time staff member departed and there was no immediate rush to fill that post. Two other part-time staffers also departed, she reported, and the schedules of remaining employees were modified to be more responsive to adjusted hours and the needs of tenants and remaining rental clients.

In addition, no salary increases were made in 2020, all purchasing was minimized, house staff was used whenever possible for maintenance and repairs, and the managers issued a development fundraising program by mail.

Public Works Review

The Public Works review highlighted several budget points, including:

*Without the $250,000 increase in capital roads spending, the highway budget increase would be $26,981 or 0.34 percent;

*In total, there will be $3 million available for road improvements in 2021-22 if the highway budget amount of $2,500,000 and the CIP bonding amount of $500,000 are approved and appropriated. Projected work includes 15 miles of overlay, reclamation, and drainage, along with ten more miles of chip sealing;

*Capital requests for this year include the replacement of two 11-foot snowplows at $13,000 each; $66,000 for frame rail replacement to extend the life of one large department truck; two $60,000 all-season truck body replacements also to extend vehicle life; and the full replacement of a ten-wheel dump truck with stainless steel body and plow for $250,000;

*The budget for the winter maintenance department for fiscal year 2021-22 decreased $119,688, or 16.07 percent. The decrease is mainly due to the reduction in treated salt prices and lower five-year averages;

*The budget request for the transfer station department for fiscal year 2021-22 increased by $52,371, or 3.36 percent. The capital line increase of $65,000 is to institute a new piece of equipment that will reduce general hauling costs and provide many other benefits and cost savings. That unit — a used heavy duty hook truck — is budgeted at $100,000; and

*The budget for the public building maintenance department for fiscal year 2021-22 increased by $39,725 or 4.8 percent. The increase is mainly due to five items: adding a part-time (25 hours per week) maintenance worker; anticipation of water benefit assessment at Fairfield Hills; increased maintenance of aging HVAC; increased contractual services for increased building square footage; and planned painting and handicap door installation.

Rosenthal said he will introduce the municipal budget request at the February 8 regular Board of Finance meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm. The finance board’s public hearing on both the town and school budgets is scheduled for Thursday, February 11, at 7 pm.

A legal notice ad with budget specifics is located on Page B-7 of this week's Newtown Bee.