Lynnfield fire chief focus during budget reviews

LYNNFIELD – Budget reviews were the main event at Monday evening?s Board of Selectmen meeting in Lynnfield, and the presentation by Fire Chief Thomas Bogart was met with many questions from the board.Bogart said that the fire department would be level-funded for the upcoming fiscal year except for contractual raises for staff members. He requested an increase in funding to allow for his own contractual professional development training, which would cost $4,000, and for dispatcher training, which would cost $8,128. Bogart also asked for a 25 percent increase in the amount that is budgeted for the enterprise fund – the amount of money generated from fire department and ambulance work – because of an increase in the amount of service calls over the last three to four years.Board of Selectmen Chairman Arthur Bourque said to Bogart that he did not doubt that the number of calls have gone up, but asked that Bogart explore new ways in conducting the department?s operations.?There?s a lot of money involved to man the ambulance, but it may not result in an effective use of the manpower and the time,” Bourque said.Bourque also was stern with Bogart for making no changes to the system set up by his predecessor, former chief Paul Romano, and said the board was displeased.?The question is, are we operating this as efficiently as we can?” said Selectman Al Merritt.Bogart responded, “I believe this department gets its best bang for every tax dollar.”The $45,000 item in Bogart?s capital budget for a new department vehicle was also challenged. Bogart would drive the new vehicle, which would replace a high-mileage vehicle, and shuffle around the vehicles driven by other staff members. Bogart?s current vehicle would be given to Assistant Chief John Walsh, a paramedic who responds to calls off-duty.Bogart said that Walsh?s work was a large part of the increase in emergency service revenues, but Bourque said it is also expensive to have Walsh do such work on time-and-a-half pay.?It costs taxpayers a lot of money when he comes in, and it costs the taxpayers a lot of money for him to have a vehicle,” Bourque said.Lynnfield Public Library Director Nancy Ryan presented next, asking for a $350 increase in the in-state travel line item for staff training and $55,000 to restore the assistant director position. The library?s operating budget also included 3 percent contractual salary increases.Police Chief David Breen offered his department?s budget last, requesting staffing increases that would allow for a new officers and a full-time detective, a position the department has never had. For capital expenditures, Breen asked for a replacement of the department?s old guns for $12,150, a new cruiser for around $31,000 and two more in-cruiser computers for $10,720, among other items.In the matters for approval after the budget reviews, the selectmen voted to permit the establishment of a gift account for the fire department, which would be in the custody of the town treasurer. For example, if a family wanted to thank the department for its service in the form of a gift, the department would be allowed to accept and spend that gift, with the treasurer overseeing any transactions.The Board of Selectmen will meet again at Town Hall on Feb. 27.Sarah Mupo can be reached at [email protected].