SAUGUS — The Finance Committee reviewed the proposed budget for the Department of Public Works Wednesday night, first highlighting the great work the DPW did during the heavy winter season.
“DPW, the staff, all the men, supporting staff at Town Hall, everywhere, did a great job this winter in one of the most trying seasons we can remember in a long time,” Chair Kenneth DePatto said. “… Everybody contributed one way or another.”
DPW Director Brendan O’Regan thanked DePatto for the kind words, noting how all the men and women of the DPW worked hard all winter.
As the Committee went through the items in the budget, members were given the chance to ask Town Manager Scott Crabtree questions.
DePatto asked for confirmation on the number of engineers the town has, to which Crabtree responded that they currently have three, including O’Regan, but that they also have a GIS (Geographical Information System) manager and coordinator.
“They’re heading up the electronic permitting, and GIS is trying to coordinate all the departments on a global system so that each department can communicate with each other and draw information back and forth,” Crabtree said.
DePatto noted that overtime was level-funded for the department.
“For the last seven plus years, we’ve had very good mild winters. The cost of everything is through the roof… That’s going to be quite a significant amount… We try to fund that. We fund that or appropriate the expenses that we incur within the fiscal year. They’re going to be different. When we had big winters seven years ago, (it’s) different than a big winter these days,” Crabtree said.
DePatto asked then, when the Committee does the snow and ice removal for the fiscal year, would they be able to look at all the equipment and see all the damage that occurred. Crabtree stated that it does get evaluated.
Committee member David Defilippis asked about the replacement and repair of equipment, wondering what the best guess is for the amount of the budget that goes into it.
“If we can relate it, a majority of it is associated with snow and ice because we use the same vehicles for regular construction work and maintenance work. If we can relate it to snow and ice, then it’s going to be paid for under the snow and ice budget. This particular year, I’d say we’re over $200,000 in vehicle repairs,” O’Regan said.
Crabtree mentioned that there are other towns and cities having to cut items from budgets to pay for the snow and ice line.
When looking at the snow and ice section of the budget, DePatto asked Treasurer/Collector Wendy Hatch if there was a number available right now; however, she said that there are still additional bills being processed.
“It’s considerable. Let’s put it that way,” Crabtree said. “… The good news is we have an ability to pay for it within the fiscal year rather than carrying over a legal deficit that then have to raise and make cuts going into the next budget as was the practice here for four decades.”
