Additional first responders called for

East Lyme’s proposed budget includes extra police officer, firefighters

East Lyme — First Selectman Mark Nickerson’s proposed town government budget for 2019-20 calls for hiring an additional police officer, parttime dispatcher and two full-time firefighters.

Nickerson presented his proposed $25.1 million budget to the Board of Selectmen earlier this month. It calls for a $909,000, or 3.76 percent increase, over the current spending plan, which had no increase. Nickerson said Monday that, due to recent recalculations, the budget now shows a 2.2 percent increase.

Nickerson said that because Town Hall was closed Monday he could not provide documents detailing the calculations, but he explained that state revenues drove down the proposed costs. He said that none of the original departmental requests have been removed from his proposal.

Nickerson’s proposed budget increase comes as residents prepare for Wednesday’s referendum vote on a proposed $5 million renovated public safety facility.

He said last Thursday that the current budget with a zero percent increase, though fiscally responsible, has strained town departments. He said that proposing a “bare bones” budget last year was a “one-off” event and that this year’s spending requests were more realistic for a town such as East Lyme.

“Our personality is that we are a small town, but in reality, we are a robust, medium-sized town. People pick up the phone and expect to have that tree limb removed, or a pothole to be fixed. But we just can’t get to everything anymore,” Nickerson said.

“We got away with it one time,” Nickerson continued, explaining that maintenance repairs, contract renewals and rehires, as well as other costs, have been delayed because of this year’s spending plan. “But this is taking its toll on town services.”

Nickerson said that he doesn’t expect all his requests to be met and that the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance will likely cut his proposed budget over the coming months.

“Last year I didn’t allow any conversation about what the town should spend and where,” he said. “But this year we can have those conversations. We can decide where to spend money.”

As part of his $25.1 million proposal, which includes general-government, debt service and capital spending, Nickerson has included $71,581 for an additional police officer, $21,926 for an additional dispatcher and $63,000 more for the library.

Among the items in the proposed $840,000 capital improvement plan, which contains a $75,000 increase, is funding for public works trucks, technology upgrades, fire hoses and a thermal imaging camera, among other requests.

Nearly $200,000 has also been budgeted for the hiring of two overnight firefighters. That spending, Nickerson said, would be offset by revenues from the East Lyme Ambulance Association, which has agreed to pay the salaries of the two positions, which are estimated around $141,000 combined over a three-year period starting July 1.

The town, then, would pay their benefits, estimated at $59,000. ELAA also has agreed to cover overtime costs not exceeding 10 percent of the salaries, for a total of $155,000.

After the initial three-year period, the town and ELAA would split the costs for the two firefighters over the next two years.

Nickerson said that after a five-year period, the town would then work with the ELAA to slowly take on the full costs of those firefighters — a way for the town to gradually increase its number of firefighters. Currently, the town does not have overnight firefighters and relies solely on volunteers to respond to overnight calls.

Nickerson said the town’s dispatch center has been “woefully understaffed” and that because of increased call volumes over the years, the town should hire a full-time dispatcher so there are two on per shift. Nickerson said that hiring a full-time dispatcher would eliminate a part-time position within the department.

Nickerson said the police commission requested the hiring of two new police officers next year, but Nickerson only budgeted for one.

“With all the changes that might be happening soon, stepping into this one at a time is the right move,” Nickerson said. He said he expects some police officers to soon retire allowing for the new hires in the future.

Other reasons for the proposed budget increase is an additional $229,000 in debt payments, in part due to the $38 million elementary school renovation project, as well an an additional $108,000 for health insurance and retirement costs. Nickerson said that in an effort to keep insurance rates steady, the town will move from being self insured to a state health insurance plan on July 1.

On the revenue side, Nickerson reported a $28,000 in investment earning, an addition $350,000 increase in tuition revenue accrued from nonresident students, $28,250 from recycling efforts and $35,000 more from landfill deposits. He said the Youth Services Bureau is to receive a $24,800 grant and the town will also receive a $50,000 Pequot Grant.

The Board of Selectmen will review the budget before sending it to the Board of Finance. The selectmen are scheduled to begin reviewing department budgets Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.