New Fairfield to vote on nearly $200K public safety request

NEW FAIRFIELD — A $195,500 funding request to support public safety-related needs in town goes to taxpayer vote Tuesday.

The requested appropriations include funding for a third full-time school resource officer, part-time dispatcher salaries, as well as additional money needed for the purchase of a police vehicle and an increase in the town's ambulance/paramedic contract with Nuvance.

The town looks to fund the appropriations through the general fund and use money from its 2021-22 budget surplus to reimburse the general fund.

The largest of the requested appropriations is for a permanent school resource officer for the Meeting House Hill School and Consolidated Early Learning Academy campus — $40,500 for salary and $69,500 for the purchase of a vehicle and equipment.

Having a permanent school resource officer at the Meeting House and Consolidated campus would “ensure some consistency in those buildings” and result in cost-savings, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco has said.

With a third full-time school resource officer, she said the town would only pay one officer overtime for this work instead of two.

The other additional appropriations up for vote include $58,000 for parttime dispatcher salaries, $22,500 for the town's ambulance/paramedic contract and $5,000 toward the purchase of a police vehicle. The funding for parttime dispatcher salaries is part of a plan to address a staffing shortage problem at New Fairfield's emergency communications center.

Due in part to a 12-hour overnight shift requirement, Del Monaco has said it's been difficult to hire part-time dispatchers, and the lack of employees has resulted in steadily increasing overtime costs.

Instead of 12-hour shifts, the town plans to offer flexible part-time shifts at the dispatch center. Del Monaco has said the idea is to attract more part-time dispatcher candidates and also help reduce overtime costs.

The $22,500 appropriation request stems from an unanticipated increase in New Fairfield's ambulance/ paramedic contract with Nuvance.

After informing the town of a 2 percent increase during budget season, Del Monaco has said Danbury Hospital came back and asked for a 5 percent increase instead, citing COVID-related impacts on their operations. That's $22,500 more than the town budgeted for.

The town's $5,000 request toward the purchase of a police car stems from a budget shortfall.

The Board of Selectmen included $60,000 for a police car and equipment in its 2022-23 budget, but price increases left the town short $5,000.

Tuesday's town meeting on the $195,500 appropriations will take place in the New Fairfield Senior Center at 7 p.m.