By ANGELO LYNN
WEST RUTLAND — In discussions about the town’s upcoming 2023-24 fiscal year budget, the West Rutland selectboard has been working its way through departmental budgets, including the line item for the town’s fire department and the town’s contract with the Rutland County sheriff David Fox.
In its Dec. 12 meeting, Fire Chief Michael Skaza and Assistant Fire Chief Tom Lacz were there to present a budget that was 5.8% higher than the previous year’s spending. That increase came from an extra $9,000 in personal protective equipment, and increasing truck savings by $5,000. The chiefs said that the department’s existing protective gear was 20 years old and at $3,000 per each set, the department hoped to add three sets annually over the next few years until the crew’s equipment was fully updated.
The overall fire department budget was up $12,355, with most line items level-funded.
Under longer-term capital equipment needs, the department is asking for the replacement of vehicle extrication tools, at about $70,000, as their equipment is 25 years old and is, they said, “unreliable and unserviceable.” Also under capital equipment, the department requested $29,000 to replace their base radio and a radio repeater, at $15,000, to “ensure reliable communications during at emergency.” Both systems are over 20 years old.
After discussion, the selectboard unanimously approved a motion by selectman Chet Brown to purchase the radio gear as soon as possible “as it will probably take eight months to deliver.” The selectboard will also being to demo extrication tools to purchase at a later date.
Under the sheriff’s budget, Sherrif Fox asked for a 4% increase, which would bring the total request to $104,416, for 40 hours of coverage per week. Because of a current staffing shortage, however, the sheriff will be billing the town only for the hours provided (which may be below 40) until he can resolve staffing issues. The sheriff and selectboard also discussed the heavy truck traffic on Whipple Hollow Road and how to address it, and noted that OMYA is no longer funding any patrol in West Rutland, though it continues to do so in Pittsford.
In other business the selectboard:
• Approved participating in a tri-town recreational path grant application with Proctor and Pittsford that would create a bike loop between the communities for town recreation as well as creating a tourism asset for the area. The town’s match would be 1/3 of the $10,000 application.
• Opted to eliminate comp time from the personnel policy and pay any overtime directly as worked.
• Heard from the town manager on several issues, including that the town has corrected safety issues recommended by VOSHA, which reduced fines to $5,700; hired Jacob Crockett for the highway crew to begin in January; learned the town was writing grants for a culvert replacement on Whipple Hollow and a mural on Marble Street, and that the town was purchasing chairs and tables from Sweet Caroline’s for the auditorium.
More discussion on the town’s upcoming budget will continue at the town’s next selectboard meeting in January.
