Hancock Advisory Committee Meeting

Monday, January 18, 2010

Minutes

 

Present: Gail Hoffmann, Marsha Kono, Rich LeFebvre, Greg Lusted (Chair), Pat Payne.

The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Office.

 

The Advisory Committee met with Nevan Cassidy, Fire Chief, to discuss the Fire Department's plans and budget request for 2010.

 

Nevan remarked on the continuing challenges of a volunteer fire department and expressed pride in and gratitude for the Department's volunteer members and supporters. In response to a query from Rich LeFebvre, he said he'd also heard a few rumors around Peterboro Fire's possible change to "paid" status but thinks it's just talk at this point. As far as our involvement with Peterboro, Nevan says we're doing more "station covering" than in the past and perhaps more than is really warranted – but that overall the aid arrangement, in effect for more than 50 years, provides Hancock with needed "insurance" in the event of a really big fire.

 

FIRE DEPARTMENT Acct.# 01-4220

*    The proposed 2010 budget is $68,826, which is up $4.5K or +7% over the 09 Budget. Compared with 2009 actual spending, the 2010 request is up $6K or 9.6%. [From 1-19-10 version of the 2010 Expense Budget/Report]

*      Nevan explained a significant change in the way training/training time is handled from prior years which affects the lines for both Wages [line 120] and Training [line 700]. Previously the department paid firefighters for course hours when attending off-site training, as well as paying the course fee. In the future, the only paid training time will be for the Department's regular, mandatory on-site continuing education program (2-hour sessions, twice a month) staffed with an outside contractor, who will also be able to do EMT recertifications.

*      Salaries/Wages, which account for almost half of the budget, are essentially flat with the 09 budget, and down about $700 from 09 actual spending.

*      The requested Training budget [line 700] is $5300, which is up $1950 or +58% over the 2009 budget. The difference appears to reflect off-site course fees for 2 new firefighters ($2150 total).

*      The line for Equipment Maintenance shows a requested $5810, supported by a detailed list of estimated repairs. The requested figure is up $810 or +16.2% over the 09 budget. Nevan did say that ideally, the full amount will not be needed but the request seems high in light of underspending of budgeted amounts in the last two years.

* The other line showing a major increase is the fee for the Mutual Aid Dispatch Service out of Keene. Preliminary request for this line is $18526, up $1072 or +6.3% over 2009, and apparently may not yet include all increased insurance costs at the dispatch service. Nevan admitted this is frustrating, but that there is no real alternative.

 

The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Marsha Kono

[As approved: Feb. 4, 2010]

 

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