In a continuing theme this budget season, the Fire Department and Ambulance Service are asking for a second full-time combined fire prevention-EMT position to cover the increased volume of work in both departments. And Finance Director Jared Mullane is asking to convert a part-time position in his department to full time. The Finance Committee reviewed those requests at its Jan. 26 meeting, and it will add them to its growing list of personnel-related budget increases to consider after it has met with all departments.
Fire Chief Rick Sicard told the committee that his department’s increased volume of permit inspections, up 25% over the last five years, is putting a “great strain” on Lt. Andrew Perry, who holds the existing position. That leaves Perry with little time for other tasks. For instance, fire prevention personnel are supposed to conduct quarterly commercial inspections, but Sicard said there’s no time for that. The only commercial inspections being done regularly are at the three businesses in town with liquor licenses, and those are only being done because license renewals require an annual safety inspection.
The Ambulance Service’s co-director, Jason Cotting, said Perry is the training officer, operations supervisor, supplies and equipment officer, and designated infection control officer, in addition to being an EMT. Cotting said he prefers to have volunteers respond to calls so Perry can perform his other duties. But the department has only three people for weekday daytime response, so sometimes he needs to “cobble together a crew” with Perry, paramedics from Bolton, or “other things that ride the edge of what’s allowable from a regulatory standpoint,” Cotting said. “We’re in a situation where demands exceed available resources.”
Finance Director Mullane requests that the existing assistant town clerk position be switched to an accounting assistant and that the part-time receptionist position be expanded to a full-time receptionist-assistant town clerk position. Mullane told the committee there is a backlog of accounting work, and some accounts have never been reconciled but should be done monthly or quarterly. He said not regularly reconciling these accounts could affect free cash and might raise audit questions that could potentially impact the town’s bond rating.
In 2017 the town replaced the accounting officer position with a new position combining the roles of assistant town clerk and accounting clerk, a job held since then by Catherine Bowen. Mullane said inputting and processing accounts payable take up about 50% of Bowen’s time, leaving no time to do any additional accounting tasks. There would be no increase in hours in the exchange from assistant town clerk to accounting assistant; the receptionist position would increase by 22 hours to accommodate assistant town clerk duties, and that position would become eligible for benefits.
Several members asked if a volunteer or an intern might be able to do the accounting work, but Mullane said it would require an accounting background or degree. He said the backlog of work could take two years, and the additional reconciliations would be ongoing, making it difficult to rely on a volunteer or an intern. He said he would be willing to reevaluate the need for the position after two years.
