TO: Board of Selectmen
FROM: Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator
RE: Administrator’s Weekly Report
DATE: November 1, 2018
CC: All Departments


Public Works 
Highway Department: In regard to Red Lined vehicles, the following is the final assessment; H35 (2001 F350) is permanently out of service and will be replaced with the new F550 currently on order and due to be delivered in February/March time frame. M11 (1975 Catch basins cleaner) is permanently out of service, one option is to replace it with a used catch basin cleaner, replacing the catch basin cleaner would allow the DPW to clean the basins rather than spend thousands on an outside source. H10 (2003 Ford F150), was a surpluses vehicle that is rusted beyond repair, we will replace it when another vehicle is available from surplus. H3 (1997 Volvo L70C loader), will be permanently out of service, and has previously been replaced. The first 2 classes have been scheduled for the new director in Baystate roads Scholar program. Reviewing requirements for getting the new director certified as a “Playground Safety Inspector” as well. Since the introduction of the DPW “TO DO” log many issues have been recorded and addressed. There are some still pending that will be addressed as time and supplies allow. The Generator that provides power to the DPW in the case of an emergency was worked on and is ready for the winter storm season. The north east winds over the weekend caused many downed branches. Several locations were addressed, and dead trees and limbs cut and removed. The driveway permit is being rewritten to include more details on the apron and safety features. When the driveway permit is approved it will be put into immediate use. CD5 the buildings and grounds truck had a new emergency brake cable added. 237, one of the SUV police cruisers was looked at for a headlight issue as well as the heater not working when the car is idle. The ACO truck came in for an oil change and general inspection. The project on Hubbardston road has been completed, as well as Pail Factory road. A Swale was made near the driveway to the paper mill to reduce the amount of water flowing thru the parking lot during heaving storms. Potholes were filled on Old North Road, Barre Road and Highland Ave.



Let's think about this a while; roads are in bad shape and there have been several roads with washed out areas that needed repair. Considering all the talk about the old worn out equipment that the highway department has or had, would it make sense to go buy another used piece, or new, for that matter, to do a job that is being done by a contractor for about $13,000.00 per year. If the highway department does this job, the truck has to be maintained, use fuel and ties up a highway department employee, which means there is one less individual to work on road repair.

There probably should be a costing analysis of this and other situations to determine the best way to spend taxpayer dollars. For instance, take the mowing of all the grass on town owned land, what is the possible cost of contracting it out versus the cost of the town doing it: cost of trucks, maintaining trucks including fuel, cost of mowers and trailers along with fuel for mowers, cost of labor, both full time and part-time/temporary/seasonal (to include any effect on the town's unemployment rate costs, if any) I believe if you check, the additional costs beyond salary, for each benefited town employee, is around $20,000.00 per. Upfront costs may appear higher, but the long term picture must be looked at, such as the ever increasing retirement and health insurance costs, as in OPEB expenses. The more town employees you have, the higher those costs become, contractors on the other hand, have no such effect. Also consider, if a town employee has an accident, with any town equipment, the town is on the hook. With a contractor, they are on the hook. This is a business decision and approach.

Take ambulance service provided by the town, you, the taxpayer just had an increase in your taxes, by way of a tax override (permanent increase in your taxes) to pay for that, where as a private ambulance service would have paid a fee to the town for the privilege of providing that service for the town residents. That is the choice you made and unless the approach changes, expect taxes to go up and up. Can you say tax override for the school district next year? It is a real possibility that must be considered as we approach the next budget season. The cost to the taxpayer for the new school will come home to roost soon enough.