By Joanna Pliner
The Westport Board of Finance, after extended debate Wednesday night, approved $350,000 for new boilers at Coleytown Elementary School as well additional monies for the town attorney’s office and the fire department.
Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon’s request to finance the installation of new boilers and steam traps at Coleytown generated a stir among board members.
The members supported the $350,000 requested to replace the 54-year-old boilers, but several said they were shocked by the proposed amount since it was double the 2005 capital forecast figure of $175,000.
Board of Finance member Kevin Connolly questioned the accuracy of the requested amount.
“Regardless of the fact that [the boilers] are 54 years old, if you come in for a request that’s twice as much as what you had in the budget…it’s sloppy…and it doesn’t give me a high comfort level,” Connolly said.
Landon assured board members that future capital requests he submits will have the additional backup detail members said they wanted.
Chair Jeffrey Mayer urged Landon to telephone Board of Finance members in advance of their meeting to solicit input about appropriation requests and answer any questions they may have—just as Town Hall department heads do.
“Then you won’t be blindsided,” he said.
Despite tension between the superintendent and the board members about the amount of the appropriation, Mayer said the boiler replacement at Coleytown Elementary is “long overdue,” and members approved the expenditure unanimously.
The board also voted to grant an additional $60,000 to the Town Attorney’s office in the 2005-06 budget to cover a shortfall.
Town Attorney Ira Bloom told the board the funds were needed because of an increase in legal work and lawsuits involving zoning and tax appeals, heart and hypertension claims, and other matters.
First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said he supported the appropriation because the town needs to be able to address citizens’ legal complaints.
“People are looking for the town to enforce its regulations,” Joseloff said.
“When residents demand that the town take action against someone…and the town says we’ll send a cease and desist order and that’s all we do and don’t follow up with a court case, we’re falling down on the job.”
Fire Chief Christopher Ackley said upper level management personnel at the Fire Department have felt a lot of strain recently because they have been training a number of people on the force for promotions due to the recent retirement of senior positions.
After making some last minute adjustments, Ackley reduced his submitted request for additional 2006-07 funds from $93,625 to $76,715.
He told the board he had had many sleepless nights worrying about the funding request which he said was due to an oversight in calculating projected overtime needs.
Mayer told Ackley to get some sleep after the board unanimously approved the appropriation.
Public Works Director Stephen Edwards received an appropriation of $202,000 to replace a 1978 30-kilowatt generator in Town Hall with a new 450-kilowatt generator.
Edwards said the old generator is like a car on its last mile.
“When that last mile happens…preferably [you are] in your new car,” Edwards said.
The appropriation requests now must be approved by the Representative Town Meeting.
