Present:

• Roxanne McCaffrey, Chair
• Chuck Cardillo
• Patrick White
• Michael Canales, Town Administrator
• Finance Committee
• Jay Bykofsky, Chair
• Steve Shatz
• Jim Balfanz
• Pam Boudreau
• Bill Vogt
• Police Chief Darrell Fennelly (SPD)
• Fire Chief Vincent Garofoli (SFD)
• Highway Department Supervisor Hugh Page

1. Minutes of the February 28th Finance Committee meeting approved
2. Finance Committee Chair explained that the purpose of the joint meeting is to discuss budget item requests — particularly the three largest of the department requests: police, highway, and fire.
3. Chief Darrell Fennelly
   1. Request for an additional full-time officer
   2. The Police Department was using reserve officers, but the reserve officer program was halted by the Commonwealth. SPD usually has 6-full time plus 3-4 reserve officers but now the Chief is now proposing 7 full time — Chief said full-time officer actually cheaper than paying overtime
   3. Also wishes to move Officer Nichols to an Investigator position
   4. Chief added, there is no longer any “off-season” — second homeowners are staying longer, and tourists coming year-round
   5. Chair asked: Cost of full-time officer? $118,000 for full time officer. Question: but if investigator is taken out of rotation, still have only 6 covering hours??
   6. Cardillo: do you need two additional officers?
   7. There will be additional training for mental health and domestic abuse calls and a plan for a mental health professional to accompany police on these calls — may work with Tri-Town Health and may use American Rescue Plan (ARPA) money
4. Hugh Page, Highway Superintendent
   1. As equipment ages, repair bills jump in price. Too much time wasted hauling broken-down equipment and repairing it. Need new equipment.
   2. 4 new trucks — sidewalk clearing machine and new trucks have GPS and technology to better calibrate salt application
   3. Recapping, the Chair said the request is: 2 midsize plows, 2 trucks (350 tons and 50 tons) plus trailer, Bobcat, and backhoe
   4. White suggested Town borrow now when interest rates still low
   5. It may take 12-18 months to receive from point of ordering
   6. Questions: hybrid or electric vehicles? Shared equipment?
5. Fire Chief Vincent Garofoli
   1. New fire engine is now $960,000 (apparently up from $600,000 a year ago). Everyone shocked by price tag
   2. Two other vehicles are “at the end of their useful life.”
   3. Subject changed to personnel and facilities — Stockbridge is a volunteer fire department with the only full-time-paid employee being the Chief and 20 volunteers. SFD has 3 facilities: Glendale, Interlaken and main fire house in town.
   4. Finance Chair: could another vehicle be used as Chief’s vehicle to save money?
   5. SB Chair — could Engine 5 replace Engine 2? Efficiency would decrease by 500 gallons per minute since each fire truck is equipped differently for different tasks.
   6. Shatz: can we share equipment? That would increase response time — better if first responder (Stockbridge) has what it needs
   7. How many incidences? 515 total, 254 fire, 7 motor vehicle 2 motor vehicle and pedestrian. Seven were “mutual response” (means Stockbridge, Lenox, and Lee).
   8. Could use personal vehicles for 911 calls? Stockbridge has EMTs — SFD Chief is only advanced EMT. Paramedics available through shared services only.
   9. Chief discussed what other volunteer fire departments facing the same problems do: some move toward a paid fire department rather than volunteer while others have a county system of government, thus making shared services easier because they have uniform practices.
   10. Chief closed by saying, we need equipment now — if we do nothing, two pieces will fail probably this year.
   11. Finance Chair asked for more information
   12. Chief asked for clarification — if they could provide specific questions
   13. Finance Chair said premature for decision
6. Canales talked about funding capital equipment
   1. Beach hut roof ($25,000); shoreline improvement ($5700). Full-time employee for Park & Rec
   2. Big ticket items: Tuckerman Bridge $1.75 million, Averic $1.2 million, Pump Station $760,000 – $1.19 million, and Salt Shed $400,000; plus increase for school inevitable
   3. Borrow and/or take money from $1,000,000 set aside for COVID and not spent plus free cash
   4. According to Canales: Once you could borrow at a very low rate, now it is 3% and some estimate it could go to 8%. The cost of borrowing $4 million dollars at 3% is $200,000/annually — the cost of borrowing $4 million at 8% is $400,000/annually
   5. Discussion about borrowing — no decision

Meeting adjourned