I was surprised when I looked at the wages and saw with very few exceptions most people received an increase in the 8% area. The notable people with a decrease where Dept. Heads Samantha Cole and Ronal Patch, there were others.

The CEO salary also increased 2.3%, yet the budget for this department hasn’t passed resident approval in the past few years and was supposed to be revisited, which it wasn’t. Last approval was $37,000 in total to my knowledge.

It was also surprising to me to see the income of the Road Commissioner to be $253,000 for the period with Selectmen Chair Bob Frizzell coming in at $212,000, with many other coming right in just under this income area. Obviously this worksheet doesn’t tell the whole story, but it does provide some insight. It is important to understand the wages as listed are not fully burdened with taxes or benefits and retirement expenses. So the total compensation as listed is quite short of the actual cost and expense to the Town.

I also noticed in many cases an increase in Wages for people typically identified as “Sub Contractors”. The people / companies in this category saw a significant bump, which is surprising when you wouldn’t expect them to have wages at all. I made an attempt to classify the entries by department / category in many cases this is only a guess.

Here is a link to the worksheet

I have am providing this to the Budget Committee as well and we will certainly be looking it over in the coming meetings.. You can look it over and draw your own conclusions and perform your own analysis.

If you would like a copy of the MsExcel Worksheet to work with let me know via email and I will send you a copy…

One trouble with highlighting this group of articles, people read them, and comment on them, and they can erupt once again overshadowing topics of today. In my opinion, it’s good for people to see and understand all they can and for those residents who want to get up to speed on past events, this is a great place to start. So let’s give it a try..

So you can get a scope of the activity.. the site currently has 425 articles that have generated 1703 comments in it’s young 14 month history. This is a lot of information and can be filtered using the site search, post archives, categories the categories and tags. This website continues to gain in popularity even through the slow period of the holidays and winter months. Given the websites narrow topic of focus on ” All things Lebanon Maine” I am pleasantly surprised with the participation and volume of activity. I don’t advocate putting stats on a web page but to make my point, we have had 1034 unique visitors in the last 90 days. That is a tidy sum since the last election we had like 1200 people vote.

The success of the website is fully due to YOU, the resident and your regular participation and interaction. It demonstrates every day how much much people care and are concerned with our town, even if it’s in a casual way. As always if you have events, fundraisers, editorials, poems, polls etc you would like to share you may register and post them yourself or email me the information at Gstadig@gmail.com.  I enjoy the feedback…keep it coming.

This week the Budget Committee reviews the Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) and Road Commissioners Budgets.

I would like to mention there were Three residents who came and observed. It is great to see people taking an interest in seeing for themselves how things are run and monies are handled. We need more involvement and support…

Code Enforcement Officer

• The CEO was reviewed first and the Committee spent about 30 minutes going over the budget.
• The CEO’s budget has been voted down by the residents for the past 3 years, and rolls back to old funding of $37,000.
• The CEO’s budget request was about $39,000
• The CEO does bring in revenue through the issuing of permits. He explained how Lebanon is about 1/4 the cost of any other towns and how important it is we increase the fees to the developers to get more inline. The fees are a revenue stream to the town and if even brought up slightly they would more than cover expenses.
• The CEO also explained how the position is more that just doing an inspection and issuing a permit. He explained briefly his involvement with enforcement of illegal junk yards and public safety issues.

The Road Commissioner went through his budget.

• Wages are listed at $46,000 which was explained as the road commissioners salary AND sub contractors
• The budget is broken out to categories like wages, ditching, brush, sand, hot top etc. The categories represent estimates but monies are freely moved between groups once appropriated to the period.
• In the past the Road budget would be broken out with a total for Summer and a total for Winter which is voted upon. The Budget Committee was told this year residents would vote on the total and be provided an estimated  breakout. Essentially this places all the funds in one bucket for the entire year to be spent at the Roads Commissioner’s discretion.
• There is no specific plan of what improvements will be done with the monies, no specifications have been prepared and no bids have been received for any of the upcoming potential work.
• A Budget Committee member questioned the paving bid last year was won by FR Carroll but other paving done by other companies from NH. The Road Commissioner said that it was a smaller project. When asked by another Committee member why one of the local in town paving companies wasn’t contacted the Road Commissioner had no response.
• The Road Commissioner was asked why the same group of  6-8 “sub contractors” are used every single week and kept busy with ditching and projects. This amounts to having a highway department, when the work is supposed to be sub contracted and bid by project. The Road Commissioner responded that if a tree fell at 2am you need someone you can call who would respond.
• Two of the Budget Committee members who are intimate with roads, paving, plowing and methods asked serious questions over the practices used by the Road Commissioner.  These included; using small one ton trucks for ditching versus using larger ones, making the ditches gradual to prevent washout and allow wider shoulders, properly building shoulders on roads to save the pavement, and the proper rebuilding of roads by grinding and removing rocks versus simply coating over the problems.
• It was pointed out as it has in the past that using small one ton trucks to haul dirt clear across town is not cost effective and that larger trucks should be used.
• It was questioned why the closest pit is routinely not used when hauling material. The Road Commissioner stated that someone is available to load at Selectmen Frizzell’s pit. Committee members questioned the Commissioner’s planning ability to look ahead and the why he couldn’t make use of the $1200 spent annually on phones to make a simple call to notify the closer pit of the need.
• Budget Committee asked the Commissioner why the town (itself) had done some paving. it was explained that there was a small area at the end of a private road where a bus turnaround was, this also included the coating of a boat ramp.
• The Road Commissioner explained the budget he requested was initially about the same as last year $970,000 -/+ and that the Selectmen had increased the budget $200,000 primarily for road improvement and paving. The was talk of the desire to rebuild a section of Heath road due to poor drainage and the need to resurface a couple other areas. None of the work has been fully specified or bid.
• Near the end of the meeting the Road Commissioner while being asked a question over his practices and methods, stood up and dismissed himself stating he was tired of it and was done.
• Of course there was more….

<<The Video of this meeting has been stuck in the que at the provider and is awaiting a solution when available it will be added to the library and this post… In the meantime, If you have broadband you can access the raw video via this link to download, simply right clicking and doing a save as to watch locally.. files is about 1gb. meeting lasted appx 1:48 min>>

The Lebanon online video archive is available Here. Here you will find all of the Selectmen and Budget Committee meetings.

• Must 18 or older and legal resident.
• Position does not require any formal education or demonstration of road building expertise.
• Prior management experience is not required
• Past compensation for 2007-2008 $121,303.70….  plus Full Health Insurance
• Past compensation for 2008-2009 $93,089.52…. plus Full Health Insurance
• Base Salary is $29,033 for 32hrs per week, plus full health benefits package $$$
• Flexible hours
• If you own construction equipment, you can rent it to the town; you may also operate this equipment yourself; billing this labor as an hourly rate during your normal hours.  (Note: This is in addition to your base salary and benefits)
• This years budget  (2010-11)is  allocated at $1,2 million dollars to spend on an “as needed” basis
• Full use of $1,200 phone at office or via cell.
• Position is guaranteed for 3 years, once elected, regardless of performance
• Position available June 2010 but you must apply in March / April 2010

Interested parties should contact : Town of Lebanon 207.608.6862 ask for Laura Bragg for all the specific details on application and duties.

What do You expect of your Budget Committee and the Budget process?

What do You see as the Budget Committee’s  purpose and function?

What amount of influence, guidance, control, input and authority do you expect it has?

I personally am astounded at the treatment of the current Budget Committee and the experience as it has proceeded this year. I will share just a couple instances and observations as an example..

The Budget Committee requested to review budgets and spending with department managers, to provide recommendations to Selectmen. Instead Selectmen would meet with department managers and then “set” the budget informing the Budget Committee there will be “No Changes”.

Budgets estimates were due by all departments just after the first of the year. The Budget Committee has  canceled meetings and re-scheduled and are still getting budgets only a week before we meet. This is odd given the Selectmen meet multiple times during the day, during the week and yet cancel evening meetings.

All Budgets presented to date have had very little to no downward change with the Roads budget actually increasing $200,000.

Last evening while a Budget Committee member was inquiring how things are handled, the Road Commissioner walked away from the meeting, showing a total level of disrespect to the member and the committee. Throughout the meeting members of the committee pointed out several areas that could improve operations and save monies, but nothing will change, many are the same issues that have been pointed out years past.

The Budget Committee has reviewed accounting transactions where items are placed in the wrong budget accounts. I recall the same issues occurring last year and hearing the Budget Committee be told by Selectmen it would change. Well it hasn’t changed, and appears to be accepted practice.  Everyone tends to lay blame at the “treasurer” when in fact the department heads and Selectmen should obviously be looking at the accounts routinely to know where they stand week to week, month to month. The Budget Committee was informed last night, the proposed solution from Selectmen is to place the road budget (more than 2/3rd  of the towns expenses)  into a single $1,2 million dollar account instead of splitting them, thus reducing accounting accountability instead of strengthening or increasing it.

In my experience and in research I have done, I have never seen it explained that a Budget Committee is to only ask questions and then only vote.  Here is a list of objectives or purpose of a Budget Committee you might typically see. I would imagine this list will follow what you have in your mind as well:

* Reviews department budgets and making recommendations;
* Examines periodic reports showing actual performance compared with the budget Significant variances are identified and   recommendation made on actions to be taken;
* Develop and examines long term plans and needs;
* Identifies budget objectives;
* Give advice to board of directors and chief executive;
* Creates a better understanding and awareness among managers of the role of each others department;
* Coordination of budgets or budgeting;
* Review external conditions like economic conditions for the ensuing period;
* Considers forecasts compiled by departmental managers.

Typically the actual work of budgeting is done by a Budget Committee. The chief executive / selectmen should head or be an active participant WITH the budget committee. The only benefit to the residents this Budget Committee serves is to meet for hours each week and ask questions. We never get any changes or solid assurances of change. Through the support of private video at least residents can see and hear the dialogue exchange.

I have said it before but it bears repeating “The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over and over again and expecting different results”

My fellow committee members and I are good people trying to do a good job… We care. It is important You understand clearly that we have no impact on the Budgets as presented, or the articles that are drafted for you to vote on.  As a committee we question practices, policy, methods, and expenses as items are gone through, but that is about it. These recommendations for changes and or concerns we raise are not formerly prepared or presented since we have previously been told no changes will be made. It has also been demonstrated that even when changes have been told to be made, they never ever happened.

All this results in the only power or influence any members of the Budget Committee and You for that matter is to vote NO.

Most importantly vote No on the “Essential Services” article,  so that operating budgets DO NOT roll back for the entire year. This article being in place results in the unapproved budgets rolling back back and they are never revisited. ALL the power is thus taken away from the people and your budget committee. If a budget increase is approved you can almost never get it reduced. It’s my opinion if there was a potential for work stoppage more parties would participate faithfully. I certainly don’t want a stoppage, but I don’t accept the process as being functional as it is.

We as residents deserve better, we expect better, and we have to have improvement. We need greater cuts on these larger budgets, improvement with accountability of funds, and overall improvement with the way town affairs are managed particularly with regards to Roads.  I don’t have all the answers, but I know a problem when i see one.  We have to stop doing things the way we are and do them differently if we want to see different results.

I am not posting this as a rant, if it comes across that way I apologize. I just believe it is important for residents to understand what there Budget Committee actually can do since in my case, it falls far short of expectations.

I know that rescue crews, Highway crews and EMA were out and about Thursday afternoon. Then when flooding and winds started, the FD got very busy with wires down and flooded basements. Highway,  fire and rescue crews helped clear debris from roads where they could, but so many poles and wires were down and roads were flooded, that both rescue and fire crews spent hours blocking roads also. Lebanon EMA did a great job setting up the Emergency Operations Center to direct all action to one central location. Tom Cravens and his staff did a great job through the entire storm.

Ray Davis and several road crews were out throughout the entire storm and then we got snow which added to the busy work they already had!!

Skip Wood and the fire department assisted with flooded basements and wires down and a lot of hours were spent!

Chief Samantha Cole and her volunteers went to over 250 houses door to door checking on people. They delivered drinking water, did well being checks, helped carry in wood to the elderly, delivered gas and kerosene for heaters and generators, helped deliver oxygen, blocked roads that were flooded, helped cut trees and remove trees from roads, and more. They also had multiple non-storm related rescue calls.

Town Clerk Laura Bragg and her husband Tony helped with gathering buckets for the rescue to deliver water to residents who could not flush toilets.

Recreation Director Jess Brewington and her family cooked a very large dinner for the volunteers who were out responding to calls and going door to door. This was the first home made meal any of us had in days and it was soooo good! We had a couple power crews stop into the station and also helped us eat!!

Now comes a lot of work for town hall crew with the bills and hopefully some federal assistance.  They work hard to get all the information together with the EMA director and all the departments to ensure the town gets reimbursed if they declare this a federal disaster.

We had a lot of very positive remarks from the rescue facebook page where road closures, power info, shelter info and more were posted. Technology has changed to allow us to give real time info.

The rescue chief sent out an email update to about 1200 email addresses for Lebanon residents on Saturday.  That was:

We also used our Facebook site to relay to residents real-time road closures and other important information. This plus our website seemed to be a great tool to get information out. We also received several calls from family members who live out of state who read the infoface bookwebsite and facebook and needed us to check on their family.

The Lebanon online video archive is available Here. Here you will find all of the Selectmen and Budget Committee meetings.

Watch 02-23-10a Lebanon Maine Budget Committee in News |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com