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 normal provider and is awaiting a solution when available it will be added to the library>>>

In the meantime,  I have added the video into the post and you should be able to stream this directly with a broadband connection. Note you can click the lower right hand corner to make full screen on your computer.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

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

Sources showed me a scenario where roughly 18 yards of material ( 4-5 loads) was hauled from Bob Frizzell’s pit to a town project (Bob did discount material as he said he did).  When you add in roughly 7 hours per sub-contractor for the day at Town Rate, which is standard and customary, the total cost was near $1300.00 for material and trucking. As it was explained, one could call “any company” and get the same material hauled on-site for only a few hundred dollars.  According to sources this is the rule not the exception.

At the special town meeting people who know road construction explained how repairs are made repeatedly to the same areas because of improper construction and or repair methods. Rip Rap being placed on the wrong side of the slope …Do you think It’s a good value?

It would appear Town Policy and Management in these areas require closer scrutiny and greater attention.

I hear of neighboring Towns working together as a co-op to buy Road Salt and Sand at bulk discounts. Why don’t we work with other Towns in a similar co-operative way?

The monies that get peddled away could provide us a new fire truck or rescue equipment, equipment for the recreation department, a reduction in property taxes, help to the elderly, we could pave more roads and so very much more.

Do you think we are getting a good value?   Would you buy dirt or repair your property the way the town does?

You can help mend issues like these by being involved, attending meetings and asking questions. Together we can impart lasting change.