At Monday's BOS Meeting (1/07/08), the DPW Superintendent attempted to explain Middleboro's snow removal account budget, at $50,000, has now been spent and he required the BOS approval to deficit spend.
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At least the interim Town Manager offered a more comprehensible explanation.
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A little honesty from the current BOS might be appreciated at times. Do they even remember when $50,000 made sense? Can't they at least explain to voters that it's deliberately done each year? Not a surprise?
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The Middleboro BOS plan to schedule each department to attend their meeting and offer a presentation of their budget. If unable to attend, you might want to ensure that you watch. This promises to be great comedy! This is worth the cost of ComCast!
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Dedham addressed the same of the snow account issue, as follows:
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What Will It Cost?
by: Brian
Wed Jan 09, 2008 at 11:09:15 AM EST
Of the two Dedham stories in the Transcript this morning one was explicitly about money. The other made no mention of it, though like everything else the price tag will pretty much determine what we can do and when.
In the first we learn, to no one's surprise, that have already spent our snow budget for the entire winter. Last budget season David gave us a great overview of why it is in our best interest to under budget this particular line item.
Towns always under-budget for snow removal because it is the one place where they can deficit spend. If we increase the snow removal budget, we can never decrease it again. For example, we budget $300,000 every year. If we were to increase to say, $900,000, we could never decrease the amount in future years and that money would be tied up in snow removal regardless of the amount of snow that must be removed in a year.
Since we're permitted to deficit spend in snow removal, we are permitted to make up any difference using free cash (which has historically been about $1M each year). myDedham
Wed Jan 09, 2008 at 11:09:15 AM EST
Of the two Dedham stories in the Transcript this morning one was explicitly about money. The other made no mention of it, though like everything else the price tag will pretty much determine what we can do and when.
In the first we learn, to no one's surprise, that have already spent our snow budget for the entire winter. Last budget season David gave us a great overview of why it is in our best interest to under budget this particular line item.
Towns always under-budget for snow removal because it is the one place where they can deficit spend. If we increase the snow removal budget, we can never decrease it again. For example, we budget $300,000 every year. If we were to increase to say, $900,000, we could never decrease the amount in future years and that money would be tied up in snow removal regardless of the amount of snow that must be removed in a year.
Since we're permitted to deficit spend in snow removal, we are permitted to make up any difference using free cash (which has historically been about $1M each year). myDedham
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During the presentation of the DPW issues, the interim Town Manager mentioned PRIVATE ROADS, seemingly with no understanding of the legal issues and history. One must wonder if there's a consistent policy in place.
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The issue was raised on myDedham:
by: sirjames
Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 15:11:46 PM EST
(Anyone else ever have to deal with this? - promoted by Brian)We live in a small area in East Dedham on a private way. The water line is considered a "community line," i.e., no shut off from the three homes, just one shut off where the line meets the main. Evidently, a leak has sprung underground, the DWWD is planning to shut off the water and the residents of the street are expected to pay for the water line repair! All in 5 days! How's that for town planning? Has anyone else dealt with this situation? Thanks for your time and attention.
Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 15:11:46 PM EST
(Anyone else ever have to deal with this? - promoted by Brian)We live in a small area in East Dedham on a private way. The water line is considered a "community line," i.e., no shut off from the three homes, just one shut off where the line meets the main. Evidently, a leak has sprung underground, the DWWD is planning to shut off the water and the residents of the street are expected to pay for the water line repair! All in 5 days! How's that for town planning? Has anyone else dealt with this situation? Thanks for your time and attention.
3 comments:
I really hope people are reading (and understanding) the issues you raise.
While lacking pictures, and videos, and other sexy reader-magnets - this raises a point that all would do well to consider - if not accept.
The problem seems to be that the BOS and other town depts. don't understand. Thank you for your vigilance, MiddleboroRecall.
Regarding the snow removal, I today phoned the Highway Dept. and spoke to a woman that answered. I thanked them for keeping Chestnut St. well plowed however whereas there was no snow and all plowed down to the tar, I wondered why for nearly an hour not one but TWO plows kept doing Chestnut St. They were not sanding. They were following each other basically making fireworks with the blade hitting the tar as well as knocking over mailboxes. She responded by coming back to the phone stating she just spoke with the superintendent and he will look into the matter maybe, they got their routes mixed up. Obviously the cost of gas as well as plows aren't a concern here in town.
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