Tesei Presents Budget to Town

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By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter

First Selectman, Peter Tesei, unveiled details of his recommended $426.7 million budget for the fiscal year 2018-2019 to residents and the Board of Estimation and Taxation Budget Committee at Town Hall on Monday night.

The recommended budget, which includes funds for town services, the Board of Education, fixed charges and capital improvement projects, represents a 1.58 percent increase in spending from the current $420 million budget. Tesei noted that the recommended budget reflects a mill rate increase of 0.32 percent, the lowest increase to the mill rate in the past 20 years.

“This budget maintains the uniform policy that I have followed during the previous ten budgets I have presented — that despite economic challenges, we have balanced the financial needs of the town to the needs of our residents who desire a quality public education and essential public services that enhance the value of their homes and businesses,” Tesei said.

Tesei pointed out two factors which helped limit spending, such as a 2.2 percent decrease in healthcare costs, as more employees transition to the State Partnership Plan, and a 3.1 percent decrease in the town’s contribution to its pension fund.

The capital budget weighs in at $48.2 million, and features several new proposed projects including: an evaluation study of the Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink, which would be the first step in developing plans for the design and construction of a new facility; the dredging of Greenwich Point Harbor for the first time in 20 years; and $2.3 million in funds that would address the town’s ongoing fields problem.

The total request of $2.3 million, which is supported by the Greenwich Public Schools Athletic Department, GPS Superintendent and the Parks and Recreation Department, includes $300,000 to undertake a feasibility of installing natural grass athletic fields at either Central, Eastern or Western Middle School. The remaining $2 million would be used to refurbish the artificial turf on fields six and seven at Greenwich High School, which have reached the end of their expected useful life.

Tesei also outlined several initiatives inside the budget that will optimize the town’s resources. $20,000 is requested for the continued funding of Lean Six Sigma, the town-wide process improvement plan.

$83,825 is requested for the fire department to upgrade four firefighter positions to Lieutenant. The upgrade addresses the fire department’s critical supervisory gap on the Tower Ladder, which currently has three firefighters assigned with no officer. The upgrade would create parity with all engine company operations, which have a Lieutenant assigned to each engine.

The budget also calls for funds to support community partnerships, such as $30,000 for Think Greenwich, the town’s marketing and branding initiative. The budget will continue to support the YWCA of Greenwich and its Domestic Abuse Prevention Program, with an additional $60,000 for the district-wide service that provides educational programs for Greenwich Public Schools.

“This budget represents a continuation of Greenwich’s sound financial and budgeting practices and manages volatility caused by Federal and State government budgeting and tax policy,” Tesei said in a letter to the BET Budget Committee. “Notably, it keeps my commitment to maintaining the character of the Town of Greenwich and strengthens it as a premier place to live, work and raise a family.”

Following Tesei’s presentation, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jill Gildea, and BOE chair, Peter Bernstein, presented their proposed 2018-2019 operating and capital budget.

The proposed operating budget stands at $157.1 million (2.62 percent increase over ’17-’18) and jumps to $160.3 million when accounting changes are added (4.70 percent increase).

The accounting changes, which used to be paid for by the town and will now be the BOE’s responsibility, include $3.1 million in funds for private school transportation, technology infrastructure, private school nursing and print shop operator adjustments.

Eighty-three percent of the operating budget is comprised of personnel and professional services. Thirteen percent will be spent on contractual items such as services, tuition, transportation, utilities and rent, with less than three percent put towards supplies and materials.

The BOE’s capital budget is $20.4 million and addresses infrastructure, program improvements and special programs.

Following the presentations, the public was able to comment on the proposed budgets.

Mary Lee Kiernan, President and CEO of the YWCA of Greenwich, praised the budget and its willingness to continue to fund the YWCA’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Program. Karen Hirsh, President of the PTA Council Executive Board, endorsed the BOE budget and said it supports the district’s needs.

Residents also spoke out against several projects, such as a $4.9 million plan which would repair a bridge on Sound Beach Avenue and change the rotary outside of the Perrot Library, in Old Greenwich.

Rita Baker, a resident who lives on nearby Forest Avenue in Old Greenwich, said the bridge repair and some changes to the rotary to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety is needed, but that funding for the razing of Sound Beach Avenue and the building of a new urban rotary should be tabled until the Department of Public Works can come up with a more suitable solution.

“The village of Old Greenwich will be permanently scarred. Hasn’t this half-mile strip of Sound Beach Avenue suffered enough?” Baker asked.

Val Rahmani, another Old Greenwich resident, said the proposal is “totally misguided” and will “spoil the amazing character we have in this beautiful town.”

Other residents rejected the budget’s $2.3 million plan for athletic fields/lighting at one of the town’s middle schools.

Arthur Yee, who lives near Central Middle School, said that as a student at CMS in the 1970’s, traffic congestion was bad. Now as a resident, he said it’s even worse, and the installation of athletic fields would exacerbate the problem.

“I’m here to ask the [BET] to deny funding for the $300,000 feasibility study to place lights [and fields] at the middle schools, specifically Central Middle School. I think we should keep the high school sports at the high school,” he said.

Susan Foster, who has lived near Eastern Middle School since 1990, said that the project’s location of “To Be Determined” is unfair.

“How is the public to weigh-in if the location is unknown?” she asked.

Foster said the BOE and the town should focus its attention and resources elsewhere first.

“If the education department truly has the time to expand beyond its core mission and address the athletic concerns of the entire population of Greenwich, then it needs to focus on higher priorities such as the decrepit Eastern Civic Center, the decrepit ice rink, and the fact that there is no public swimming pool on the eastern side of town,” Foster said. “These are all facilities that would serve a wide-range of athletic abilities, and even senior citizens. This should be addressed before field expansion.”

Foster also said she’s concerned about being able to enjoy her backyard, since lit fields would potentially host athletic contests in the evenings.

“Any additional expansion or booking of team-play would make [the situation] unbearable. The lights and noise would make the quiet enjoyment of my backyard impossible,” she added.

The issue of safe-playing fields and adequate lighting for game contests and recreational use has become a hot-button issue in town since the implementation of new school start times at GHS last fall. On Tuesday afternoon at Town Hall, the budget committee, along with Tesei, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, Joe Siciliano, and Bernstein, held a joint hearing about the fields issue and the proposed allocation of $2.3 million.

The budget committee urged the BOE to “solidify” the logistics involved with their proposal, specifically as it relates to the $300,000 for field expansion, and come back before the committee with more information on location of the fields, what they’ll be used for and how they’ll be constructed.

“I think we’ve identified the problem properly. There’s a lack of adequate and safe, usable fields for the schools and for the town. It’s a town problem; this isn’t just a school problem. The solution is a little more difficult. We’re leaving no stone unturned,” Bernstein said.

This is just the beginning of the entire budget process, as the BET Budget Committee will hold hearings with various departments throughout February. The budget committee will work through Feb. 23, the whole BET will vote on the budget in March, and the Representative Town Meeting will vote in May.

On Monday evening, Tesei said during his closing remarks that the recommended budget meets the objectives of town government.

“I believe town government is here to protect public safety, provide a quality public education and deliver public services that enhance the value of our homes and businesses,” he said. “The proposals included within this budget meet those objectives.”

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