The Fall River City Council Committee on Finance met on June 19, 2019, to continue detailed hearings on the Fiscal Year 2020 municipal budget. The committee reviewed several departmental budgets within Community Maintenance, Financial Services, and Community Services, followed by an examination of projected city revenues. Department heads and administration officials, including City Administrator Cathy Ann Viveiros and Director of Financial Services Mary Sahady, appeared before the council to provide overviews and answer questions regarding operating expenses, equipment needs, and staffing allocations.
During the review of Facilities Maintenance, councilors uncovered an $84,786 overstatement in the salary line, stemming from a double-counted electrical position ($54,786) and an enterprise fund offset for a safety officer position ($30,000). The council voted to request an administrative transfer of that $84,786 to the cemetery and tree maintenance budget to hire outside contractors for citywide tree removal and stump grinding. Councilors also debated capital needs across departments, discussing maintenance at the aging Stanley Street fire station, equipment shortages in the parks and cemeteries divisions, and operational impacts of solid waste disposal contracts following the elimination of the pay-as-you-throw purple bag program.
In the final portion of the meeting, the council reviewed the FY2020 revenue estimates totaling $297,491,414. Significant discussion focused on the loss of approximately $2.3 million from the elimination of the pay-as-you-throw bag program, offset in part by projected cannabis revenues totaling $1.8 million ($900,000 in local excise and $900,000 from local impact fees). Councilors expressed caution regarding declining free cash reserves and stabilization funds while debating potential caps on recreational cannabis licenses. The committee adjourned to resume hearings the following evening on public safety, EMS, and enterprise funds.
Topics discussed
- 4:27 · Engineering Division Budget and Streetscape Projects
City Engineer presented the budget overview; councilors questioned remaining bond funds for East Main Street and Purchase/Bank Street streetscapes and repairs to street cuts. - 6:12 · Motion to adjourn the Committee on Finance meeting until the following evening — passed
- 9:13 · Financial Services and Debt Service
Review of financial services line items and the city’s policy of capping annual debt service under $10 million, exclusive of the Durfee High School project. - 13:48 · Facilities Maintenance Budget and Salary Discrepancies
Discussion of building maintenance expenses, facility software, supervisor salaries, and discovery of an $84,786 overstatement in the salary line. - 57:04 · Stanley Street Fire Station Condition and Replacement
Discussion of roof repairs, moisture/mold remediation in the basement, and the long-term feasibility of replacing the Stanley Street fire station. - 1:22:50 · Cemeteries and Tree Division Budget
Review of equipment needs, perpetual care funds, and tree removal backlogs across the city’s cemeteries and streets. - 1:35:06 · Motion to send a letter to the administration requesting an administrative transfer of $84,786 from Facilities Maintenance salaries to the Cemeteries and Trees expense budget for tree removal and maintenance — passed
- 2:01:50 · Parks Division Operations and Staffing
Review of the park division’s maintenance responsibilities for 29 parks, staffing shortages, seasonal laborer wage rates, and repairs at Travassos Park. - 2:31:29 · Traffic and Parking Department
Discussion of newly acquired parking garages (Pearl Street and Third Street), installation of automated payment kiosks, school crossing guards transfer, and revenue collections. - 2:54:24 · Solid Waste, Streets and Highways, and Snow Removal
Impact of eliminating the pay-as-you-throw purple bag program, solid waste disposal contract tipping fees increasing to an estimated $99 per ton, and litter enforcement. - 3:53:10 · Planning and Inspectional Services
Overview of planning staff, building inspector positions, e-permitting rollout, and the reclassification of the sanitarian position to a minimum housing inspector. - 3:59:41 · Health and Human Services and Public Library
Brief review of opioid task force administrative staffing, senior aides, and library health insurance budgeting required to meet state municipal appropriation requirements. - 4:09:02 · FY 2020 Revenue Projections
Comprehensive review of projected revenues totaling $297.49 million, including new growth, local excise, motor vehicle excise, cannabis tax revenues, and free cash trends.