East Lyme Board Balances Budgets And New Roles
The finance board is keeping a close eye on fire department spending. Overtime there averages about seventeen thousand dollars each week, while the budget only sets aside twelve thousand five hundred. If that keeps up, the town could end up paying two hundred forty thousand to three hundred seventy-five thousand extra each year. Recently, weekly costs dropped from roughly nineteen thousand to thirteen thousand. Storms, military leave and injuries were behind some of the earlier spikes. Labor contracts set minimum staffing levels, making it hard for volunteers to cover the gap. The board says it will keep monitoring the numbers before deciding on any next steps. Some members want department leaders to explain how they plan to bring costs back within budget.
The board also signed off on a short-term investment policy. Deputy Treasurer Denise Hall introduced it after the town put out a request for banking services. Acting Chairman Richard Steel says it just puts existing practices into writing rather than creating new rules. Hall recommends reviewing it every year to stay on track with state requirements. Kim Kalajainen moved to approve it, with Lauren McNamara seconding. The vote was five to zero. The policy formalizes what the Finance Department already does behind the scenes.
Another unanimous vote went toward funding a wellness prevention coordinator. The money comes from opioid settlement funds, amounting to fifty thousand dollars a year, totaling one hundred fifty thousand. Finance Director Kevin Gervais notes the role was already in the operating budget, but formal approval came late in the fiscal year. Barry Sheckley made the motion, and McNamara seconded it. The decision came after several requests tied to youth services and prevention programs. Board members seemed eager to get the position filled to support community health efforts.
A proposal to create a therapeutic garden behind the Community Center also came up. Ten thousand dollars from cannabis tax revenue would pay for the project, which would support Youth and Family Services programs. Kalajainen asked whether that revenue should fit into a wider youth strategy. She wanted to know long-term goals, how success would be measured, and how different initiatives would connect. Steel agreed, asking the Youth and Family Services director to outline the full plan. He also suggested including senior citizens, noting the Senior Center hasn't gotten funding for a similar idea. Meanwhile, the board voted five to zero to postpone two youth grants: a six-thousand-four-hundred-dollar Local Prevention Council grant and a thirty-seven-thousand-eight-hundred-fifty-four dollar Youth Services Bureau grant. Some wondered how these funding decisions fit together across the town's budget.