Dalton Special Town Meeting Approved Police Detail Fund Transfer
Both the Select Board and Finance Committee chairs addressed the issue. The special town meeting amended transfer request for $20,000 to $25,000.
The transfer was the only article on the warrant and was requested to ensure that officers can be paid for detail work in a timely manner.
This special town meeting was one of the most well attended, especially considering the holidays coming up, Town Clerk Heather Hunt said.
Normally special town meetings are poorly attended, drawing in an average of 25 to 30 voters, depending on what is on the warrant. But Wednesday, 83 voters attended the half-hour meeting in the Wahconah Regional High School auditorium to debate about an article that has made waves within local government this past month.
Although well attended, no voters rose to speak. The only speakers were Select Board Chair Joseph Diver, Finance Committee Chair William Drosehn and Police Chief Deanna Strout.
The police detail fund is a revolving account that was paid up to $25,000 but is drained when a large number of details happen. It stays drained until it is replenished by payments from the private entities that hire the details.
When the fund is substantially drained, the payment schedule for officers who work details is unpredictable.
The original article presented to voters requested that $20,000 be transferred from General Stabilization to the Police Detail Account.
Diver made a motion to amend the article to $25,000 as supported by the Select Board. This motion was overwhelming passed by voters
With this vote the account is now paid up to $50,000 to avoid it going into a deficit and ensures officers are paid for their details on time.
"Hiring and retaining police officers has become increasingly difficult over the last few years and making officers who are paying mortgages and raising families wait weeks for payment is not an acceptable practice any longer," Strout said.
When speaking on behalf of the Select Board, Diver provided residents a rundown of what happened during the Select Board meetings that led to the request for additional funds for the account.
During the first meeting, the board voted to change the administration of the fund over to the police chief so she can use her best judgment on whether to deficit spend in the revolving account.
"We have a new operational process, and the board set policy. We set two critical policies — the town of Dalton will deliver police detail services and the town of Dalton will pay our officers the week after they perform the detail. Those Select Board policies was unanimous votes," Diver said.
However, board members also agreed that running the account into a deficit and balancing it at the end of the year is not best practice, so agreed to schedule the special town meeting.
During the following meetings, Strout presented how the fund would need a minimum of $20,000 added to the account to not risk operating in a deficit. They would not need more than $25,000 added to the account.
"The town is uncomfortable spending the account into a deficit, which most other communities do. So the solution was to add more money to the account to avoid the deficit," Strout said.
Although it is not legal, a number of town departments in the area operate in the deficit in this account and balance the fund by June 30. If the account is not made whole within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year, the amount of the deficit is removed from the following year's free cash.
"There is no impact on taxpayers. We have never had outstanding balances as of the next fiscal year that required a free cash transfer. This has been in place since the early 1990s," Strout said.
In addition, the town makes a profit off these details as it charges an administrative fee and cruiser use fee on most details, she said. Since 2018, the town has collected nearly $50,000 from fees.
Drosehn spoke on the behalf of the Finance Committee that apprehensively recommended that voters approve a transfer of $20,000 during its meeting last week.
"Basically this money allows for the lag in receipt of invoice payments, and gives us the ability to pay the officers the next pay period. Generally the invoices paid within 30 days replenishing this account," he said.
"However, due to the changing environment within our police force, it requires more money for the account. This is generally equating to more details at a higher price per hour. These are all issues that are presently being addressed."
Drosehn noted that this detail account is "presently over overdrawn by more than $11,000," which should not be allowed.
Strout addressed the concerns of the Finance Committee, adding that an apology letter should be sent to the officers due to remarks made by some members of the committee during a Dec. 6 meeting.
"You made multiple disparaging remarks about my leadership, my lack of fiscal responsibility and negative comments about our officers. It should be noted that the Police Department came in under budget this year, for the first time in many years," Strout said.
Strout also provided operational knowledge of police details noting that most of these jobs can not be done without an officer present and that they are "the absolute definition of public safety work."
She highlighted the risks of not having a police detail by citing an incident when a worker was killed before the officer arrived on site. And how dangerous details can be, noting the Waltham police officer and utility worker who were struck and killed last week at a construction site.
Following Strout's remarks, many voters erupted in applause.
Tags: police, special town meeting,
