Takeaways from Wellesley budget summit: From bulletproof vests to sustainability support

This week, the Wellesley Board of Selectmen held a meeting with departments that report to it across the city to review budgets worth tens of millions of dollars ahead of the Annual Town Meeting in the spring. Groups from the Climate Action Committee to Facilities Management to police and fire shared their proposed budgets and answered questions from Board members based on individualized guidelines previously given by the Board.

The meeting lasted 4 hours and 40 minutes Wellesley Media caught this. Your choice: Skip through this or check out our hurricane recap… Also, supporting documents on the town’s website.

Sustainability Director Marybeth Martello kicked things off and highlighted outreach efforts that will encourage residents and commercial property owners to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. They’re pumping out heat pumps, working with the Municipal Lighthouse to connect interested residents with energy buses, and more. Looking ahead, Martello is seeking funds to renew the town’s infrastructure Climate Action Plan Noting that many actions have been taken in 2029 and that changes in the field require a new plan, Dr. It launched in 2022 with the original goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050 (Martello says emissions have been reduced by about 43% since 2007).

Facilities Management Department‘s Joe McDonough made it clear from the start of his presentation that his group’s $10 million-plus budget wouldn’t be very exciting; As Hunnewell and Hardy emphasize, as in last year, “no new positions, no new building openings” School dismissals. He answered questions on everything from recycling to rooftop solar panels to a future home for FMD and land use departments in the early 2030s.

Information Technology Director Brian DuPont didn’t have anything too dramatic to share, but he was pleased that cybersecurity product licenses weren’t as bloated as typical software and technology service contracts; bids were up less than 3% compared to the usual 5% to 12%. There is much more competition in this field than before. BT will bring backup Internet service to city hall; It’s not that you don’t rely on the primary MLP service, but redundancy is key.

Police Department It’s sticking to its guidelines with a budget request of more than $8.4 million, and highlights, or at least interesting facts, include the department getting new tasers and a new electric vehicle. The town was early in the electric vehicle game and in doing so had to make do with features that weren’t optimal the first time around, but with the new Chevy Blazer, police will have a car optimized for police use. Chief Scott Whittemore, we also learned that bulletproof vests generally last about 5 years as the kevlar weave begins to break down (officers are required to wear them if in uniform). “It’s like wearing a t-shirt for five years, and after five years maybe it’s time to buy a new t-shirt,” he said (we’re not sure we want to know how the police would test such a t-shirt). vest no longer works…). Separately, commuter rail parking revenue is back to about a quarter less than before the pandemic, and Lt. Gov. Scott Showstead said it has stabilized, with Tailby and Hills parking lots generally well below capacity.

Fire Department The ministry’s Nat Brady said the revision was continuing to reinstate previously frozen positions and address the structural budget deficit, which would partially reduce overtime expenses. The ministry is emphasizing training for the “unprecedented number of new hires” and compensating for the loss of institutional knowledge. Training also includes increasing mutual aid efforts with other communities. In the capital, the department is preparing for a new fire truck and off-road vehicle that can be used in situations such as bush fires. Requests for vehicles are being made earlier than usual given the lead times for acquiring the equipment. Also looking ahead, the town will work with a consultant next year on a master plan for the department that will look at issues such as the deficiencies of the historic Wellesley Square station and possible needs for services closer to Cedar Street and Wellesley Park. Nines flats).

Council on Aging The budget discussion included an update on renovations that would allow the commercial kitchen at Tolles Parsons Center to be licensed (more on that later). “Plans for commercial kitchen at Wellesley senior center are heating up”). Note that kitchen renovation financing does not come from the COA itself. During the budget summit, Select Board member Tom Ulfelder expressed concerns about the future operating costs of such a kitchen and encouraged COA to be prepared for questions about its plans at the Annual Town Meeting, where construction funds will be sought in FMD’s cash capital budget.

Construction Department Field inspections etc. Apart from that, it operates a lean machine whose operations are largely digital at this point. But the news is not all good: Residence permit fees are rising—where else?—and slight increases in electrical permits are expected. , plumbing/heating and sheet metal permit fees.

Executive Director officeLed by Wellesley Executive Director Megan Jop, it is eliminating a clerk position and adding a creative content coordinator to address accessibility shortcomings on the town’s website and increase the town’s public information efforts. There was discussion about the general condition of the town’s website and the difficulties in updating it.

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