Ogunquit News
Early start proposed for annual budget process
By C. Ayn Douglass
OGUNQUIT - The Budget Review Committee met Monday morning, Aug. 14, at the Dunaway Center conference room to propose an earlier start in the budget process, hoping to inform the voters about specific items earlier and avoid last minute adjustments in department budgets.Committee Chairman Frank Broomfield asked Town Manager Phil Clark for permission to begin the review of department budget proposals in mid-September instead of mid-October.
Clark was in agreement with the plan and said both the Ogunquit Fire and Police Departments would like an earlier review to avoid last minute preparations.
Committee members reported that their review of general government, land use and highway department budgets as of the midpoint of the year in June were running between 49 and 53 percent of their respective budgets.
The Budget Committee decided after the 2006-2007 budget passed last year that it would monitor department spending through the year so they would be aware of the spend-down process.
Clark advised the committee of several items that would be on the November warrant that are budget related.
"The money is there in the budget," Clark said, "it's just a matter of getting voter approval" to shift the priorities.
The changes include a new roof for the Land Use Office at an estimated cost of $3,500, replacing a line item for an addition to the building estimated at $10,000, which Land Use Director Paul Lempicki determined wasn't needed after all.
Another change is to the four floor drains for the fire station, which Fire Chief Ed Smith decided were two more than actually needed as two of the existing drains are already hooked to municipal sewer so only two are needed. Officials believe the funds will be better spent on installing an emergency generator and buying and burying the liquid petroleum tanks needed for the generator.
Additionally, Clark said he would like to build up a reserve fund for sidewalks and street repair.
Currently there is $25,000 in a capital improvement account from which no money has been drawn this year. Clark said, however, there is an old bill for $18,531 dating back to 2002 that recently came to light from R.D. Torno for paving that needs to be paid out of that account.
Clark said lighting for the Dorothea Jacobs Grant Park is in the works. The lighting system is supposed to be wired underground and the conduit was laid in 2002. Since then, the landscaping has been completed and the public works department has been unable to find the conduit. Clark said public works personnel dug a two-foot trench in an attempt to find the underground layout, but so far has been unsuccessful.
"We're attempting to contact the original contractor to see if any wire is running through the PVC conduit so we can use a metal detector to find the connections," he said.
