Greenville officials review ‘no-increase’ municipal spending plan

By Bill Pearson
Staff Writer

    GREENVILLE — Town Manager Gary Lamb unveiled to the select board on April 3 what he described as how a “no-increase” municipal budget would look like for fiscal year 2014. Lamb presented a $2,087,615 budget which represents an $812 increase over this year’s budget. Under this scenario, municipal spending would increase by $10,098 in the public safety departments. The police department would rise by $5,426. The fire department would receive $3,577 more funding. Other public safety departments — hydrants and lights — would see a $1,095 combined total increase.

    Lamb was able to achieve a “no-increase” spending plan by reducing $83,659 from several municipal accounts in the previous budget. The largest reduction was seen in the disposition of refuse products. He proposed reducing municipal solid waste tipping fees and transportation costs by $30,000. Lamb also recommended reducing disposal costs for construction and demolition debris by $12,000 and wood waste products by $10,000.
    The town over-budgeted in these areas in 2012. Last year, Lamb expected these costs to be around $100,000.  Actual municipal solid waste disposal and shipping fees expenditures came in at $70,000 this year. The town has also contracted with a new firm to dispose of construction and demolition debris and wood waste products which will result in more projected savings.
    The selectmen will further discuss the “no-increase” budget later in the month. The board will have joint-meetings with the budget committee on April 9 and 23.
    In other action, the board voted 3-2 to award the municipal solid waste, CDD and wood waste hauling contract to Moosehead Rubbish in Greenville. The town solicited sealed bids last December and were in hopes of awarding a contract in January. The town received four bids which included Moosehead Rubbish and their current provider Wyndsaung Farms in Levant.
    When the board first reviewed the bids in January, it appeared Moosehead Rubbish made the low bid, but the firm’s owner, Sean Bolen, failed to follow the bid specifications. Wyndsaung Farms bid $57,787 on the one-year contract to transport refuse. Bolen bid $35,000 with the caveat that the town would be responsible for paying the tipping fees. Lamb calculated Bolen’s bid at $49,025. The selectmen tabled awarding the bid in January to allow Lamb an opportunity to calculate Bolen’s bid.
    The selectmen tabled awarding the contract again in February and March. The board finally voted on the matter last week with Selectmen Richard Peat, Bruce Wyman and Bruce Hanson voting to award Bolen’s Moosehead Rubbish the contract.
    “I’d like to award the contract to Sean because he’s local and has the low bid,” Peat said.
    But Board Chairperson Bonnie DuBien and Selectmen Craig Watt disagreed.
    “This should’ve been settled months ago. Sean didn’t bid it correctly. Other firms did. They did all the work to bid it properly and Sean just threw a figure out at us.”
    The board did arrive at a consensus after the vote. They decided if future sealed bids didn’t arrive as specified then either the incorrect bid would be eliminated or the town would require all bids to resubmit their offers.