Close to $50K in 2013 Budget Items to be Expended in 2012

A trio of 2013 budget items will be expended using the projected leftover funds from the 2012 budget after the Board of Selectmen approved the shifts last week.

All three items will be police and fire related, and include the immediate purchase of new Tasers, new Automated External Defibrilators for four town locations and six defibrilators for the fire department.

In the 2012 budget, the total cost of the 10 AED devices will be $19,070, with four being installed at the town beach, Griffin Park, Tranfer Station and Searles School & Chapel.

The Tasers, with an updated cost to recognize the need for a warranty on the devices, will be $29,180.16.

The town will then be credited $2,880 for each one of the department's current Tasers next year.

Although Town Administrator Dave Sullivan said that it was a conservative estimate, about $120,000 will be left over in the bottom line budget for 2012, mostly reflected within the highway and insurance budgets.

A lengthy discussion also took place involving a $5,600 placeholder for laptops or tablets that Selectmen and both Sullivan and Assistant Town Administrator/Finance Director Dana Call would use.

That idea, which was brought up a few weeks ago, was declined for now, with Selectmen Roger Hohenberger and Bruce Breton voting against the idea.

Board member Phil LoChiatto, who introduced the idea, said that he was not advocating the town simply go out and spend almost $6,000 to have laptops in front of the board, but that it should be something that is looked into with Information Techonology Director Eric DeLong.

Planning Board Chair Ruth-Ellen Post spoke on the tablets, saying she supports the idea given the amount of copies that applicants need to produce for the 11 people present at Planning Board meetings.

"More and more towns are going that route, I think it would be very, very beneficial," she said.

Selectmen will not meet tonight due to the New Year's Eve holiday.