On February 4, during the meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee, Highway Surveyor Barry Denham announced he would not be running for reelection.
Denham has been the go-to-person at the Highway Department for the last 15 years. Prior to his current position at the Highway Department, Denham was a selectman for six years (1997-2003) and a member of the Planning Board for eight years.
A lifelong resident of Mattapoisett, Denham, long before he tossed his hat in the ring for the various committee and board positions, owned and operated a construction business with his father. He told The Wanderer, “I’m not a porch sitter, and I don’t play golf,” indicating that he’ll continue to turn his hand in the family business. Denham is also the veteran’s agent for the Tri-Town, another position from which he will be stepping away.
Denham has for many years been a dedicated member of the American Legion. He said he was drafted into the Army in 1969 during the Vietnam War, where he served honorably. His comment on that period of his life was characteristically understated: “I saw as much war as I wanted to.”
In considering the years he served as the highway surveyor, Denham said he is especially proud of the “crew” at the department and the numerous contributions the department has made. While acknowledging that the past year has been difficult and “depressing,” with many projects temporarily shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, an avalanche of work awaits on the horizon.
Beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of municipal landscaping, trash pick-up, beach care, snow plowing, road grading, and even the laying of commemorative bricks, Denham said that grants amounting to more than $1.7 million have been secured for a variety of projects, some waiting in the wings and some moving forward in the near term. Those presently moving forward include a study of Mattapoisett Neck Road’s climate resiliency and culvert improvements and repairs, installation of flashing traffic signage along North Street, Acushnet Road bridge repairs, a sidewalk from the bike path to Route 6 along Mattapoisett Neck Road, and improvements near the bike path at Brandt Island Road such as parking. Other projects the Highway Department will be involved with include improvements to Industrial Drive and sidewalks along upper Pearl Street. “I’ll be leaving behind lots of work,” Denham said.
When asked if he had any parting comments for his successor, Denham said, “I hope they have as much success as I did and enjoy it as much as I have.”
Regarding the presentation of his 14th budget for fiscal year 2022, Denham will have to return to the Finance Committee. He said that the coming year would be challenging before saying that the part-time secretarial position allotted to the department is insufficient for the tasks at hand. “We need a full-time secretary,” he said. Denham also suggested changes to the department’s work crew that included “elevating someone to work as foreman.” This latter position, he said, would help a new surveyor manage projects.
Finance Committee Chairman Pat Donoghue asked how the renovations were going at the town barn. Denham responded that not much had taken place thus far. Donoghue said, “This has been going on for six years. You beg for the money, we give it to you, and nothing happens.” Denham said that architectural drawings had not yet been received. Town Administrator Mike Lorenco interjected, saying, “This is on me; we have bid documents, so you’ll see movement in the next few weeks. Lorenco said that construction would be phased. Donoghue said her primary concern is the safety of the employees.
Rounding out his comments, Denham said that a new sidearm mower was listed on the Capital Planning spreadsheet to replace one that had broken. The estimated cost is $84,000.
Denham also reported, when Donoghue asked, that the Highway Department is responsible for maintenance of the bike path, including mowing, snow removal, brush trimming, and rubbish collection. He said that the current mile-long span costs the town 346 employee hours per year. He told Donoghue, “Do the math,” when asked how much the newer portion would add once opened, an additional 1.5 miles. Donoghue noted that those costs did not appear on the budget.
Donoghue also asked about licensures for those crew members operating equipment that requires special certification. “No one is operating equipment without a license,” Denham began. He said that due to the pandemic, some classes were not held; thus, employees could not take necessary courses toward obtaining licenses. He said that the town pays for certification courses. It was noted that those costs also did not appear on the budget. Donoghue said that Denham should plan on returning to the committee with more details. The Highway Department’s six-month actuals for FY21 are $334,364 with a preliminary FY22 budget of $765,250.
Meeting with the committee for the first time was Library Director Jennifer Jones, who said her budget projection was level-funded to 2.3 percent and noted several Capital Planning line items such as carpet replacement, telephone systems, roof restorations, and window replacement. The library’s FY21 six-month actuals are $254,791, with a preliminary FY22 budget request of $549,248.
Regarding the pandemic’s impact on circulation numbers, Jones said that there had been a substantial drop by as much as 50 percent. She said it was difficult to get the word out to people that most library services were still available, even though the building itself was closed to the public. “We are providing side-door service,” she said with a chuckle.
Since July 2020, Jones said the library had served 3,729 of 5,253 cardholders with 3,396 followers on Facebook. She also said that the library was still loaning out enrichment items such as baking pans, fishing poles, sewing machines, hot pots, and snowshoes. A full list of all materials available can be found on the library’s website, she said. Jones also assured the committee that all loaned items, including books and tapes, are decontaminated per guidelines.
Also briefly meeting with the FinCom was Police Chief Mary Lyons. The Police Department FY21 six-month actuals were reported as $1,061,362 with a preliminary FY22 budget request of $2,345,028. Lyons said that a cruiser is on the FY22 budget plan and another on the Capital Planning spreadsheet. A third cruiser will also be replaced after an accident rendered it inoperable. She said insurance would cover approximately $52,000 for the replacement.
In other business, Donoghue said she had recently met with the Mattapoisett School Committee, and while everything was at a preliminary stage, she was surprised to learn they had removed Bristol County Agricultural High School costs from the budget. She said she could not pinpoint the reasoning behind such a move, one that would place those costs in a separate warrant article versus part of an overall school budget. Committee member Paul Amoruso declared, “No! It doesn’t make any sense.”
Lorenco said of Bristol Aggie expenses, “They are also trying to charge us $1,000 per student for their building debt,” a move he believed was inappropriate given that Mattapoisett had no say in the decision to take on the debt.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee is scheduled for Thursday, February 11, at 4:00 pm.
Mattapoisett Finance Committee
By Marilou Newell