Machias selectmen adopt plan to minimize costs this winter

MACHIAS — Alayne Willard, a member of the Machias Board of Selectmen, delivered an eight-point plan to the board Thursday in which she detailed a plan for fiscal restraint in the town.

As Maine’s towns and municipalities brace for what could be a winter of fiscal uncertainty and a weakening economy, Willard proposed a list of mid-year cost-cutting actions to be implemented immediately by all municipal departments.

The plan, which was adopted by the board Thursday, calls for:

An end to all non-essential out-of-town travel by town employees and department heads.

Eliminating all unnecessary trips by employees operating town-owned vehicles in order to reduce fuel consumption and prohibiting all personal use of those vehicles.

Reducing repairs to town vehicles by “driving vehicles with care.”

No purchasing or ordering of equipment or supplies without approval by the selectmen.

“Tight control” by the town manager over the budgets of each department. Non-critical purchases will not be authorized.

Elimination of all non-crityical out-of-state telephone calls. In-state toll calls will be limited to 10 minutes or less.

Instituting rigorous energy conservation measures in buildings, including a maximum thermostat setting of 68 degrees, and asking employees to turn off all unnecessary lighting.

Conserving energy in any way that employees can think of, and recognition by town officials of those efforts.

Chairman Edward Pellon also put department heads, the school board and budget committee on notice that the town “is aiming at zero-percent growth” of department budgets in the coming fiscal year.

Selectmen last year presented a municipal budget that was lower than the previous year’s budget. The school board, however, presented a budget that increased slightly, despite pressure from selectmen to “hold the line.”

It’s too early to tell which direction the school board will take in the coming year, but budget committee member Richard Larson said he already has warned the School Board that a 5-percent increase may be the absolute limit acceptable to selectmen.

A big factor in the the final school budget offered at next year’s annual meeting will be the terms negotiated with teachers during the present round of union talks. Discussions between the school board and teachers began Wednesday.