Pittsfield council to deal with overdrafts in 4 town accounts

PITTSFIELD – Overdrafts in four town accounts have prompted the Town Council to consider transfers of funds between departments to cover the expenditures.

More than $29,100 is being shifted and will be voted on at 7:30 tonight in the council chambers of the municipal building.

In a report to town councilors last week, Town Manager Kathryn Ruth explained that the four affected departments are town clerk, police department, general assistance and community development.

The town clerk’s account needs $3,500, mostly to cover the cost of increased advertising. “The town has been much busier due to increasing townwide activity such as ordinance amendments and requests for proposals,” said Ruth. Also, the costs for advertising the changes in voting districts contributed to this overdraft.

The Police Department overdraft is related to overtime, part-time labor and a cruiser accident. Since reimbursements from the insurance payment for the cruiser accident will be posted to a revenue account, the motor vehicle account is overspent, said Ruth. The overdraft amount is $10,000.

Electrical work at the Pittsfield Historical Society’s Depot Museum, required to bring the facility up to code, overdrafted that account by $600.

In the largest transfer, the general assistance account will be boosted by $15,000 to reflect a very busy year.

Ruth said, “We were extremely frugal with several accounts when the general assistance applications started pouring in so that we cover these costs in the budget.”

The $29,100 required to balance the books will come from unexpended funds in nine other accounts, including airport, highway department, cemetery, streetlights, code enforcement and buildings and grounds.

Other business on the agenda includes:

. A public hearing on performance standard revisions to the town’s zoning ordinances.

. An executive session regarding the town’s manager’s annual evaluation.

. A fourth and final 2004 budget workshop, scheduled to follow regular business, for the library, theater, recreation department, and administration.