Town Council - Ways & Means Committee

Braintree Town Council MEMBERS Joseph Reynolds, Chairman Committee of Ways & Means Julia Flaherty, Vice-Chairwoman One JFK Memorial Drive Elizabeth Maglio, Member Braintree, Massachusetts 02184 MINUTES Monday, May 15, 2023 A meeting of the Committee of Ways & Means was held via Zoom Webinar on Monday, May 15, 2023 at 5:00pm. Councilor Reynolds was in the Chair. Clerk of the Council, Susan Cimino conducted the roll call. Present: Joseph Reynolds, Chairman Julia Flaherty, Vice-Chairwoman Elizabeth Maglio, Member Meredith Boericke, President (ex-officio) Also Present: Margaret Laforest, Chief of Staff/Director of Operations Ed Spellman, Director of Municipal Finance James M. Casey, Town Clerk Cindy DePina, HR Director Kate Naughton, Director of Community Affairs James F. O’Brien, Fire Chief Marianne Bosse, Fire Department Finance Mark Dubois, Police Chief Corey Chambers, Sgt/Police Dept. Finance Mary Kenny, Director of Finance Shawn McGoldrick, Town Auditor Approval of Minutes • None Old Business • None May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 1 of 15 New Business • 23 032 Town Clerk: Votes Act of 2022: Early Vote By-Mail Opt-Out Provision or take up any action relative thereto James M. Casey, Town Clerk stated The "Votes Act" of 2022 provides municipalities the option to opt-in to Early Voting In-Person (EVIP) and/or opt-out of Early Voting By-Mail (EVBM) for local elections at their expense*. EARLY VOTING IN-PERSON In-person Early Voting is not required for local elections. • Town Council has opportunity to opt-in at least 45 days prior to Election Day... • Only upon recommendation from at least 50% of the board of registrars • On March 28th members of the Board of Registrars voted not to opt-in for early voting for both the September 19th and November 7th citing an anticipated low voter turnout, declining participation in EVIP and other available options to cast a ballot. Therefore, council action is not available. EARLY VOTING BY -MAIL Early Voting by mail is now required for all elections, including special elections and primaries with a provision for the town council to opt out of EVBM for local elections by a vote to be taken at least 45 days prior to the election. • Municipalities are not required to send a Vote by Mail application to voters for local elections, except with new voter registration acknowledgment notices. Except for the EVBM return postage cost and mailing and ballot envelopes, to be paid by the State, Municipalities are responsible for all other costs including mailing a ballot to each voter having requested a ballot MOTION #1 Pursuant to the Votes Act of 2022 the Braintree Town Council will not exercise the opt-out provision for early voting by-mail for the September 19, 2023, Local Preliminary Election; or take any other action relative thereto. A Motion was made by Councilor Flaherty for favorable recommendation to the full Council on Order 23 032 (1) Motion: by Councilor Flaherty to approve Order 23 032 (1) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (3–Flaherty, Maglio, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) MOTION #2 Pursuant to the Votes Act of 2022 the Braintree Town Council will not exercise the opt-out provision for early voting by-mail for the November 7, 2023, Local General Election; or take any other action relative thereto. A Motion was made by Councilor Flaherty for favorable recommendation to the full Council on Order 23 032 (2) Motion: by Councilor Flaherty to approve Order 23 032 (2) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (3–Flaherty, Maglio, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 2 of 15 • 23 033 Town Clerk: Votes Act of 2022: Voter Registration – MGL – Section 110A: Office hours on Saturday or take up any action relative thereto James M. Casey, Town Clerk stated The Votes Act of 2022 changed the voter registration deadline from 20 days prior to an election, normally a Tuesday, from 8:30am until 8:00pm to 10 days prior to an election, now a Saturday, from 8:30am until 5:00pm. In March of 1951 Town Meeting accepted Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, section 110A, “Any public office in any city or town may remain closed on any or all Saturdays as may be determined from time to time, in a city by the city council, subject to the provisions of the city charter, or, in a town, by vote of the town at a special or regular town meeting, and the provisions of section nine of chapter four shall apply in the case of such closing of any such office on any Saturday to the same extent as if such Saturday were a legal holiday.” The Braintree Town Charter, Section 9-1 – Continuation of Existing Laws, reads “All general laws, special laws, town by-laws, town meeting votes, and rules and regulations of or pertaining to Braintree that are in force when this charter takes effect, and not specifically or by implication repealed by this charter, shall continue in full force and effect until amended or repealed, or rescinded by due course of law, or until they expire by their own limitation. In any case in which the provisions of this charter are found to be inconsistent with the provisions of any general or special law that would otherwise be applicable, the provisions of this charter shall be deemed to prevail. Every inconsistency between the prior law and this charter shall be decided in favor of this charter.” Prior to the Votes Act of 2022, impact on staffing was minimal, with Tuesday’s normal business closing hour being 7:00pm, two employees would extend their day to 8:00pm resulting in a financial impact of under $100 in overtime costs. Now as required under the Votes Act of 2022, holding voter registration on a Saturday would result in overtime costs of approximately $800. The Votes Act of 2022 has placed a significant hardship on City and Town Clerk staffs, with forced Saturday and Sunday hours, extended operational restrictions on earned time-off, and conflicts with family and personal obligations during the election season. For these reasons I am recommending support from members of the Braintree Town Council to adopt the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, section 110A with the Council allowing the Town Clerk to hold voter registrations for municipal elections only on Fridays until 5:00pm. It should be noted that voters will continue to have the opportunity to submit registrations on the 10th-day (Saturday) before any election via the Secretary of State – Election Division online portal or submit a voter registration application through the mail having a postmark date no later than the10th day before Election Day. (Refer to attached chart) Councilor Flaherty asked how much activity have you seen for voter registration at the last minute? May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 3 of 15  Town Clerk Casey stated typically when it was a Wednesday and we were open to 8pm we typically saw zero voter registrations being done. Once in a great while we would have one individual show up. There are still opportunities for individuals to submit on line. MOTION #1 Pursuant with MGL Chapter 41, Section 110A, to authorize the Town Clerk’s office to remain closed on all Saturdays and to treat Saturdays as a legal holiday for purposes of calculating the time frame for filing matters in that office for the September 19, 2023, Local Preliminary Election; or take any other action relative thereto. A Motion was made by Councilor Flaherty for favorable recommendation to the full Council on Order 23 033 (1) Motion: by Councilor Flaherty to approve Order 23 033 (1) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (3–Flaherty, Maglio, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) MOTION #2 Pursuant with MGL Chapter 41, Section 110A, to authorize the Town Clerk’s office to remain closed on all Saturdays and to treat Saturdays as a legal holiday for purposes of calculating the time frame for filing matters in that office for the November 7, 2023, Local General Election; or take any other action relative thereto. A Motion was made by Councilor Flaherty for favorable recommendation to the full Council on Order 23 033 (2) Motion: by Councilor Flaherty to approve Order 23 033 (2) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (3–Flaherty, Maglio, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) • 23 025 Mayor: FY2024 Operating Budget or take up any action relative thereto A Motion was made by Councilor Flaherty to take off the table Order 23 025. Motion: by Councilor Flaherty to Take off the Table Order 23 025 Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (3–Flaherty, Maglio, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) FY2023 Revenue Forecast Overview APPENDIX F Mayor's Office Police Fire May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 4 of 15 Mayor's Office Margaret Laforest, Chief of Staff explained the Mayor’s Office works under the direction of the Mayor, who is the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to the Town Charter. In this capacity, the Mayor is responsible for the daily management of our government, including oversight of financial matters and the Town’s planning and development. The Mayor’s Office is currently staffed by the Chief of Staff/Director of Operations, Director of Community Affairs, Assistant to the Mayor and Part Time clerical support. The FY24 department Budget Submission is $440,870.16 down 8.41% from last year. The Mayor’s budget makes up 0.27% of the total FY24 budget. The Fiscal Year 2023 budget allowed the Chief of Staff to serve in a dual capacity as the Chief of Staff and Town Solicitor. The “Administrative/Clerical” line (0112101 511004) has been decreased as the Solicitor Role is no longer being served by the Chief of Staff. The Department head’s salary is a reduction of .4% based on number of pay periods. The increases in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal include Advertising, Cell Phone, Postage, Office Supplies and Dues/Memberships. The remaining line items have been level funded based on need and prior years’ spending. The following is a summary of changes to the existing accounts: • 0112101 511002 (Department Head) o Decrease of $480.51 (-.4%) • 0112101 511004 (Administrative Clerical) o Decrease of $42,416.48 (-14.9%) • 0112101 530005 (Advertising) o Increase of $830 (66.4%) o This line was level funded in FY23, reduced by 37.5% in FY22 and 18.36% in FY21 o Used to pay for various legal ads required throughout the year • 0112101 534001 (Cell Phone) o Increase of $715 (49.5%) o Based on actual costs for four cell phones vs three in FY23 • 0112101 534002 (Postage) o Increase of $300 (150%) o Used for mailing costs incurred by the office o This line was level funded in FY23, reduced by 50% in FY22 and 59.18% in FY21 • 0112101 542002 (Office Supplies) o Increase of $700 (46.7%) o Based on current supply of materials and prior years’ spending, reduced by 16.7% in FY23 • 0112101 573001 (Dues/Memberships) May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 5 of 15  o Increase of $3,500 (14%) o Used to pay for the Town wide memberships to the Mass Municipal Association (MMA), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), conferences and newspaper subscriptions The following line items were level funded based on anticipated need for Fiscal Year 2024: • 0112101 521005 (Awards & Ceremonies) o Based on prior years’ spending • 0112101 542001 (Printing/Forms) o Based on current supply of materials • 0112101 571001 (Meetings/Seminars) o Based on priority in spending • 0112101 571002 (Mileage) o Based on prior years’ spending Councilor Maglio asked about the Director of Community Events and if that was a promotion. Cindy DePina stated that was just a title change and the funding was already in the budget. Motion to take a 15 minute recess to wait for departments to show up for their budget hearing. Motion to return to the meeting from recess. Fire Department The Braintree Fire Department is responsible for providing the residents of Braintree and all who visit daily with quality emergency services including, but not limited to, extinguishing fires, motor vehicle accidents, first aid and water rescue. We also work in conjunction with the School Department to ensure early education through our Fire Prevention Program. We have multiple positions that serve dual purposes. One Deputy Chief serves as a Mechanic Liaison to ensure that our apparatus is current with State inspections and all preventive maintenance is up to date. One Firefighter holds the position of Grant Writer and has been integral in securing a countless number of grants to purchase equipment and supplies vital to our safety operations. One Lieutenant serves as an EMS Coordinator tracking the supplies and equipment used daily. This position also monitors the use of Narcan and records the statistics of its effectiveness. One Lieutenant holds the position of Master Marine Pilot responsible for Marine Unit 1 and the daily maintenance needed to ensure it is ready to respond to incidents in the Fore River Basin and mutual aid for surrounding communities. The Department responded to 8,614 emergency service calls in 2022 and provided mutual aid for 103 incidents. Most calls responded to were EMS calls followed by motor vehicle accidents and structure May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 6 of 15 fires. As in 2022 we expect a similar year of numerous forest/brush fires, which results in heavy use of manpower and resources as well as additional overtime costs. Budget reductions were difficult to make for FY24 due to the Contractual increases in salaries and st ip ends. Currently we have one open Firefighter position and when the vacancy is fi lled , we anticipate a consistent reduction in overtime. Suppression overtime was reduced by $468,000 .00 compared to the same time in FY22 due to recent new hires. Overtime is necessary due to the contractual manning clause and is required to fill shifts vacated by contractual absences, vacation, sick, personal, etc. Please see appendix 1. The Braintree Fire Department, at full capacity, consists of ninety full-time personnel but we currently have eighty-seven active members, one Lieutenant on long term injury, an open position, one Chief and one BPMA position. The Fire Department is divided into two groups: Administration and Fire Sup pression. Fire Administration The Fire Chief is responsible for continuously managing both branches of the Department twenty- four hours a day, seven days a week. He oversees the daily operations of the Administration Side managing personnel and budgetary issues. The Chief receives up to date alerts of all emergency services dispatched through Fire Suppression. The Financial Coordinator analyzes and processes the payroll, overtime and details worked and generates bi­ weekly reports categorizing overtime costs. She creates invoices and coordinates all accounts payable and receivable. This position prepares the annual budget and creates financial reports as necessary and performs daily office duties. The Fire Marshall (Captain) is responsible for enforcing Fire Codes prevalent to the State of Massachusetts. The Fire Marshall performs smoke detector inspections on multi-family residences as well as educating the public regarding fire safety. The Hazmat Officer (Captain) issues fire permits, inspects and enforces all businesses for compliance with Fire Codes pertaining to Hazardous materials. The Hazmat Officer also responds to hazardous spills and records pertinent data collected. The Hazmat Officer is responsible for conducting arson investigations. The Fire Alarm Superintendent (Captain) is responsible for the daily maintenance of all fire alarm connections above and below ground that feed all master box alarms and street box alarms running through Braintree. The Fire Alarm Superintendent assists the Suppression with personnel software and records retention. The Training Officer (Captain) makes sure all training is complete and current for all members as well as keeping all EMT and Para certificates current. The Training Officer schedules and performs all smoke detector inspections for single family residences daily and provides fire safety information to homeowners. Fire Suppression We have four working groups that should have 21 Firefighters in each Group. We have three fire stations that we man and provide daily maintenance for: Headquarters, East Braintree and the Highlands station. We do not have any custodial staff assigned to any of our locations so Suppression provides daily cleaning, repairs, landscaping May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 7 of 15 and snow and ice removal. Utilizing our own workforce enables us to eliminate costs associated with building maintenance. Headquarters is manned by 1 Deputy Chief, 3 Officers and 9 Firefighters in Groups 1, 3 and 4. Group 2 has 1 Deputy Chief, 3 Officers and 8 Firefighters. The East Braintree Fire Station is comprised of 1 Officer and 2 Firefighters for all Gro ups. The Highlands Station is normally operational with 2 Officers and 3 Firefighters, but Group 2 has the open Firefighter position. We are contractually bound to a minimum manning clause of seventeen Firefighters per shift, equaling two shifts per twenty-four-hour period, and if the manning drops below seventeen Firefighters, we are contractually obligated to fill the vacancies through overtime. Currently the Fire Suppression breakdown is: 4 Deputy Chiefs 4 Captains in Suppression, 4 Captains in Administration, 19 Lieutenants, 1 Lieutenant out long term Injured on Duty, 55 Firefighters - 1 Open Position The Department sustained an above average number of members injured on duty, leaving more than two hundred shifts undermanned. More than six hundred shifts created a manning shortage dictating overtime to comply with the contractual manning clause. Councilor Flaherty stated most of my concerns relate to overtime. Our budget is very tight this year. There is almost no item that is as difficult to predict as overtime. If we hired more firefighters, would the cost of their salaries be less than the cost of the overtime we incur. Councilor Flaherty asked I am interested to know the extent to which the Fire Department overtime budget can be reduced through additional hiring. Please identify how much overtime could be reduced through the hiring of: • 1 additional firefighter • 2 additional firefighters • 3 additional firefighters • 4 additional firefighters • 5 additional firefighters I realize that the need can vary depending on the number of injuries and illnesses. • Please base this analysis on the current number of injuries and illnesses and the current rate at which firefighters use sick time and vacation time and personal time. • Please adjust for pay differences according to anticipated rank and seniority in the coming fiscal year. • If contractual negotiations have concluded and/or contractual COLA settled upon, please use the anticipated increased COLA in your analysis. Chief O’Brien stated in response to Councilor Flaherty’s questions… 1. Using the scenarios provided (hiring 1-5 firefighters), The only sensible way to formulate this is using the example of hiring 4 new firefighters . There are 4 working groups and unless 1 FF is added to each group there is no guarantee of any savings. (If I hired 2 firefighters and put 1 each on Group 3 May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 8 of 15 and Group 4, and injuries occur on groups 1&2 how is there any savings by having those new firefighters unless I transfer them to Groups 3&4 ? Keep in mind that I am contractually obligated to provide 30 days for transfers ) I did a cost analysis of all firefighter overtime from 7-1-22 through current day and the total came to $351,000. Projecting to the end of the fiscal year and that number becomes $400-$420K. The average cost of a top step firefighter with all benefits included is roughly $108,000, which makes the hiring somewhat of a “wash”. 2. In regards to an analysis on injury, sick time, and FMLA, there is no accurate way for me to provide proper numbers because of the many variables that take place as well as adhering to the language in the CBA. The only pay difference that applies would be firefighters (no higher ranks) because in the event of adding manpower, it would not alter the minimum manning or increase the number of Lieutenants, Captains or Deputy Chiefs. Chief O’Brien stated the only way I get approval to hire firefighters is if I have commitments and documentation that someone is retiring. It takes a little bit of time to get that done. Councilor Maglio asked the following questions and replies were given by Chief O’Brien: 1. You explained that Braintree being non-civil service is an advantage and that getting spots at the academy is on a first-come, first-served basis. You also shared information about civil service vs non-civil service, and the non-civil service advantage, but you didn't want to go into more detail about why via Zoom. Would you be able to fill me in with your thoughts via email prior to the budget hearing on the 15th? Braintree Fire has been a non-civil service department since its inception. The main reason I prefer non civil service is the fact that it allows us to have a merit based department that relies upon experience/seniority. In a civil service department promotional exams are predominant , because of civil service rules. In our department you are promoted based on seniority which I feel is a more efficient way to run a department this size. Example; In a civil service department, you can start taking promotional exams after 3 years of service. In my 35 years with the Braintree Fire Department, I have never come across an individual who deserved to be a fire officer with less than 15 years experience. It is my strong opinion that experience creates a better leader than the ability to pass a test. While a firefighter with minimal time on the job may be able to explain the elemental breakdown of fire by studying, he/she may have zero experience in actually fighting any type of fire. To expect someone with little time on the job to act in a leadership role where lives are on the line is, in my opinion, irresponsible in the least. I am far from the only fire chief to have this thought process. When a private is promoted to Lieutenant he/she is required to attend a 2 week Officers school taught by the MFA as a condition of their promotion. The average time to obtain the rank of Lieutenant is 20-22 years. It could be another 10-12 years to attain the rank of Captain, and 5 more to obtain the rank of Deputy Chief. The slots in the MFA are indeed on a first come first served basis. It is up to each Municipality to vet each recruit and supply the MFA with documentation of a physical and mental wellness exam. Once documentation is submitted, recruits will be placed in , the next available class 2. Could you share with us the data collected on Braintree fire response and prevention activities? I'm interested in incident response, most common calls, length of time those calls take, time of day/day of May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 9 of 15  week, EMS vs structural fires, risk reduction, training, community education, hydrant analysis, information storage, etc. We respond to approx. 8,500 calls for emergencies annually, with 80% of those consisting of EMS calls, and the rest divided among structure fires, outside fires, hazmat incidents, etc. We have a full time training officer, as well as EMS coordinator who keeps the department updated on the latest trends/improvements in the fire service. As far as data/ info, we have computer software called Red Alert which enables us to record incidents and refer back to them for future training. We also have ‘after incident “ discussions depending upon the incident. We are active in the community with providing CPR/ FIRST RESPONDER training to the seniors, as well as any civic group who requests it. We are also active in the schools, especially with pre-K TO 4TH grade students. We do not maintain fire hydrants, they are the responsibility of the water dept. 3. What are health and wellness efforts underway that support physical and mental health of firefighters? What data do we have on that in terms of offerings and participation rates? Mental health in public safety has come to the forefront in the past few years but its still in its infancy as far as recognition of symptoms as well as treatment. We have no current data on this issue but anticipate it in the near future. On the physical end of it, each station is equipped with modern gym equipment including weights and treadmills. My hope is that when Headquarters is renovated, the gym will be upgraded and we can implement a physical fitness program. 4. During our meeting you mentioned a top-step firefighter gets a salary of $80,000. If every firefighter was at that top step, we would be looking at less than $8 million in salaries. Based on a rough look at salary information, we are paying over $10 million in salaries, suggesting that overtime is well over $2 million. What concrete efforts are taking place to reduce that number, and how soon are we anticipating the reduction? Are there other towns with comparable salary to OT ratios? I have attached the payscale for all ranks of fire suppression. Highlighted are the top step pay grades. We are nowhere near 2 million in overtime. 5. You stated that having industrial businesses in town requires certain levels of firefighting to tackle potential incidents at those facilities. Other than having a certain amount of firefighters per shift, what are the other activities required in order to safely respond to major incidents at these sites? There are no special activities required to respond to incidents other than the initial academy training each firefighter receives as well as ongoing training throughout ones career. Any “major “ incident triggers the response of certain state agencies specializing in that area as well as mutual aid response. 6. You described how injuries are the main threat for an aging force, and this results in the number of shifts that need to be covered, thus requiring OT. You also stated that physicals are required every two years, and no information is shared back regarding health status. Since union negotiations are currently underway, what efforts are taking place by the town in order to require annual physicals and an indication of good health? For example, some town employees are union members and they need annual physicals and an approved health status in order to continue working for the town. The town and Local 920 recently came to terms on a 3 year contract and it has been ratified by the union. There were no major changes in the language regarding physicals. A change in any contractual language requires negotiations pertaining to that specific language almost always results in the town incurring a greater cost to achieve a mutual agreement. After lengthy discussions regarding physicals, it was decided to leave it be. May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 10 of 15 Councilor Maglio asked for the figure for overtime for FY2022. Chief O’Brien stated $1,427,000. YTD for FY23 is $984,000. That includes the supplemental. This is through the pay period of May 5, 2023. Councilor Maglio asked if you know how many shifts are missed. You can look at trends etc. Chief O’Brien stated once the number of firefighters are off per shift that triggers overtime. There are 21 per shift and we have a 17 man minimum to meet that contractual agreement. Councilor Maglio stated for whatever reason people are off. It is really just being able to predict in order to have a sense of what is needed in the budget. If there was some data we could do some ball park predictions of budget numbers we need. President Boericke stated you are budgeting $781,000 for overtime. This is less than the budget amount for last year. Then add in the two supplementals totaling $600,000 the FY23 overtime is $1.38 million (ish). What I hear is we are actually budgeting for half of what we actually spent in FY23. Why are we budgeting half? Is it to make the numbers work? Chief O’Brien stated I believe so. We are budgeting and not accounting for injuries, major incidents or a lot of things that pop up during the year. President Boericke stated on page 77 appendix L gives a total salary of firefighters $9.4 million. If you divide that by the number of firefighters that would give an estimated base salary. Chief O’Brien stated this is the base salary and does include longevity and stipends which there are about 6 stipends at $5,000 a piece. President Boericke was concerned about only $5,000 for building maintenance at our fire stations. (Page 43 tab F) Chief O’Brien stated usually it is $25,000. Ed Spellman, Director of Finance stated we will follow up with this at tomorrow’s meeting. President Boericke stated over many years we have been deferring maintenance in a lot of our buildings. President Boericke stated the regional dispatch center is getting a $4million grant. What is the timeline? Chief O’Brien stated we are about a year out to get that up and running. For the fire department it is about at $300,000 savings so we do not have to monitor at our own dispatch. Chairman Reynolds asked what costs are covered by our facilities maintenance team for the fire department. What is the line item in the DPW budget on this? Chairman Reynolds asked when did we go to a 24-hour shift? What was the rationale? Chief O’Brien stated I believe it was about 15 years ago. The union pushed this saying it would save money. Chairman Reynolds asked for vacation time, if you don’t use it you lose it? Chief O’Brien stated correct. Chairman Reynolds asked about the increase in the Fire Boat budget. Chief O’Brien stated we had the boat for 5 years. It will be used more each year for various incidents. May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 11 of 15 Police Department In attendance is Chief Dubois, Corey Chambers and Mary Kenny. With the support of Mayor Kokoros and his staff, the Braintree Police Department is pleased to submit its proposed FY24 Operating Budget for the Town Council’s consideration. The Department’s FY24 budget was compiled based on guidelines set forth by the Mayor’s Office and Municipal Finance, as well as current and forecasted staffing levels for the upcoming fiscal year that are necessary to maintain the level of public safety services that the Town of Braintree’s stakeholders deserve and expect. This summary contains multiple appendices that are helpful with interpreting our budget submission: • Appendix 1 – Year-over-Year Flux Analysis showing all general ledger accounts expected to change by +/- 3% or more with accompanying explanations; • Appendix 2 – Year-over-Year Headcount Analysis by program and rank. We look forward to discussing our proposed FY24 Operating Budget with you. Overview The proposed FY24 budget totals $12,556,600 which is an approximate increase of $222,289 or 1.8% over FY23. This increase is almost exclusively related to salary-related increases anticipated as a result of contract negotiations, step (salary) increases, and improved staffing levels for FY24. The Department was fortunate enough to welcome seven new Officers at the beginning of FY23 and an additional four new Officers will be graduating from the Academy in May of 2023. It is noted that 94.4% of the Department’s total operating budget relates to personnel and contractual salary-related line items, and only 5.6% relates to operating expenses. Headcount & Staffing As of May 6, 2023 there are 89 sworn personnel in the Braintree Police Department (including injured Officers and Student Officers) and 89 budgeted FTEs for FY24. Upon their graduation in May 2023, four new Officers will begin a three-month Field Training Program during which they will train with experienced Officers. At the completion of their field training, these Officers will be assigned to one of our Patrol shifts and will be eligible to count towards minimum manning requirements and have a positive impact on overtime expense. The increase in budgeted FTEs from FY23 to FY24 (1 FTE) is critical to our public safety mission, will help to lower overtime costs, and allow the Department to provide additional services to the Town that our staffing levels have not been able to support in several years. Initiatives that have begun in FY23 or will begin in FY24 include: • Adding an additional School Resource Officer to the Special Services program; • Reestablishing a Traffic Unit beginning with one Sergeant and one Patrol Officer; • Adding two K9s (one Patrol and one Narcotics Detection) with the support of the May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 12 of 15  Braintree Police Working Dog Foundation; • Establishing regular Marine Unit Patrols using our new (and largely grant-funded) boat; • Expanding services provided by the Family Services Unit; • Improving Detective coverage and investigative capacity of BCI; and • Maintaining adequate Patrol staffing levels to provide services to the Town. In addition to sworn and civilian personnel funded by the operating budget, the Department also has several positions allocated to the Family Services Unit that are fully funded by third party grants. These positions include (1) Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Co-Coordinator & Clinician, (1) CIT Administrative Assistant, (2) JDP Clinicians, and (1) part-time Domestic Violence Advocate. The Department also budgets for nine full-time civilian dispatchers, five administrative staff, and one Animal Control Officer. Overtime Overtime costs have been higher than budgeted in FY23 due to the continued staffing shortages we faced primarily as a result of the June 4th, 2021 Officer-involved shooting as well as several other long-term injuries. However, with the support of Mayor Kokoros, we have been able to hire new Officers who have already made an impact on overtime expense and will continue to have an impact as more of these Officers begin to count towards minimum manning requirements in Patrol. We continue to seek grant funding opportunities that can help minimize overtime expense and when feasible, implement overtime management strategies to mitigate overtime costs. These strategies have historically included redeployment of personnel to alleviate minimum manning challenges, shifting eligible training from off-duty to on-duty when possible, limiting training to mandatory in- service training, carrying vacancies in specialty units to support Patrol, and periodically “freezing” time-off allowance to ensure adequate staffing levels. Program Analysis • Program 1 (Administration) – Encompasses sworn personnel including the Chief of Police, Deputy Chiefs of Police, Professional Standards Lieutenant, and Lieutenant assigned as the Court Prosecutor. This program also includes administrative civilian staff and general operating expenses such as information technology, phones and cell phones, office and copy supplies, postage, dues, training, and investigation funds; • Program 2 (Building Maintenance) – Includes utilities, equipment maintenance and building repairs; • Program 3 (Equipment) – Includes motor vehicle repairs, tires, parts and accessories, and fuel. Consistent with the prior year, the Department has seen significant increases in fuel costs; • Program 4 (Patrol) – Includes sworn personnel assigned to the Patrol Division, matrons, training, South Shore Plaza details, detainee meals, EMS supplies, and ammunition; • Program 5 (Communications) – Includes nine civilian dispatchers and radio maintenance expense; • Program 6 (Detectives) – Includes sworn personnel assigned to the Bureau of Criminal May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 13 of 15  Investigations and Drug Control Unit as well as supplies for evidence processing; • Program 7 (Traffic) – Includes salary and contractual benefits for sworn personnel assigned to the newly reestablished Traffic Unit; • Program 8 (Special Services) – Includes sworn personnel from the Family Services Unit (FSU, 2 School Resource Officers), Licensing, and Property & Evidence Officers. The program also includes one civilian Parking Enforcement Officer; • Program 9 (Harbormaster) – Includes minimum expenses to maintain and fuel the Marine Unit’s boats, fund Marine Unit Patrols, pay dues and purchase required equipment such as personal floatation devices; • Program 10 (Animal Control) – Includes the ACO’s annual salary and utilities, supplies and services required by Animal Control Councilor Flaherty asked about the Police building maintenance that is $25,000. Corey Chambers explained even if facilities does the repairs we still pay for the materials. Councilor Maglio asked about the family services unit. How big is that unit? Chief Dubois stated we have 2 officers and clinicians that train and are co-responders and an administrator. That is about 10 people. Councilor Maglio stated the school resource officers are part of that unit as well? What is the role? Chief Dubois stated simply they work in the schools and deal with any issues that deal with the schools. There is a follow up with the families as well. Chief Dubois stated adding 11 bodies is pretty significant. We have spare bodies on each shift now. Councilor Maglio asked about overtime and the Chief really wanted to get your budget closer to the number actually needed. Corey Chambers stated this years actuals will be about $1.7 million range. The 11 hires should help. The benchmark of overtime or industry standard was about 10% of the police overall budget. It is now more about 15% of personnel costs or $1.6 million. President Boericke stated I am really happy to hear we are getting 11 more people. Thank you to you and your team for all you do for the Town. Chairman Reynolds stated I am impressed you have an extra officer on a shift on patrol and that is a means to be able to, you have a built in buffer or minimum manning. Kudos on that one. Chief Dubois stated a big amount of our overtime is patrol and backfill and their time off to ensure we have the minimum staff that are safety patrolling the Town. Chairman Reynolds stated there are more requirements placed on a traditional police officer. Does this have an impact in any meaningful way on your overtime? Chief Dubois stated yes absolutely. The Family Unit used to be patrol years ago. They are carved out now doing a very specific job that we desperately need them to do. Councilor Maglio asked about parking enforcement and tickets. Tickets are written but very few are paid. May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 14 of 15 Ed Spellman stated there is a system in place that the tickets and several demand notices that go out. There is a final notice to go to the delinquent payer. Licenses cannot be renewed until it is paid. Councilor Maglio asked do we have a total of revenue what was issued and paid. Motion: by Councilor Flaherty to Table Order 23 025 to the next Committee of Ways & Means meeting Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (3–Flaherty, Maglio, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) • 23 026 Mayor: FY2024 Budget – Community Preservation Committee or take up any action relative thereto (Tabled to May 16) • (Presented by Director of Planning) – • 23 027 Mayor: FY2024 Budget - Continuation of Revolving Funds or take up any action relative thereto (Tabled to May 16) • (Revolving Accounts on the date Department Head presents Budget) It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 8:04p.m. by Roll Call Vote. Respectfully submitted, Susan M. Cimino Clerk of the Council Documents provided for Meeting • 23 025 Mayor: FY2024 Operating Budget or take up any action relative thereto • 23 026 Mayor: FY2024 Budget – Community Preservation Committee or take up any action relative thereto • 23 027 Mayor: FY2024 Budget - Continuation of Revolving Funds or take up any action relative thereto • 23 032 Town Clerk: Votes Act of 2022: Early Vote By-Mail Opt-Out Provision or take up any action relative thereto • 23 033 Town Clerk: Votes Act of 2022: Voter Registration – MGL – Section 110A: Office hours on Saturday or take up any action relative thereto May 15, 2023 Ways & Means Committee 15 of 15