April 5 - Town of Falmouth

very successful because all the new unexcluded debt has revenues
associated with it so it is not a drain on our system. That is a victory that
we’ve had in addressing the structural problems.
Let me go to the next slide. Something that we need to think
about very strongly, and that’s right, this says “Public Safety Decreases”. I
want to salute the public safety departments in this community for very
successful efforts in keeping their costs down. In both departments we’ve
had significant reductions in overtime costs. And it takes a lot of
teamwork. It is a very difficult job.
Moving forward, we need to ensure that we’re not eroding to a
point where we’re not comfortable with the services that are provided by
these departments. Anytime you reduce a labor intensive effort like these
public safety departments, you put service levels potentially at risk. I think
that both chiefs and the men and women of the departments have done a
great job, but we need to study these services, cost out. As the Chairman
of the Finance Committee I think so appropriately said, cost out the
individual programs and make some decisions on the priorities, and I know
the chiefs have already started doing that.
We can maybe take a look at the next area. This just shows
you, it’s a training exercise of the Fire Department, how intensive, you
know, the need is there to be active, ready for the types of challenges that
are faced in the public safety environment.
Tinkham Reporting
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