River Valley

Selectmen may hire consultant to help save money

Nov 23, 2009 12:00 am

RUMFORD — At Monday night's board meeting, selectmen are expected to discuss possibly hiring an efficiency consultant to help reduce municipal government costs.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, in the town hall auditorium.

Discussion will also focus on the board's goal to cut 10 percent from the current budget.

A 22.5 percent tax hike this year caused by a multimillion-dollar drop in valuation of the town's two biggest taxpayers, NewPage Corp. and Brookfield Renewable Power, sparked the budget crisis.

Other agenda items include discussions to improve acoustics in the auditorium, furlough days for town employees, and providing winter sand and selling cold patch to residents.

Selectmen are also expected to possibly authorize the sale of wood from the recent removal of dead trees lining Hancock Street and approve an engineering bid for the Swift River Park housing complex.

Additionally, the board will appoint members to a new Wind Power Committee, decide whether to hold a workshop with the Wind Power Education Committee and accept the resignation of Selectman Robert Cameron.

Cameron resigned last month, effective Nov. 23, because he will be away for the winter. Selectmen will hold a special Meet the Candidates forum at 4 p.m. Monday to hear from people who want to fill six months of Cameron's remaining 18-month term.

The board will then choose and appoint one of those candidates toward the end of Monday night's selectmen meeting.

Two executive sessions are also scheduled. The first involves a personnel matter with Town Manager Carlo Puiia, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallant. The second involves a union negotiation matter with Puiia, police Chief Stacy Carter and town attorney Thomas Carey. It will be held toward meeting's end.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

Comments

Rumford is filled with

Submitted by candiceanne on Mon, 11/23/2009 - 05:58.

Rumford is filled with unemployed and retirees with tremendous education, experience and talent that could be utilized for the good of the town. How about seeking one or more volunteers from the community with management experience to come up with ways to save money instead of going outside and spending more money the town does not have? In order for private business to stay in business, thet have to make a profit, who netter to show the down how to be frugal than someone that made a profit in business?

They may also be able to assist in evaluating all the organizations Rumford and its departments pays big bucks, some individually but certainly collectively, to belong to than pays even bigger bucks to for any services i.e. MMA, AVCOG, Growth Council, Maine Police Chiefs Association to determine if we should continue with these. Frequently the town contracts privately for services instead of using the services of the group they are a member of because it is cheaper to contract outside (i.e $2100 for study of Lincoln to Essex, Waldo to Cumberland Block) despite the hefty membership fees paid.

In the 7 monthes I have been here working on the Community Pride Project, I have found a lot of people with education, skills, training, and experience eager to donate their time and talents to the community. They have been frustrated and discouraged in their efforts to do so. Rumford can not afford to turn away volunteers, certainly not those who are expert and experienced in their field.

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