New Scotland officials hear complaints about working conditions and salaries
The New Scotland Town Board held a special meeting the morning of Wednesday, April 14, at the town’s Highway Department to discuss with employees issues regarding pay raises and the condition of the town garage.
I think the board is convinced we have to fix this facility or build a new one, said Town Supervisor Tom Dolin. The facility at 2869 New Scotland Road, which is more than 40 years old, is suffering from infrastructure, air quality and space issues, according to staff of the Highway Department.
`In the wintertime you recirculate the same air; it gets pretty nasty,` said Kevin Mabie, of the Highway Department.
Chris Zautner, another worker in the department, said that fumes from the building’s furnace make eating lunch in the break room almost unbearable.
`It’s disgusting. You wouldn’t want to be up here,` he said.
Zautner also said that after starting the trucks up at the garage in the morning, it’s difficult to breathe inside the facility.
Another concern voiced by workers dealt with the building’s water and drainage systems. `We are washing salt off the trucks with salt water,` said John Hensel, of the Water and Sewer Department. He also said runoff from the facility flows down New Scotland Road.
Dolin admitted that the facility needs to be replaced.
`I think this facility has seen its day,` he said.
According to Dolin, the issue is convincing the taxpayers to approve of what he estimates to be a $5 million to $7 million project.
He said the town knew since a study was done in 2001 that there were issues with the building.
`In the past, it fell off the table because numbers are so mind boggling,` said Dolin.
One of the ideas proposed by Dolin was to construct the new facility by using a modular design, gradually phasing out of the old facility over time, also spreading the cost out.
Highway Superintendent Darrell Duncan said he objected to the idea. He said that the town could start the modular design, however, over time decide it was too expensive and abandon the project, leaving the department with insufficient facilities.
Duncan also said that working from two separate facilities could hinder the operations of the department, something that is currently becoming an issue with the department’s two secretaries, Pat Geurtze and Teresa Campana moving to Town Hall.
`We are working down here with our two secretaries down there [Town Hall]. Sometimes they are disconnected,` he said.
Although building a new facility for the Highway Department would increase the tax burden on the town, Dolin said residents have enjoyed a low tax levy for years.
`It’s almost artificially low compared to other towns,` he said. `The reason is we are kind of skimping on you guys.`
Dolin said he did not know the exact number by which the town’s tax levy would increase, but he said that spread among the people of the town the cost would be low.
`I think its going to be modest. People are going to be shocked at how little it costs,` he said. `It’s funny, you talk $13 million for the school system, and no one gets excited. People have been very sympathetic to the school system; I hope they will be equally sympathetic to this project.`
In addition to the issues facing the department’s garage, workers also discussed the issue of pay raises.
Kevin Schenmeyer, of the highway department, took the lead in airing grievances regarding the lack of pay raises in the department.
Schenmeyer said there were two sets of standards in regards to how workers in the garage are treated and how workers at Town Hall are treated. He said that employees of the Highway Department are the only employees in the town that have to clock in, and that raises seem to be handed out more frequently in Town Hall.
`I really don’t feel they [Highway Department] get paid, sometimes, the salaries they deserve,` Schenmeyer said.
Dolin agreed that the Highway Department staff has in the past been underrepresented in the town’s budget and that the town was at fault for the discrepancy.
`If there are any bad guys, it’s us,` he said.
Dolin recommended that the Highway Department designate employees to represent the rank and file of the department in this year’s budget process. Councilman Daniel Mackay said that the concerns of the department have been heard, and that this year’s budget process will reflect those concerns.
`We are drafting a budget that is much more informed on salary issues,` he said.“