The Town of Bethlehem is considering making changes to two community programs on its way to a balanced 2013 budget.
On Wednesday, Sept. 12, Bethlehem Central School District Superintendent Thomas Douglas spoke before the board on how reductions to school resource and DARE officers would affect the district. Also at the meeting was the town’s Recycling Coordinator Dan Rain, who presented a comparison of local compost facilities and their operations.
The town is looking to close a nearly $3.5 million budget gap. The town’s Budget Advisory Committee suggested over the summer eliminating the town’s compost facility would save between $100,000 and $200,000. Bethlehem also contributes about $338,000 to help pay for three school resource officers who also teach Drug Abuse Resistance Education to elementary school students. The district chips in an additional $45,000 for the service.
District could adjust to losing cops
Douglas said if the town decided to cut funding from the district for resource officers, the situation would not be ideal, but adjustments could be made.
“We sympathize with the situation everybody’s under and this is by no means something that we’re not use to as a district,” he said. “There are very difficult decisions ahead because of the fiscal realities that have been placed upon school districts and municipalities across the state.”
Board members asked Douglas to speak at the meeting because they are considering at least a reduction in the number of officers the town allots to work in the district. Douglas told the board he did his dissertation on resource officers and how their presence contributes to a school’s atmosphere.
He said the officers are needed at the middle school and high school levels because they are able to bond with students, which often helps to solve or stop crimes involving students because they “are typically more plugged into the community.” The superintendent also said the DARE program is important not only to teach small children about the dangers of drug use, but for them to learn respect for police. He called some of the work “vital.”
Douglas said having an officer on campus also helps because incidents involving drugs, weapons and fighting must be reported to authorities. By having the officer there, one doesn’t have to be pulled off the streets for something that could be considered “minor,” he argued.
When asked, Douglas said he would recommend keeping at least one officer on staff because of the size of the district. He also said the district would continue to budget $45,000 in funding to contribute to SROs and DARE, but it is unlikely more money could be found.
“A full-scale elimination would definitely have an impact and effects,” he said.
“It took two and a half minutes to respond to Columbine,” said Douglas, giving a hypothetical situation of cases he’s studied. “With an SRO, some the situations that have happened since have minimized the travesties … because of their presence.”
Town’s compost doesn’t make green
The Town of Bethlehem’s Compost Facility operates at a loss, but officials say that’s something that could be changed. The Selkirk site operates at a cost of nearly $359,000 annually, but takes in just $46,000.
“If we were to close the facility, we would have to pay for another means of disposal which could be upwards of $250,000 for the year, so those two numbers alone don’t show the whole picture,” Rain said.
As part of the budget process, Rain and staff members from the Highway Department spent time touring the Schenectady County Compost Facility and the Oneida Herkimer Compost Facility in Utica to determine how to create more revenue for the town. A specialist was also brought to tour the Bethlehem facility, which takes in leaves for compost and then distributes the compost for free to residents, or for a fee for commercial use.
Bethlehem is considered by state officials to have created an exemplary product that is environmentally sustainable, said Rain, but factors like aging equipment, lack of a grinder and being unable to collect tipping fees have contributed to the facility being in the red. Also, the town has not been marketing its product to generate sales.
Jean Bonhotal, a composting specialist with Cornell Waste Management Institute, suggested finding new uses for the product and developing better relationships with private businesses. She also said marketing the compost to homeowners and residents by bagging it could raise revenue and awareness of the product.
Rain found compost facilities mostly break even because they are operated by counties and are able to charge tipping fees to the municipalities served. Because Bethlehem is a town, he said it is harder to be self sufficient. Some facilities also make other products like mulch.
Councilman Kyle Kotary suggested initiating talks with smaller, local municipalities like the Town of New Scotland. He said it may be more cost effective for all involved if smaller towns closed their facilities and used Bethlehem’s. Rain said that idea may not work because of the size of the site and staffing.
Councilwoman Joann Dawson suggested placing ads in local newspapers as soon as possible to begin marketing the town’s compost and looking into what was needed to bag the product.
Rain suggested revising hours of operation, developing a marketing plan and researching the cost of adding new products like blended topsoil. He also suggested evaluating a new rate schedule for debris pick up and the cost of compost for residents.
“Most of our product is given away for free, which is a great service, but it is why we don’t make money,” said Rain.
