Cheshire Town Council Reviews Public Safety Budgets, Flags Fire Hydrant Backlog and Police Staffing Concerns

Town Council · Meeting of March 20, 2025

CT CHESHIRE — Cheshire Town Council reviews lean public safety budgets with hydrant backlog and police staffing worries in focus. Meeting jointly with the Budget Committee at the town firehouse Thursday, council members heard Fire Chief Jack and the police chief describe budgets with no discretionary additions — workers' compensation alone rose $42,000 in the fire department, and 87 percent of the police department's budget is locked in salary lines. A resident, Kenneth Mita of 361 Charles Drive, told the council that Cheshire owns roughly 1,300 fire hydrants and is obligated under its Regional Water Authority agreement to inspect each one twice per year, a standard he said has not been met — the fire department has had custom impact-drill sockets made just to open corroded caps.

The council also reviewed a $1.1 million capital request to replace the department's 2001 pumper truck, which would require a public referendum, and Budget Director Sean warned that projected debt service could climb to 14 to 15 percent of budget in out-years against a town policy ceiling of 10 percent, driven in part by $60 million in school-construction bonds the town issues next week.

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Source: the Town Council meeting of March 20, 2025, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

CHESHIRE — March 20, 2025 — The Cheshire Town Council and Budget Committee convened jointly at the town firehouse Thursday to review proposed operating and capital budgets for the fire and police departments, with debate centering on aging equipment, deferred hydrant maintenance, a volunteer staffing decline, and a police force still completing a period of intensive hiring.

Budget Director Sean walked the council through a fire department budget he described as lean, having already trimmed $31,000 from Fire Chief Jack's original request before the joint meeting. The police budget, presented by the department's chief, carries a 5.35 percent increase, the bulk of which represents a salary placeholder tied to an unsettled union contract. Both department heads told the council there are no discretionary additions — every increase reflects contractual, regulatory, or vendor-driven costs.

The Full Story

Fire Chief Jack told the council the department handled nearly 1,100 calls in 2024, the highest volume since the department's founding in 1912. Workers' compensation rose $42,000 in the proposed budget, and the pension contribution is held at $565,000, with the chief and budget director noting that figure is expected to begin declining in future years. Fuel costs are projected up 11 percent, proportionate to call volume. Data-processing software contracts rose 40 percent due to vendor repricing.

A recurring point of debate was the fire hydrant maintenance line, budgeted at $55,000 after a request of $60,000 and actual spending of roughly $40,000 in fiscal year 2024. Budget Director Sean explained the line covers both routine annual servicing and emergency hydrant replacement — a single sheared hydrant cost the town $14,000 last year. Council members discussed whether to reduce the line further, but Sean recommended holding at $55,000, noting the unpredictable nature of collision damage to hydrants and the cost of replacement when an uninsured motorist is responsible.

"We don't neglect maintenance on fire apparatus, we don't neglect maintenance on other necessary tools and equipment that the fire department needs to provide for public health and safety — and yet if a million-dollar fire apparatus pulls up to a fire hydrant in order to respond to a fire and that hydrant doesn't operate properly, we've really negated a lot of the other expenses that we've done." [no timestamp index supplied] — Kenneth Mita, Cheshire resident, public comment

Mita, a 25-year Cheshire resident who identified himself as launching a municipal fire hydrant maintenance company, told the council that Cheshire owns approximately 1,300 hydrants and is contractually responsible for their upkeep under its agreement with the Regional Water Authority. He said the American Water Works Association standard calls for each hydrant to be inspected and serviced twice per year — a schedule he said has not been met for many hydrants in town. Chief Jack acknowledged that the fire department has had to have custom impact-drill sockets fabricated so crews can remove hydrant caps that have corroded shut from years of disuse.

On the capital side, the council reviewed a request to replace the department's 2001 pumper truck, estimated at $1.1 million and requiring a public referendum before any bonding can occur. Because fire apparatus carries a roughly three-year manufacturing lead time, Budget Director Sean said delaying the referendum beyond this year could push delivery to 2029 or 2030, meaning the town would be operating a nearly 30-year-old vehicle — a decade beyond the industry's recommended 20-to-25-year service life. A planned replacement of the 1998 aerial ladder was pushed out an additional year.

Separately, Sean disclosed that the town is issuing $60 million in bonds the following week to fund school construction, and noted that rating agencies S&P and Fitch raised questions during morning presentations about the town's out-year capital obligations. Projected debt service reaches 14 to 15 percent of budget in some future years, against a town policy ceiling of 10 percent, and Sean said the council should use this budget cycle to remove or defer capital items that are unlikely to proceed.

On the police side, the department's chief said the force swore in its 48th officer the previous Tuesday, reaching authorized strength for the first time in years — but cautioned that seven of those 48 officers are currently in academy training or field training and not yet available for independent patrol. Three recruits started the academy in New Britain the day after the meeting. The chief projected the department would be at or near full operational strength by early 2026 but warned that four officers have already passed the 22-year service milestone that typically triggers retirement consideration under the legacy pension plan, with two more reaching that mark within the next year.

"You could easily see us being at 48 and having a retirement within the next four to five months and having to go right into the hiring process again." [no timestamp index supplied] — Police Chief, Cheshire Police Department

The chief also told the council that the police radio maintenance contract with Motorola has escalated to more than $200,000 per year, body-camera and in-car camera payments run $100,000 annually, and 87 percent of the total police budget is tied to salary lines, leaving very little room for non-personnel reductions. He noted that overtime dropped from roughly $420,000 in fiscal year 2024 to a budgeted $375,000 this year, as fuller staffing should reduce the need to cover shifts.

At the close of the meeting, Sean briefly introduced a separate topic: a new state municipal option allowing towns to modify the depreciation schedule on motor vehicles for grand-list purposes. He said the council must decide by April 15 whether to file with the state. He cautioned that the change does not generate new revenue or reduce the tax levy — it would shift approximately $400,000 of the tax burden from real estate property taxes to motor vehicle taxes. He said he would provide additional analysis before the April 8 Town Council meeting.

Why It Matters

Cheshire's fire department is managing an aging fleet — the 2001 pumper targeted for replacement is already beyond recommended service life, and a referendum authorizing the roughly $1.1 million bonding must pass before an order can even be placed, given a three-year manufacturing lead time. A failed or delayed referendum means the town could be running a 30-year-old front-line engine. At the same time, the fire hydrant maintenance discussion, prompted by public comment from a resident and industry professional, surfaced a documented gap between the twice-yearly inspection standard and what is actually occurring across Cheshire's approximately 1,300 hydrants — a gap the chief confirmed has already forced the department to fabricate specialized tools simply to open corroded hydrant caps. The council's next formal action opportunity on the motor vehicle depreciation option is the April 8 regular meeting, ahead of a state deadline of April 15.

Key Motions & Votes

No formal votes were taken at this meeting.

Source

Cheshire's community access TV: Town Council meeting, March 20, 2025