[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6579782,"mediaKeyId","3045301-00a9de59b77f6daf776abad314983f2a","parentId",3045301,"title","Danvers police budget rises 9.2%; chief seeks one community-impact officer and warns of state grant cuts to clinician support","audioSeconds",1047,"startMs",1711000,"endMs",2758000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3045301-00a9de59b77f6daf776abad314983f2a&start=1711&end=2758","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3045301-00a9de59b77f6daf776abad314983f2a/thumbnail_1711000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6579782/Town-of-Danvers/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Danvers-police-budget-rises-92-chief-seeks-one-community-impact-officer-and-warns-of-state-grant-cuts-to-clinician-support","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579782-4cc9c648808e9abc9b1e34f8a62e20b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770399060&Signature=bN3yg16KTgJCb7cU4CvzbAsGtWBL96Sc2kxUiOw01CYZ0USjDfNjbpQ2EZsh86~gKHk570SXLuoGUbIx8cZ9TJZIqu-gOEYEwCrMVDbdvj7Lk1MTLNUrC47Htw1Ehp5UmRGHPDExyccTXrquakm64IZ7~TnGpu17QwOIJtabsQQQ-3kIF3q8a1vYNz2bOX54VKsEqW7~~Yoc3O0H4uCxnmRC9ALb17xkZ3kZyYHPB8TWTJ1QbeX~KgSbo6vpuLQuhWLRfRuYFOdRVxM-Hfb4rdYrJHndNXSIG5D~I4H3eaYlZEk~tV6K~rcVE7M6Ryl4W7xz1W1xZmbs44t391xaMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Danvers, MA","date","2025-04-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Town of Danvers Finance Committee approved the Police Department’s FY26 budget after hearing from department leadership about staffing, overtime and a clinician partnership with Lahey Behavioral Health.

The budget shows a 9.2% increase driven largely by salary and wages. Department leaders told the committee the town is close to full staffing after active recruitment and academy graduates due in September. That progress reduced the vacancy cushion the town had previously built into budgets; with more officers on the payroll, the town must absorb those positions’ costs.

Why it matters: The budget funds public-safety staffing levels and a proposed staffing study that will evaluate long-term workforce structure and needs. The department also relies on a clinician contract for co-response to mental-health calls; that clinician is funded through a state or grant program that the chief said may be reduced in the next state budget cycle.

Details from the hearing
- Staffing and proposed community-impact officer: The chief described a desire to restore a 47th position (a community-impact officer) to handle follow-ups on domestic violence, mental-health calls, parking and other community issues that patrol officers are not consistently able to address. The department said most peer departments have 2–4 officers assigned to a community-impact or community-service unit.
- Staffing study: The budget includes funding for an outside staffing and structure study (roughly $9,500) to evaluate long-term needs, including potential changes for body-worn cameras, traffic functions and administrative workloads.
- Clinician contract and state grant risk: The department contracts with Lahey Behavioral Health to provide a diversion/clinician who currently works three days per week with the police; that clinician has been supported by grant funding. The chief reported the state’s proposed budget would reduce a diversion-grant line (mentioned at the hearing as declining from $18 million to roughly $3.6 million), putting local clinician coverage at risk. The chief estimated the town would pay approximately $60,000–$80,000 annually to provide an in-house clinician should grant funding evaporate and said contracting through Lahey provides supervision and liability coverage.
- Overtime: The budgeted overtime line reflects historical spending and contingencies for training, injuries and unpredictable events; the chief noted a decrease in long-term sickness among officers compared with prior reports but said some injuries and deployments remain factors.

Quotes
\"Right now, we currently have, 1 vacancy, and we have 1 officer in the academy right now so we're actually at the best point we've been in probably 3 to 5 years,\" the Police Chief said, describing recent recruitment successes.
\"My estimate would be probably between $60,000 to $80,000 a year to fund that position,\" the Police Chief said when asked how much it would cost the town to hire a clinician directly if grant funding is lost.

Next steps
- The department will proceed with recruitment and implement the staffing study; Finance Committee and town leadership will monitor the state budget for any changes to diversion-grant funding that would affect the clinician contract.
- If state grants are reduced, the town will face a decision whether to contract with Lahey at local cost or to hire an in-house clinician (the chief recommended contracting through Lahey for supervision and liability coverage).

Ending: The police budget passed the committee with support; the staffing study and potential clinician funding shortfall are the primary follow-up items anticipated by town staff.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Danvers: FY 2026 Finance Committee Budget Review - 4/17/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Finance Committee approved the Danvers Police Department FY26 budget, which rose about 9.2%, as the department closes staffing gaps and plans an outside staffing study.","taxTitle","Town of Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",56467,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6579787,"Danvers approves one-third of $300,000 sweeper; DPW explains split funding and lifecycle tradeoffs",439,736000,1175000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3045301-00a9de59b77f6daf776abad314983f2a&start=736&end=1175","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3045301-00a9de59b77f6daf776abad314983f2a/thumbnail_736000.jpg","/articles/6579787/Town-of-Danvers/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Danvers-approves-one-third-of-300000-sweeper-DPW-explains-split-funding-and-lifecycle-tradeoffs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579787-50412d84555524aa3795c67c8725e7ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1770399060&Signature=Q4HXbvzWwuxNt2rCOUpKRJwLiEItaTrAajm28SfDSyuzmL2NrQqBRxg6YP5TuUIO34f6yuXcn~rWY-iQ9XZxHITW4s4RN0YH3DiJbhVIaVxSKb72iSFEzjxWC4hrroSAiQySRo5PdSSzlEiTj4hJun9gCv8vH4gAOymmjtIxs0SyQGasmB593WaES~bXo94TDrU3rbF38e7PDbGfcM19Zxdut8XHzm0QWsMmXsszFbLDvvzCSaazy0lRRi2ATf4yG8jLGj9AxHQtHHqFCQbijK2ocVVVDCZ0SEXCUe7joyPmMZWnkBEZmPBN4LHenlSEPSBIf1VCUpmkVA8sz6Xa6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Danvers will replace a nearly decade-old street sweeper after the Finance Committee approved a general-fund capital outlay allocation that includes a $100,000 tax-supported contribution to a $300,000 replacement sweeper. Water and sewer enterprise budgets will each cover an additional $100,000 portion, making the full replacement cost $300,000 split across three funds.

Town Engineer Stephen King, acting as the Public Works presenter, told the Finance Committee the sweeper’s uses span multiple divisions: street sweeping required under the town’s MS4 NPDES stormwater permit, cleanup after water-main breaks, and sweeping prior to paving or after water-distribution projects. King said the sweeper removes roughly 500 tons of sediment annually and is used multiple times a day in some water-break responses.

Why it matters: the sweeper serves regulatory (NPDES) and operational needs across public-works, water and sewer divisions. The committee’s decision spreads the cost among the three budgets that use the machine.

Details from the hearing
- Cost, funding and procurement timeline: The replacement sweeper is budgeted at $300,000; Danvers’ share in the general-fund capital outlay is $100,000, with $100,000 planned in the water operating budget and $100,000 in the sewer operating budget. Town staff estimated 90 days from order to delivery for a stock Elgin sweeper; warranty is commonly 2–3 years (final warranty details to be confirmed with vendor).
- Existing equipment and trade-in: The existing sweeper is a 2016/2017 model and approaching the department’s typical 10-year replacement schedule. King said possible trade-in or auction recovery is roughly $20,000–$30,000. Committee members discussed the alternative of spending a large overhaul (one estimate cited $75,000) to extend the old unit’s life by a few years vs. buying new.
- Uses across divisions: King explained the machine’s regulatory role under the town’s MS4 (NPDES) permit, heavier-duty pick-ups after water-main breaks (the town averages about 16–20 breaks in heavier winters) and pre-paving cleanup after distribution projects.
- Lifecycle and maintenance: King said sweepers have limited service lives; Danvers programs a 10-year replacement cadence. Mechanical elements (brushes, hydraulic components) have recurring replacement cycles and the body can suffer corrosion from street use.

Selected quotes
\"So the sweeper, as you see, it's split up in 3 different ways...we have it split up once in the tax supported for a hundred thousand, in the water division for a hundred thousand, and then also the sewer division for a hundred thousand,\" Town Engineer Stephen King said.
\"We usually have ours programmed for a capital replacement in 10 years, and we're coming up on 10 years,\" King said, describing why department staff recommended replacement rather than a major overhaul.

Next steps and public notes
- Town staff will finalize vendor warranty details and confirm delivery timeline (estimated 90 days from order). The three-budget funding plan will be implemented as line items in the general-fund capital outlay and the water and sewer operating budgets.
- Staff will bring definitive procurement documents (quotes, warranty language) before the town as part of normal capital purchasing procedures.

Ending: The committee approved the funding share in its vote on the general-fund capital outlay; the sweeper purchase will proceed through the town’s standard procurement and capital-asset procedures.","The Finance Committee approved the $843,000 general-fund capital outlay that includes Danvers’ $100,000 share of a $300,000 street sweeper. Town engineers explained the equipment’s uses, lifespan, trade-in value, and the choice to replace rather than overhaul the aging sweeper.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6579790,"Finance committee approves fiscal-year spending items, including $843,000 capital outlay",5375,1688000,7063000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3045301-00a9de59b77f6daf776abad314983f2a&start=1688&end=7063","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3045301-00a9de59b77f6daf776abad314983f2a/thumbnail_1688000.jpg","/articles/6579790/Town-of-Danvers/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Finance-committee-approves-fiscal-year-spending-items-including-843000-capital-outlay","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579790-2d100312271b4bcacd8cbb13c072395e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770399060&Signature=dxSCVh-jU3~3hmGwTbYsPGRjNLGyUAqjMpbuLOKluJtz5I8MRbsntRQtmDqjUTOLz9--Kx1Dzf20gsq1Wb6xXB9Ne54WF5HCJE2xYNoBNJLycLthb9eSX04BUxR2Z6W4xT3JxI1sRePmicW4P9nhlGSEp~m~SKqn-bhgxlNzB0pk-DrEBobLXLyoUpDHzwWN12MF~82-1fPKXjtCHgQlG7lIj5VmPFZ1GIjWAevevuv54IfGqQRlWmEt2bMj9wMlC2bCAQaSRAX5MY2kOM35LhQu2DF6zBonnaQAK~s095KfU-SCdFBNyw1J314Q0bO1vhg6HrHmp7YCDIx0OiLWHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Danvers Finance Committee on Budget Review Day 3 approved a package of fiscal-year 2026 spending measures, including a $843,000 general-fund capital outlay and individual departmental budgets for police, fire, public works, sewer and water.

The committee voted to approve the general-fund capital outlay, which covers a set of routine vehicle and equipment replacements and includes one-third of the cost of a new street sweeper (see separate article). The same meeting recorded motions to move and approve the police, fire, public works tax-supported, sewer and water budgets; the electric division presented its calendar-year budget but that item was scheduled for a separate warrant article later in April.

Why it matters: these votes set the town’s near-term operating and capital priorities and determine which projects appear on the annual warrant and town meeting agendas. Several items approved at the meeting will be paid from free cash or enterprise funds and a handful of previously authorized borrowings begin to affect debt service in FY26.

Key outcomes and context
- General-fund capital outlay: Motion to approve $843,000 (approved). The capital outlay includes vehicles and equipment across departments; the street sweeper is budgeted as $300,000 split across general fund ($100,000), water ($100,000), and sewer ($100,000). The committee approved the motion to fund the general-fund portion.
- Police budget: The committee moved and approved the police operating budget, which shows a 9.2% increase driven primarily by salary and wages as the department approaches full staffing and by a proposed staffing study (estimated $9,500).
- Fire budget: The committee approved the fire budget, which shows an overall increase driven in part by the town absorbing the cost of three firefighters previously funded by a federal SAFER grant that ended this February.
- Public works tax-supported budget: Approved; includes operating and capital items discussed at the meeting (pavement program, equipment, contract cleaning increases, and transfers to cover a snow-and-ice overrun).
- Sewer and water enterprise budgets: Both budgets were presented and moved; sewer shows increased assessment (nearly 7% in underlying assessment) tied to major treatment-plant debt and siphon rehabilitation projects; water shows increases tied to contractual salary increases, chemicals and sludge removal. Both enterprise budgets include the sweeper share.

No action was taken on the electric warrant article at this meeting; the electric division presented its calendar-year 2025 budget and described a plan to return a power-supply surplus to ratepayers during calendar 2025 per DPU guidance.

Quotes from the meeting
\"The motion would be on the general fund capital outlay of 843,000,\" the Interim Town Manager said while calling for the capital vote. (Transcript: motion called)
\"All those in favor?\" the Finance Committee chair asked; committee members responded in the affirmative and the item passed. (Transcript: roll call/voice vote)

What to watch next
- Several warrant articles tied to capital and enterprise items will appear on the town warrant later in April; voters at town meeting will act on free-cash appropriations and certain capital projects.
- The electric division will present a separate warrant article, and the municipal light’s plan to return a multi-million-dollar power-supply surplus to ratepayers will be reflected in its calendar-2025 rate schedule.

Ending: The committee moved through a packed agenda that combined vehicle and equipment purchases, enterprise fund capital, and operating budget approvals; several items discussed will be reappearing on the formal warrant for town meeting action.","The Town of Danvers Finance Committee approved a series of FY26 budget items during its Budget Review Day 3, including a $843,000 general-fund capital outlay that includes a $100,000 share for a new street sweeper; police, fire, public works, sewer and water budgets were also approved.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Danvers police budget rises 9.2%; chief seeks one community-impact officer and warns of state grant cuts to clinician support

Danvers approves one-third of $300,000 sweeper; DPW explains split funding and lifecycle tradeoffs

Finance committee approves fiscal-year spending items, including $843,000 capital outlay