Norwalk can only look to Stamford for a little inspiration on how belt tightening is done, especially when it comes to the BOE. Oh wait, Norwalk Public Schools under Corda don’t believe in the “nickel and diming” that comes from prudently whittling down expenses. Corda believes that a Stuart Opdahl manages money just fine. Corda believes that Opdhal is capable of projecting enrollment accurately. The numbers tell another story. And numbers, is what drives Stamford’s policy decisions. Yet it wasn’t all about the BOE. The Advocate reports:

The Board of Education began discussing closing an elementary school to reduce spending, and toyed with charging youth sports leagues to play on school fields.

It was a year of major service cuts and belt-tightening in Stamford, with elected officials under pressure to reduce spending because a property revaluation pushed more of the tax burden onto homeowners.

Seniors were among the loudest residents to protest the looming tax increases, saying they would be forced out of town if elected officials did not curb spending.

After the Board of Finance lopped $11.9 million off Mayor Dannel Malloy’s proposed budget in April, the city stopped buying bottled water, coffee, snacks, newspapers and magazines for employees. All employee travel was banned without the mayor’s approval.

At about the same time, Malloy proposed merging the paid and volunteer fire departments to put more paid personnel in the volunteer houses while reducing overtime expenses.

Sixteen city employees were laid off in July.

The Police Department, which had its budget slashed by $1 million, eliminated the 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. squad, ended foot patrols downtown, removed school resource officers from elementary and middle schools, canceled plans to hire 14 new recruits and reduced the number of intersections staffed by crossing guards from 96 to 78.

Some taxpayers did not take kindly to the cost-cutting measures.

Taxes still went up for some in Stamford, and people did not like a cut in services. Let’s keep in mind that Stamford has also been the epicenter of major redevelopment. Similar in many ways to the issues confronting Norwalk.

Without a hefty budget increase from the city next year - the library board is requesting 11 percent more - officials warn more cuts are on the horizon.

The school board backed away from plans to charge fees for use of school athletic fields and gymnasiums. The fees are currently on the books but not enforced.

But the board is still considering closing a school building in 2009 to reduce operating costs. The discussion is expected to come up early this year as part of the redistricting process.

The city, which ended backyard garbage pickup in July, switched to a more economical system that requires residents to lug trash to the curb. A dozen laborers who used to pull the cans from back yards to the street have been reassigned to recycling, allowing the city to cancel a $1.2 million contract with a private hauler.

It remains to be seen whether taxpayers saved money as a result of the new recycling operation, but city officials continue to look for savings in other areas to stay within budget.

Norwalk’s Common Council, in fact, is faced with quite the dilemma. As Department heads present budgets, the Council will have to figure out at what cost do they want to address the many infrastructures issues facing the city. From flooding in the the core areas of Eastern Standard Norwalk, to the overflowing tributaries in the Northern sections of Norwalk. Different causes, different solutions, none cheap to implement. Then there are the roads.

DPW Director Hal Alvord, got one much needed item last year, the ability to regin in the indiscriminate digging into Norwalk roads that is the largest cause of ruts and pot holes. Yet Alvord is directly responsible for the 8 month debacle that is Osborne Ave. That road has a rut, now forming pot holes and eroding along its North lane, because of the substandard contractors that the First Taxing District used in replacing a water main. Alvord is inclined to finger point instead of enforce any degree of quality paving standards that the First Taxing District must be obligated to meet. Which includes the paving on Fort Point street, where cement sidewalks were repaved in asphalt alogn with asphalt curbs. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know how long an asphalt curb will last on a road heavily traveled by trucks. Weight and traffic surely are used as some kind of criteria when DPW specs out a road paving bid? DPW does set minimum coverage, regrading, drainage and safety requirements? Oh wait, this is the same road that was left with major pot holes that were unmarked so that some poor woman accidentally drove into a pot hole and had her air bag trigger causing injury.

There’s an old axiom in the business world that you can’t manage what you don’t know. For too long the Common Council has chosen to not know about many details of the departments they in fact have oversight of. It’s time to start asking some detailed data centric questions. They can start with Stamford’s belt tightening blue print.

source: The Advocate, Stamford tightens belt during a difficult fiscal year, By Donna Porstner, December 31, 2007