Community Services, Planning Department to hold budget open houses next week

As the City Council continues to review the proposed fiscal year 2025 municipal budget, the Community Services Department and Planning Department will host open house sessions to provide information and answer questions about their budgets and departmental operations.

The Planning Department will hold an open house on Tuesday, March 26, at the Planning Department at City Hall, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Planning staff will be on hand to meet with the public and answer questions about the Planning Department's proposed budget, as well as any questions about planning and community development. For more information about the open house, contact the Office of Planning and Community Development at 603-516-6008.

The Community Services budget open house will be held on Thursday, March 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Community Services facility, 271 Mast Road. Attendees can tour the facility, speak with staff about department operations, and learn details about Community Services' portion of the fiscal year 2025 budget proposal.

Community Services oversees a wide range of municipal operations and public works functions in Dover. The department's responsibilities encompass areas such as water and sewer operations, facilities maintenance, cemetery operations, engineering, road repairs, snow removal, stormwater management, parks and grounds, solid waste and recycling, utilities, and more.

Continuing efforts to increase efficiency and reduce costs

As budget deliberations continue, we continue to highlight ongoing efforts across city departments to find creative ways to deliver quality services more efficiently and at lower costs to taxpayers. The previous edition of the Budget Revealed newsletter provided some examples of recent cost-saving initiatives undertaken by city staff. Additional initiatives aimed at fiscal responsibility and sustainability will continue to be presented here each week throughout the budget process. Implementing careful spending controls and identifying opportunities to streamline operations require diligence and collaboration across all areas of city government.

J. Michael Joyal, Jr.

City Manager

Dover saves with cost-effective recruitment platform

The City of Dover has successfully navigated a significant shift in its recruitment strategy, spearheaded by the Executive Assistant to the City Manager. Faced with an impending price increase from Workable, the city's online recruitment platform, which was set to more than double in cost to about $15,000 annually upon renewal in April, Dover sought a more financially sustainable solution. Collaborating with the Purchasing Agent, they identified and are transitioning to a new vendor offering comprehensive services for approximately $4,000 per year, including free advertising options. The current cost of Workable, before the quoted increase, is $6,500.

This proactive approach represents a substantial cost saving in the recruitment process and aligns with Dover’s commitment to efficient and effective hiring practices. The new platform facilitates the advertisement of vacancies across free media outlets, streamlines the application process, and enhances collaboration among hiring teams. In the current fiscal year to date – FY2024 – the City Manager’s Assistant has already posted a total of 70 positions, marking the highest number in a single year in 25 years and illustrating the increased efficiency and effectiveness of Dover's hiring practices.

Multi-faceted housing initiatives and grants provide cost savings

Dover has advanced its housing initiatives through substantial grants, innovative partnerships, and creative financing, working to enhance affordable housing while ensuring cost-efficiency:

InvestNH Grant Awards: The city has been awarded over $1 million in InvestNH grants, with notable allocations including $560,0000 for Municipal Per-Unit grants, $65,000 for Housing Opportunity Planning, $250,000 for a fully funded Housing Navigator position, and a $138,760 Municipal Demolition grant to remove a blighted building on Central Avenue and improve the urban core.

Interagency Partnerships: Collaborating with NH Housing, the city is centralizing the income verification process for income-restricted rental units, streamlining efficiency.

Attainable Unit Database: Partnering with Home For All, Granite United Way, and the Workforce Housing Coalition, Dover is developing a regional database to catalog affordable rental units, enhancing access and efficiency across departments.

Creative Financing Initiatives: Instead of using municipal funds, Dover has collaborated with local financial institutions to develop new loan programs that overcome traditional financing barriers for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). These programs aid homeowners and contribute to the city’s tax revenue without incurring municipal expenses.

These strategic measures underscore Dover's commitment to increasing housing opportunities and efficiency while leveraging external funds and partnerships to mitigate municipal costs.

Dover Fire and Rescue saves on equipment testing

Dover Fire and Rescue realized cost savings in its fire safety equipment maintenance through judicious vendor selection. Initially, the department received a quote from BK Systems, the city’s approved fire protection vendor, totaling $879.56. This quote covered a Hydrostatic test for a 20-pound CO2 extinguisher at $340, alongside tests for a 2.5-gallon water extinguisher and a conventional heat detector, including a three-hour labor charge at $152 per hour.

Seeking more cost-effective solutions, Dover Fire and Rescue turned to Quality Fire Systems. They were able to conduct the same range of services, excluding the heat detector test, for a significantly lower cost of $177.50. This strategic vendor comparison and selection process led to substantial savings for the department, demonstrating Dover Fire and Rescue's commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring the safety and reliability of its equipment.

Dover Public Library expands offerings with virtual author events at no cost

The Dover Public Library has innovatively expanded its program offerings by providing virtual access to events featuring well-known authors, thanks to a collaborative initiative with Massachusetts libraries. Since May of 2023, the library has successfully hosted one such program each month, attracting an average attendance of 15 community members. This resource-sharing arrangement allows the Dover Public Library to offer these high-quality events without any financial impact on its budget, demonstrating a cost-effective approach to enhancing cultural and educational opportunities for the community.

A summary of appropriations for

the City portion of the budget

The table below reflects the components of the city's budget appropriations. The single largest component of the FY2025 budget is the Personal Services section. The total increase in the Personal Services section of the General Fund budget represents $2,164,108 or 6.5%. Other operational costs make up an increase of $1,690,572 or 13.0%. These two components comprise departmental operations and maintenance with a net increase of $3,854,680 or 8.3%.

The next single largest component for the FY2025 proposed budget is Debt Service, which would decrease by 393,605, or 5.9%, compared to the current FY2024 budget. The next significant component is Capital Outlay, which has a proposed increase of $762,972, or 15.7%.

An in-depth discussion of cost drivers for each section of the city portion of the budget is included in the Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget, beginning on page 15 of the detailed budget document and page 9 of the FY2025 Budget Summary document. Both are available here.

The fiscal year and the budget

The City's fiscal year begins on July 1 of each year and ends the following June 30. The City's budget process begins each fall with the Capital Improvements Program (CIP). All capital spending of $25,000 or more for items with useful lives of three years or longer is included in this budget. Based on the City Council's financing policy, items are identified for bonding, appropriation in the annual operating budget, or other types of financing.

Items identified for the annual operating budget are included in the City Manager's proposed annual budget. Departments are responsible for submitting their annual budget request to the City Manager. After reviews with the departments, the City Manager makes any final adjustments to his proposed budget. The City Manager's proposed annual budget for the next fiscal year, including the School Board request, is due annually to the City Council by February 15. (In previous years, the deadline was April 15; however, the City Council updated the budget schedule through an ordinance change in August 2022.)

The City Council may add to, or cut from, the Manager's proposed annual budget by majority vote; however, the City Council must pass the budget by April 15 after separate public hearings for the City and School budgets. The budget becomes effective July 1. If the City Council does not adopt the budget by April 15, the City Manager's proposed budget takes effect July 1.

After the original budget is adopted, the City Manager may make appropriation transfers within a non-school department or transfer between non-school departments with City Council approval. After initial adoption, the City Council may amend the budget with a two-thirds affirmative vote.

The annual budget process is detailed in each proposed budget. Find it on page 7 of the Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget and page 3 of the Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget Summary, both available here.