Claremont
The initial request of $30,000, which SCS had asked for not long after it restarted the bus service in October, was prorated for the nine months remaining until the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2017. The former operator, Community Alliance of Transportation Services, shut down service in early September for financial reasons.
SCS CEO John Manning told the council that earlier in the day the county delegation of state representatives voted to contribute another $16,500 in addition to the $25,000 already in the county budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. Newport gave $5,000 this year and Charlestown, $14,000.
Manning said this initial request was to help stabilize the operation and give SCS the opportunity to find more funding sources in the months ahead. He also promised to provide more complete data on the finances of the operation and ridership numbers as that information become available.
“Our board made it clear: we have to go find money,” Manning said, repeating what he told the council in October when SCS first approached the council. Claremont did not have money in the current budget for the service.
At the October meeting, Manning presented a budget with a shortfall of $60,000 that he was hoping to offset with more money from the county, city and Newport.
Councilor Nick Koloski said he agreed there is a need in the community, but was hoping SCS had more information on the operation so the council could make a more informed decision.
“We will generate numbers going forward,” Manning said. “There is not a lot of data available now. We will have more accurate expense numbers and we are trying to identify other sources of revenue, including advertising and other organizations that get a benefit.”
Manning said ridership is back to where it was before the shutdown and they are analyzing the fares and the routes to increase ridership by trying to reach more of those who need the service.
The most vocal supporter of providing the funding was Mayor Charlene Lovett, who told her colleagues that the bus should not be looked at strictly as a social service but as part of the city’s economic development efforts because it is used by businesses, the hospital, and education sector.
Lovett said the initial request does not commit the city to funding in the new budget but will give SCS the opportunity to collect data and further develop funding sources, including local businesses.
“They are really doing this different than (Community Alliance Transportation Service) and we need to help them in the short term,” Lovett said. “We have to give them the opportunity to build relationships with the private sector.”
Vic Bergeron who, along with Bruce Temple, voted against the motion, said he understood the need but the city administration just had to make more than $100,000 in cuts to cover higher health care premiums for employees.
“I’m not against it but the point is, we are cutting our own services and we may cut more,” Bergeron said. “We are going to have to find the money somewhere.”
The council will vote on the resolution for the appropriation at its Dec. 28 meeting, with the money to come from the city’s fund balance.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
