Bradford City department heads appear to be working hard to keep costs down in 2020.

They met with Bradford City Council Tuesday evening for a work session on the 2020 budget.

First to report was Bradford City Police Chief Chris Lucco, who is asking for a police budget increase of 54,000, or 3.5% more than 2019.

Lucco is not anticipating any “out-of-the-ordinary expenses,” and he noted that 1.8% of the increase is due to salary obligations.

He pointed out some items, including high overtime in August due to manpower needed for events like Festa Italiana and the Big 30 parade and football game and the substantial fines that come from overweight vehicles traveling on city roads.

Lucco asked that council approve his expenses in 2020, saying that the department has come a long way in the past few years in controlling expenses.

It was nine years ago that the city entered into a contract for financial advice through the state’s early intervention financial assistance program, and since then cuts have been made in every department in an effort to keep the city’s budget under control.

“To date, we’re still running at bare minimum operating costs,” while overseeing the municipality that contains much of the public housing, restaurants, schools and group homes in the area, Lucco explained.

Kevin Huff, director of the Department of Property Maintenance, anticipates many expenses in the property maintenance department to remain the same in 2020 and asked for a budget of $161,555.

That number includes an incremental increase in wages; a small increase in workers’ compensation; and decreases in training costs, overtime and supplies. Huff anticipates an increase in revenue in 2020, too.

Mike Cleveland, health department director, said salaries are the same except for contractual raises. In 2020, he anticipates a decrease from the 2019 training budget and a decrease in overtime, while he’s budgeted the same amount for some other expenses.

He noted that, for the amount set aside for an emergency demolition, “If we have to take down even an average-sized house, we will go over budget.” However, he noted that the emergency demo fund would only be needed in the event of an unforeseen problem, such as a fire in a home without insurance, and the city hasn’t used it in years.

Legal fees are difficult to anticipate, too, Cleveland said, adding that it depends on how aggressively the the department works. He noted this year, legal expenses have been just shy of $2,000, but in 2018 they were more than $8,000.

In the fire department, Chief Eric Taylor is requested 9% less on the ambulance side than what he requested in 2019, and he anticipates that he will request 2.5% less than that in 2021.

Taylor noted that capital outlay expenses did rise, as he is looking at a program to refurbish the department’s hydraulic cots. He doesn’t project any other changes.

He noted that this year, the budget was affected by multiple injuries among staff.

On the fire side of the department, numbers are the same except for a couple, said Taylor. In 2020, he is requesting $15,000 for protective clothing, much less than the $21,000 he requested in 2019.

Taylor also asked for new firehouse software, as the lease is up for the current software used to report all the fire department’s incidents. The old software was not user-friendly, and the available replacement software programs are much more expensive.

Taylor said his final fire budget is 11% less than what he asked for last year, and next year he intends to propose a budget that is 7% less than that.

Taylor said the department has one more year to pay on its radios.

Councilman Brad Mangel noted McKean County is changing its radio system, too, which could impact not only the fire department, but possibly also the police and public works departments and the sanitary and water authorities. Mangel anticipates it be awhile before

City electrician Dan Tyger said that in 2020 he doesn’t “need anything more than I needed this year.” He said the only two higher expenses are an increase in the annual inspection cost for the “bucket” and an increase in U.S. Route 219 lighting.

Mangel pointed out that Tyger has done a great deal of work downtown, explaining that without Tyger, the city would not have electric in the city’s fixtures on Main Street.

Chip Comilla, director of parks and public works, listed the major changes council might see in the budgets for streets, refuse and parks.

For instance, due to the unpredictability of Bradford’s winters, it is difficult to predict the cost of overtime and vehicle maintenance.

“My overtime is driven by the weather,” said Comilla. “I really can’t predict what the weather will be.”

The weather also affects expenses at the Callahan Park ice skating rink, as Comilla said people don’t come to skate if there is a warm spell.

Comilla anticipates the refuse department will have a tipping fee increase of 2 to 3 p.m. in 2020, too.

Under the street expenses, Comilla said the city will also be purchasing a new steel handrail to go along the sidewalk on East Main Street by the Eagles club. He is reducing the street sweeper cost after the Bradford Sanitary Authority requested that he operate the sweeper less. He noted that he will still run the sweeper as needed, and he will use it to pick up leaves this autumn.

Additional parks department expenses include a new heater for the pool and a garden tractor.

He mentioned other vehicle purchases including a pick-up truck and either a dump truck or a new front-end loader.

Liquid fuels funding and/or a grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources may assist with the vehicle purchases.

Overall, he is asking for $36,497.88 less for refuse, parks and streets than in the 2019 budget. He noted that he may come in well under budget in 2019, too.

“It’s nice to hear several of these people say they are coming in under budget,” Mayor Tom Riel noted.