MATTAPOISETT — Changes in personnel costs will drive the most notable budget increases in both the Fire Department and Harbormaster departments. 

That was one of the key takeaways when Fire Chief Andy Murray and Harbormaster Jamie McIntosh met with the Select Board Tuesday, Feb. 15 for a working session on their Fiscal Year 2023 budgets and upcoming capital spending needs. 

Because the town only has two full-time firefighters and one part-time firefighter on staff, it relies heavily on on-call firefighters to respond to emergency calls. A few years ago, the town was only getting an average of four or five on-call firefighters to respond to calls. After a successful recruitment effort, the average is now closer to 10-call members. 

Murray increased his budget by $26,000 to account for the staffing increase. 

For the Harbormaster’s department, a regional shortage in experienced seasonal staff will lead to a wage increase and additional budget needs. 

When boats get back in the water, McIntosh is aided by four deputy harbormasters and 2 assistant harbormasters. His deputy harbormasters are usually college students with “years of boat experience.” However, two of these seasonal staff are graduating college and moving on this year.

McIntosh said that towns like Dartmouth have also found it difficult to get qualified staff. He is increasing his wage from $16 an hour to $17 or $18 to attract potential candidates. 

McIntosh also requested a $4,000 increase for boat fuel, as the price has gone up about 40 percent. 

The harbormaster said that the retained earnings from a fee increase will not be used for immediate expenses. Instead they will allow the department to more comfortably plan for future projects. 

The fire department’s most immediate capital need is for a new support vehicle, an SUV that would cost about $50,000. Murray said that the department has never gotten a new support vehicle in the more than 20 years he has been there, and that it currently operates with two support vehicles, while most departments have three or four. 

A larger future project would be a new radio system, which would also be used for the police department, highway department and schools. That project would cost more than $100,000.

Big capital projects for the Harbormaster Department include significant work on Holmes Wharf, to keep it from being undermined, a new harbor management plan to identify shellfishing and aquaculture areas, and a possible project to extend the town’s current docks to add 30 to 35 dinghy spots. 

McIntosh said that the dock expansion would cost about $70,000, but would generate about $7,000 per year in revenue, and might also lead to interest in moorings in the harbor that were previously more difficult to reach. 

A major future project for the department would be building the wharf buildings, which would cost $1.5 million, but would likely not happen until fiscal year 2026, or a few years beyond that.