John Scarffe, Nederland. Nederland Marshal Paul Carrill presented a new traffic safety program with the addition of an officer during a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 10, 2017 at the Nederland Community Center.

Carrill’s presentation was part of a discussion about supplementary budget options for 2017. Reis said the Board had requested that staff return to explore larger scale programs for 2017.

The Board adopted a budget on December 6, Reis said, which will be sent to the state to meet legal obligations.

Anything after this will be a supplemental budget. The Board has already discussed the traffic safety program.

Regarding the Visitor Center, options for which were previously discussed briefly, the Town is not looking to contract that out at this point, Reis said, but she gave the Board data to show how it is performing. It is relatively self-sufficient.

The Board discussed the addition of a Public Works/Parks Maintenance staff member. The statutory deadline to file the 2017 Budget is January 31, 2017. If the Board adopts a supplemental 2017 budget, staff will attach it as an exhibit to the main 2017 Budget in submittal to the State.

Carrill told the Board he had updates to the Nederland Police Department Sustainable Traffic Safety Proposal.

“We have some traffic safety issues,” Carrill said. They have recently been inundated with issues because of snow, skier traffic and parking conditions in town.

According to traffic studies at First and Snyder, 44 cars went through the intersection and 31 cars failed to stop. At the Traffic Circle and E Street, Boulder Bound, they had a 72 percent failure rate of cars going over the speed limit. Calls for service have gone up even higher.

Carrill proposed adding one full-time employee, bringing the total of officers to eight. To cover all shifts through the week. The traffic officer would be responsible for enforcement, education, accident investigations and school zone enforcement.

The cost would be $84,900 and would include a traffic trailer with barricades. The program assumption is that traffic stays status or grows, Carrill said. He would provide an internal promotional opportunity and back fill with a new officer.

According to projections, Carrill said, $139,200 would be generated if the officer wrote five tickets per day, and now other officers are freed up to take service calls. That becomes the public relations issue for the community, because officers are writing more tickets.

In the second year of the program, with the start-up costs paid, they would just be paying salary. At the end of four years, nearly $140,000 could be generated, to sustain the program and other needs, Carrill said.

The pros of the program are a sustainable revenue source. It enhances traffic safety and neighborhood traffic concerns, reduces complaints, provides a high-profile contact with visitors and youth and creates a comprehensive traffic program, Carrill said. The cons are the town could get a speed trap reputation, and it could result in disgruntled citizens and visitors as well as social media rants.

“What I’m asking for tonight is to increase the department by one employee,” Carrill said. All traffic funds will go to general revenue and could also support public works.

Trustee Julie Gustafson asked if they would have an educational period, and Carrill said they would give warnings during the first quarter. “My goal would be a public education program for the first quarter.”

Gustafson expressed disappointment that more people weren’t present to hear the presentation. Mayor Kristopher Larsen said it is posted on Facebook, and Reis said they could again reach out and try to get people to come.

Gustafson asked the ratio of citizens to police. Carrill said the calculation is based on daytimes, so Nederland has between 6,000 to 10,000 people. The easy standard is two policeman per 1,000 people. “We’re not meeting the demand,” Carrill said.  The program will not be officially approved until the Board passes the supplemental budget.

Public Works Director Chris Pelletier then presented some basic facts for justifying an additional employee in the Public Works Department. The Nederland Downtown Development Authority funded this position for sidewalk plowing until 2015.

This year, the position was funded in part by the General Fund. In the 2017 adopted budget, the funding for this position has been discontinued due to budgetary constraints even though the demand for services has gone up, according to Pelletier.

The Board met on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. The next meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 7, 2017, at the Nederland Community Center.