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Accounting Error Leads to Delays in Track Renovation

Due to an accounting error, planned renovations to the track at the Ethel Peters Recreation Complex may not begin until much later than previously expected.

According to Parks and Recreation Department Director Robert Potter, the track located at the Ethel Peter’s complex needs to undergo routine re-striping and resealing every five years. In preparation for that work, the department requested money from the Capital Expenditures Committee to pay for the work.

The department asked for $35,000 during both the 2017-’18 budget season and the 2018-’19 budget season, for a total of $70,000. However, Potter said, when he went to the committee this year it was discovered that the money from the 2017-’18 budget season was not sent to the department as intended.

According to minutes from a May 2019 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, the $35,000 had no description attached to it, so it was mistakenly removed from the Parks and Recreation budget.

The good news is that the town knows where the money is.

“We budgeted this year correctly and the money from 2017-’18 didn’t get lost,” said Board of Finance chairperson Dara Onofrio.

Susan Cunningham, the town’s Finance Director, confirmed the money was accounted for and went back into the general fund.

The bad news is that the process for restoring the track is now delayed.

At a Board of Finance meeting on June 17, the board approved the appropriation of $35,000 from the contingency fund for track maintenance, which is subject to approval at a town meeting. The town meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall.

Potter said track work is usually scheduled sometime in April but, because he didn’t have the full $70,000 at that time, the work could not be scheduled.

Potter will now have to find time before the end of the summer, a prospect which he said is less than ideal.

“Contractors are very busy this time of year doing this type of work. I’m hoping to find a window to get it done before the fall sports and football starts up again in mid-August,” said Potter.

Depending on the weather, Potter said that it would take about one week for the work to be done on the track.

“The track is 16 years old, it’s in excellent shape and we want to maintain it’s current condition by doing this. This will be the third time we’ve done this kind of work,” said Potter.