When new Town Administrator Steven Contente took office in December, he was taken aback by the sheer number of projects facing town officials. Prioritizing those ongoing projects, increasing governmental efficiency and improving public relations have been the priorities as he settles into the job he won in November’s election.
“We needed to prioritize the projects. There were just too many for us to effectively implement right away,” Mr. Contente said, also noting improving day-to-day repairs and maintenance is also a priority. “The public is reasonable. They understand you can’t always get the street paved, but we need to do a better job with repairs.”
His first order of business was to assign point people to head up the major projects and decide which would be implemented first. The three at the top of the list: the ongoing Tanyard Brook drainage improvement project; repairs to the Prudence Island Ferry dock; improvements to the Azevedo property, two dilapidated buildings on Thames Street’s waterfront next to the Ever-Ready Fire Company.
Tanyard Brook’s Phase 2 is currently in the design and engineering phase, and there is no specific timeline for construction. The other two projects are more immediate. Docks are under construction behind the Azevedo buildings — increasing such public access to the waterfront was the main motivation for the town’s purchase — and the town is considering what to do with the buildings the state Historic District Commission have deemed historically significant and therefore must remain. Mr. Contente wants them returned to the tax rolls as soon as possible, whether that be by leasing the space to new businesses or selling the buildings. Either way, the public’s access to the water and the docks will remain, he said.
“The land was bought with public money, and access is and always will be public,” Mr. Contente said.
A bigger and more ambitious project involves the Prudence Island Ferry dock, which Mr. Contente has prioritized for safety for Prudence Island residents and visitors, and wants to expand into a “Port of Bristol” that can accommodate other ferries — perhaps the Providence to Newport ferry — and small cruise ships and boat tours. The $1.67 million project would be paid for with bond money approved in November.
“If we’re going to continue to use it as a transient dock, we need to make sure it’s safe,” said Mr. Contente, noting repairs need to be made to the north wall, and west end of the dock needs a new ramp and gallows, and repairs to the structure underneath. “It would be beneficial to the town if other ferries or small cruise ships know about it. A Port of Bristol. It would increase visitors coming to town and spending money. Retailers and merchants would benefit.”
The projects are part of Mr. Contente’s overall goal to prioritize and  increase efficiencies and income so the town improve services without blowing the budget.
“For the local economy, we have to preserve the business and industry we have here now, but we can’t ignore that tourism is a big generator for us,” he said. “What we have to be conscious of is improving services without increasing taxes. I’m going to do my best not to raise taxes.”
To that end, Mr. Contente said the town does not plan to immediately use the $17 million in bond money voters approved in November. Every bit the town borrows carries with it an annual debt service. Borrowing the full amount would cost more than $70,000 per million a year in interest payments and fees.
“The projects are going to happen, but not all at once,” he said.
Some of those projects, in addition to the three he has prioritized, include the continuation of the town’s three-year road paving plan, improvements to the former Walley School which is now a business incubator, and possible expansion of the town-owned marina near the Prudence Ferry dock. Plans have called for 100 or more public boat slips behind the Robin Rug factory building, a project currently on hold.
To move along the top projects, Mr. Contente plans to look at the possibility of hiring some temporary workers, as needed to fill the load left by employees who are injured, especially in more labor intensive departments like Public Works. He also plans to look at automated trash trucks that can save money by allowing town workers to get involved in other projects.
“I will never consider privatizing trash collection, but automated systems is the way to go,” Mr. Contente said, noting the town’s existing trucks can be retrofitted with a lift. “Those guys do a lot of lifting. I’d rather have a machine do the lifting. Injuries are dramatically reduced and you can operate a truck with two workers instead of three. We can do a lot more with the same number of employees.”
Besides trying to improve the inner workings of the town, Mr. Contente said he is enjoying being out at events and really getting to know the people he represents.
“I’ll go from a senior center event to dealing with sewer system issues in one day,” Mr. Contente said. “The nice thing about being an elected official is I’m able to go out in the public and listen and take their input back to actually make changes. I can listen to department heads and the public and bring issues to the council and be involved. It’s been humbling to see how much support I’m getting. People realize my success is their success. The system works.”