In case we needed more reminders about the fragile state of our economy, this week brought a couple of examples of community organizations finding ways to make due with less: both the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Beekman Town Hall made the switch to a four-day work week, hoping to lower fuel and operating costs for their employees, and planners for the Walkway Over the Hudson project announced that it will be scaled back in order to avoid running over budget.
In the case of the chamber and town hall, the move is designed primarily to lower fuel costs for workers, and the chamber estimates that the measure will collectively save more than $440 on gasoline this summer and eliminate 2,520 miles of driving, avoiding more than 1,970 lbs. of CO2 emissions. While the chamber will remain open five days a week, Beekman town leaders elected to extend some office hours and close the town hall on Fridays, hoping to save both gas expenses for workers and electrical energy costs for the town.
In the case of the Walkway project, rising materials prices over the past 12 months, mainly the cost of concrete pushed by the spike in fuel prices, drove the total cost for the original project to more than $40 million, way over its original $27 million price tag. Even though Walkway has raised nearly $22 million for the project so far, project designers were ordered to find ways to cut costs, which resulted in the removal of lampposts from the design, the trimming of the main deck width from 35 to 24 feet and a change in underside concrete installation. The sacrifices brought the project’s budget down to $35.5 million, and to protect against future budget increases, contracts have already been signed with bid-winning construction firms. And while dreams of a full-size deck haven’t exactly vanished, the decision to scale back the project reflects very real concerns over what a continued rise in prices could do to a still expansive plan.
That these local organizations are looking to trim costs is no surprise – people are struggling and looking for ways to save money. And with cold weather approaching, and the subsequent fear over the skyrocketing cost of home heating oil, funds will get even tighter. The four-day work week is becoming more common, especially with municipalities looking to save both their own costs and those of their employees. And the decision on the part of Walkway planners to bring their project more in line with the fiscal reality facing many valley families – and project donors – reflects an ability to see the danger in pushing through plans with a “cost-be-damned” attitude. In an era when people need to pay an increasing amount of attention to their finances, scaling back both work weeks and walkways may soon become common practice.