Town Council - Regular Meeting

If uh you would all please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence for our men and women in harm's way. Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice for all. Thank you everyone. In the event of an emergency, if we are needed to evacuate the building, if you please exit the door you came in, the one that's behind your left shoulder or the one that's behind Mr. Ree. We will all go across the street to the school department building and await further instructions from our first responders. Madame clerk, roll call, please.

Mr. Gleason, here. Miss Blank here. Miss McDow here. Miss Patton here. Mr. Reese here. Mr. Hamilton, I am here. Uh, Mr. Payer will not be joining us this evening because his mother passed away uh last week. So, he is attending to her funeral. Um, prior to the meeting, we had an executive session. There were two items on the agenda. There was one vote taken. It passed 4 to2. First up, we have uh public comment. We have Mr. Mike Dpiola. You have three minutes. You would like to talk about science. Can the camera put me on? No. Why is that? Because you have a shirt that is not fit for TV. It's not.

I had It is not. Do you know what this means? Yes, I do. What does it mean? It means that you have a shirt from the South Carolina Gamecooxs. Okay. So then why is the Because I don't I don't see it fit for TV. You can either speak now or not. Solicitor, do you have an opinion on that?

He doesn't. He doesn't. Would you like to speak about signs or would you like to sit back down specifically about signs? I guess I get to speak for 3 minutes about signs. Members of the council, I am here today to address the shameful conduct displayed by this body when you voted on the new sign ordinance. By cutting me off, just like a few minutes ago, preventing me from speaking, you did more than just violate the spirit of of an open meeting. You committed a direct assault on the First Amendment rights of a citizen you are sworn to represent. For many years, this town has stood by and watched a blatant sign violations occurred in every corner of Pors. You have ignored illegal banners, unpermitted structures, flashing displays for over a decade, some going back 15 years. But suddenly, when a display at 1074 East Main Road doesn't fit your personal aesthetic, you decide to rush through an audience specifically designed to target one property in one property only while leaving your friends and favorite businesses untouched. Let's be honest about why we are here. We were we are here because town planner Leah Hitchen made the elitist and discriminate discriminatory statement that Portzouth doesn't want to be like Johnston or Cranston. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but that's an insult to me. That comment is a smoking gun. It proves that this ordinance is not about safety. It's not about traffic. It's not about the law. It is contentbased restriction designed to scrub the town of speech that certain officials find low class or inconvenient. Under the US Supreme Court ruling in Reed versus Town of Gilbert, the government cannot regulate displays

based on the feel of the me or the message of the sign. When you target my property while ignoring the identical violations of others, you are engaging in selective enforcement, a direct violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. You have allowed other property owners to display inventory, equipment, and massive signs for years without a de a single peep from code enforcement. Yet you fasttracked a law to silence the speech on my land. Be advised, you cannot legislatively erase a use that has existed for over six plus years in a federal court order just because you don't like the tone of the message. My property has a vested right as a pre-existing non-conforming use. Rhode Island law is clear. You cannot simply flip a switch and make years of established activity illegal overnight. You can run the you can cut the microphone. You can try to hide behind the elitist comments about other Rhode Island cities, but you cannot hide from the Constitution. If this town council continues to use a law as a weapon for selective harassment while ignoring actual violations townwide, some dating back 15 plus years with no forgiveness for taxes, you are not protecting enforcement. You are inviting a federal civil rights lawsuit that had that this town cannot afford. I am a taxpayer. I am a resident. And unlike that stupid sign ordinance, my right to speak out is not subject to your approval. I I expect my full time to address this body without further interruption now and every time I choose to speak. Next up, we have a proclamation proclaiming

May 3rd through the 9th as Professional Municipal Clerk's Week. You're going to make me read it, aren't you? You can choose not to.

That's okay. Town of Portsouth, Rhode Island. Proclamation 57th annual Professional Municipal Clerk's Week, May 3rd through 9th, 2026. Whereas the Office of Prof Office Office of Professional Municipal Clerk, a time-honored and vital part of local government, exists throughout the world. And whereas the office of professional municipal clerk is the oldest among public servants. And whereas the office of profession professional municipal clerk provides the professional link between the citizens, local governing bodies and agencies of government at all levels. And whereas professional municipal clerks have pledged to be ever mindful of their neutrality and impartial impartiality, rendering equal service to all. And whereas the professional municipal clerk serves as the information center of fun on functions of local government and community. And whereas professional municipal clerks continually strive to improve the administration of their office through participation in education programs, seminars, workshops, and annual meetings of their state, provincial, county, and international professional organizations. And whereas it is most appropriate that we recognize the accomplishments and dedicated service of office of professional municipal cork. Now therefore be it proclaimed that I, Keith Hamilton, president of the Portsouth town council, do hereby proclaim the week of May 3rd through the 9th, 2026 as professional municipal clerk's week and do hereby extend sincere appreciation to Jen M West CMC and to all professional municipal clerks in the town of Portsouth for the vital services they provide. excuse me, perform and their exemplary dedication to communities they serve. In witness thereof, I here and

who sign sent my hand on the 27th day of April, 2026. I will say that the clerks do provide a very vital function from everywhere from birth certificates through land records and everything in between. So, thank you very much for all of you in the in the office. Thank you, Jen. She gets to sign her own certificate, too. Yes, she does. Yes, she does. All right. Next up, we have our consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve as presented? So, moved. Second. All those in favor?

I opposed. The motion passes 50 and one with an abstension from recusal from Miss McDow. Next, we'll be sitting as the board of license commissioners. We have a pedaller's license, mobile food establishment for Newport Cremy LLC, doing business as Newport Creamy, 781 Tyog Avenue in Coventry. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 6. And next up, we have a class F1 daily liquor license for Travel Tavern LLC, 198 C Summit Drive, Cranston for a graduation celebration at 29 Chelsea Drive on June 13, 2026 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Motion to approve.

Second. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes 6 to zero. Motion to adjurnn as the board of licensed commissioners. Second. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes 6. Next up, we have our minutes from 323 and the executive to follow and 413 2026 and the executive. Any corrections or updates needed? Hearing none. Do I have a motion to motion approve as presented? Second. All those in favor?

I oppose. Motion passes six to zero. Next up, we have our town administrator's report. Mr. President, town council. Ladies and gentlemen, uh with regard to the Rhode Island Energy uh natural gas injection site on Omill Lane, we've been informed that winter operations for this season have now been completed and all the trailers have been removed from the site. Uh crews will remain, however, on site to complete some miscellaneous projects to include some driveway restoration, some plantings, uh and some equipment related work, including some valve work. Uh that work is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete. With regard to the uh community aggregation program discussion that we had at the last meeting, uh since that meeting, I just want to let you know that we've updated the town's website to more prominently feature the recent rate update through the homepage banner. Uh and we've made that information easier for residents to access. That update clearly outlines the options available to participants and provides step-by-step guidance for anyone who may wish to change their participation uh or opt out of the program. And we'll continue to monitor feedback and make sure that residents uh have a clear and have clear and accessible information as this moves forward. Uh we will begin accepting nominations for the annual PortSouth award next week. Uh, this award recognizes an individual, a local business or an organization that reflects the very best of Portsouth through consistent excellence in professional and community leadership and whose contributions directly benefit the town. Uh, details will be posted on the town website along with the uh, press release and nominations will be accepted through June 30th. I would encourage residents to take just a few moments to consider someone deserving of this recognition and submit a nomination. Um, I'd also like to note that the town will be observing Arbor Day this Friday, uh, May 1st, with a ceremony at, uh, the Hathaway School beginning at 9:15 in the morning. Uh, this year's observance will

include the dedication of a tree in memory of our town historian, Jim Garmin. Uh, Jim was a valued member of our community, and we hope that this will be a meaningful way to recognize his lasting contributions to the town. Uh, Council President Keith Hamilton has signed the Arbor Day proclamation and will be present to read it at the ceremony. I'd like to acknowledge and thank Rhode Island Energy for the donation of the tree, our Department of Public Works for preparing the site, and the Portsouth Tree Commission for their continued support and involvement. And uh, lastly, just a reminder uh that if you are a dog owner in town, uh those dogs must be licensed by this Thursday uh, April 30th per state law. Uh otherwise uh starting May 1st some late fees will kick in. So please get your dogs licensed. That's it. Mr. President, any questions for Mr. Okay. Next up we have resignations, removals, and appointments. We first up we have a resignation uh by Mr. Nassau from the dog park committee.

Motion to receive the regret the resignation of Mr. Richard Nassau. Second. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes six to zero. And next we have a request the removal of Mrs. Smith from the Bristol Fairytown Common Committee. Motion to receive the regret the resignation removal. Removal of Nancy Smith who has recently passed away. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes six to zero. First up, we have old business. just a review and action to be taken or recommendations, excuse me, from the Portman Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee. Um, Miss McDow, would you like to kick us off?

First of all, um, this committee came into play when we were um, introduced with a um, a fee to be charged to Prudence Island uh, for their trash removal. And as a result of discussions on that evening, um it was decided that we would develop or implement a an ad hoc committee to look at all trash programs um for Portsmith. And that became quite the endeavor. Uh it was it's we met every week. um members of DPW, uh Dave Gleason, Dave Reese, myself, Paul Kessen, um our Colby, our uh waste diversion manager, and what we did is we looked into each individual program and looked at how uh the program operated or operates, what recommendations or considerations ations after studying them we could make going forward. And um we have come here tonight to give you those results of that of that uh working group. And so um we have Dave Gleason that is going to be presenting. And first of all I I want to thank Kayla, Mr. Raina and and all the members of the group for supplying us with an incredible amount of data. Um oh also uh John Spedaro from Prudence Island who did a a incredible job with just studying the ins and outs of

Prudence Island transfer station. and um he uh along with the Prudence Island Planning Commission presented one of our recommendations the other day uh on the 16th of April um looking at the fee for Prudence Island and it in my opinion um we we were all present on Zoom in my opinion it was wellreceived and um we're bringing that forward as one of the recommendations but each of us will speak on um the indiv individual trash program and what some of our recommendations and considerations have been. Mr. Gleason, you want to start off here first? Yeah.

Actually, I was going to ask if John is online. I think I think it would be proper for him to start because his his um the figures that they came up with would affect the transfer station rates ultimately. Hi there.

Hi, John. Good evening. U thank thank you for uh for uh getting this on the agenda and and hopefully we can um uh make make short work of it. Um so there were there were actually 10 recommendations um uh related to the or or driven by the the prudence island um the prudence island portion of this study. The first recommendation has already been approved by the town council uh at its March 23rd meeting. um where Prudence Islanders who had previously had partial year permits could um could pay for permits through the end of this uh year um for $50 and and I and that has been very well received. This the second recommendation which we had brought forward uh thank you for putting those up. Um that we had brought forward at the um the April 16th Prince Planning Commission meeting which was very very well attended. Um we talked about a flat fee for all homeowners. So for every home property not empty lots of $175. um that would um that would cover um the transfer station permit for a for a full year uh doing away with the partial year uh permits that we've had in the past. Um the permit would be issued uh on payment of the fee. Um you could you could purchase additional stickers for $10. Um and um homeowners would be able to uh purchase a placard for uh short-term rental properties so that so that short-term renters would be able to use the transfer station as well. Um I'm I'm hopeful that that we will have a motion um to to move this to move this recommendation forward. Um it there was

a motion at the Guden Island Planning Commission meeting uh to uh recommend forwarding this uh forwarding this recommendation to the town council for approval. Um the third the third recommendation um that we came up had to do with um data collection and we we collected a lot of data. We analyzed a lot of data um and there's a lot of really good data out there. Um what you can see here you I'm sure you can't read the numbers um but is is sort of pulling data across multiple sources which I think is really imperative to to adequately manage that transfer station. One of the things that um we discovered is there's real variability in how many tons um how many tons uh a load going off the island uh contains. It can range from 15 tons at the high end um but sometimes it's two tons given the the high cost of getting trash off prudence. Um we would like to see that tonnage increase and we know it's complicated. Um but I think this data can help us understand um how it works. Um and and I and I would recommend that uh we keep using that data and and looking at it on a regular basis. Um the additional thing we discovered is we started um we started logging cars coming into the transfer station. Granted it was just done during the winter months. Um but we would like to move that to to continue doing that moving forward. And and what we could see um is you know some days some weeks during the week there were only nine cars that came into the transfer station on a on a day. Is that best best and effective use of of the dollars uh supporting the transfer station? We have

to talk about that. We have to consider that and take a look at it. Um uh another recommendation um actually came from reaction of Mary when she did a site visit. We need to improve the signage um at the transfer station. I think this is a this is a really easy thing to do. Um but the the signage is sort of inconsistent and um I think a little bit of work could could make people understand um how the transfer station works uh going forward. Um the the the next recommendation, one of the things that the Prince Island Planning Commission has talked about um many times and we had a small working group uh that we put together uh has to do with the fact that we are sending yard waste off the island um at at some expense and then all of us who are gardeners bring it, you know, bring compost back on the island. In the past, there was uh composting of municipal composting of yard waste on the island and we would like to put together an ad hoc committee to see if we could bring that back. Um fully understand that state regulation is can be a little bit difficult in this in this realm. Um, but I think we should study it and see whether we can um and see whether we can uh add some efficiencies there. Um, and in instead of hauling the stuff off to Johnston and then and then having people have to buy it and bring it back. Um there there were three other recommendations that didn't get included in this in this deck but that were part of my formal recommendations and and that was to the extent possible maintain make sure that we maintain separate records for each of the and finances for each of the three solid waste programs that is mostly in place but there's a little bit of bleeding around the edges that we have to take um that we have to

take care of. Um, and recommendation nine is, you know, ever since I've been involved in the Prunes Island Planning Commission, um, and in talking to, uh, Rich Rener, you know, we've we've talked about the fact that, um, we we really need to bring solid waste programs back into the tax base. And and everyone I talked to says, "Yep, that's what we need to do." But it's been many many years and we've not taken a single step forward. So, I think we have to um I think we have to actually take action um to to make to to see if we can do that. Um and and there are a couple different ways whether you do it phase it in over a number of years or or just bite the bullet and and um exceed the 4% in a in a given year. Um but we're not going to normalize the the the trash situation in the town of Portsouth until we actually do that. And recommendation 10 and is is to establish the long-term goal of providing um like most suburban towns and and certainly urban cities um in in Rhode Island is because it's funded through the taxes. you you provide curbside pickup to all residences funded through the town budget and then you continue the operation of a of a transfer station for waste diversion items such as metals, cardboard, yard waste, etc. I I think that's needs to be established as a long-term vision um for the solid waste programs um for the town of Portsouth. And so those those are the recommendations that we have and I'd be happy to entertain any questions or if you want to um go to the the recommendations or considerations from Mary and uh Dave I that's fine too. However you want to run it Mary

I think we're going to start here first with you and I'm going to have one question and and a comment here on recommendation number two. Last bullet point. stickers purchased for Prudence Island transfer station will enable entry to the Headley Street transfer station. Um that should be in reverse that if there is a homeowner that has a home on Prudence and also has a home on the mainland, they purchase a if they purchase a sticker for Headley Street, they can use Prudence Island because otherwise people are going to want to pay the 175 for for Headley Street and we'd have a huge deficit there. I I mean it it certainly is is a possibility. Um one of the reasons for including it in that direction and and I understand the issue that you're that you're raising um but is the prudence transfer station does not provide all services. For example, there's no waste oil collection. Um uh and there are other things that you collect at Headley that we don't have any ability to get rid of. So the ability for for prudence islanders to use Headley is important. Now how how you work that out with with the people who own properties in both places is is a good question.

Mr. President, that was a a topic that came up in discussion and perhaps Mr. Rodri's could expound on it, but it it was a surprise, I would say, to all that um that you could use the uh Headley Street station with a prudent sticker. But to me, it made sense. They have to pay for every mattress that leaves the island where we are offered the the option of getting rid of them for free. Uh by the time it gets over on the boat and it's been sitting around, it's it's dirty. It's not accepted by the end user. But that was one of the options that if you had a pickup truck and you want to go through the hassle of putting it on the ferry, you would be able to do that. If you wanted to bring your waste oil over here, that was also looked at as as a positive. Um, other things that that they don't take over there, maybe books. I I don't know. But the bottom line is there will be a handful of people on prudence that will fall into that category that could buy a sticker to use on the mainland, but everything would be based on their address, you know, so it would be limited the amount of people that would be able to take advantage of it. But, you know, is it a legal issue? I I don't know

if if we're talking about diversionary items and not people bringing their trash over and from prudence and throwing it to Headley Street because that would add to the cost. Diversionary items typically are not as costly of course. So I if people want to bring over their oil, if they want to bring over metals, which we still do over there, but I don't see anybody spending $60 or on a round trip on the ferry to bring a mattress over to the station.

Apparently, it is I can do it at this point. Yeah, that was brought up because a a single homeowner with a residence on Prudence Island, not one over here, that if they were using the Prudence Island transfer station and had a sticker and it was an off day, they couldn't bring their trash here and they were coming over here, they could use the transfer station here. It wasn't meant to be for both. I agree with you, Keith, that if they're going to pay 300 and something here or 175 there, they're going to pay 175. and use it for two households. That's not going to be good. I'm just worried about the cost escalation at Headley.

And and even if this 175 passes, there's still going to be a town commitment to close the gap at Prudence Island where that commitment is not available at Headley Street. So, I'd like to keep Headley Street as um tight as possible if we can. I just have one question but but previously they did they were able to do that correct? I mean we didn't misunderstand this, right? The understanding that if they had a prudence island transfer station sticker and they only had a residence on Prudence, they could use the transfer station here. It wasn't for them to use have a house here on the mainland and use the transfer station for both houses.

Yeah, Paul, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's the same physical pass that's used for both transfer stations, is it not? There's there's nothing specifying its prudence. Correct. Yeah.

Just to clarify, you know, up until right now, nothing's changed. So if you buy an annual pass in Prudence Island or you buy an annual pass here on the mainland, it's the exact same pass. So there's no difference and we didn't enforce any difference because you're paying the exact same price. So it didn't matter which one you used. It was the same price and we didn't see that in all difference to the people living on Prudence Island. There's there's not a great demand for people to get on the ferry and come and dump their trash in Headley. So it just it it was just a way to make things easier for everybody and we didn't see any great additional cost. So I'll try and um move this along so we can get some numbers going and try and straighten out that portion of of business. So, um, what I would like to do is make a motion to come up with a plan to have, uh, Prudence have their own, um, enterprise fund, if you will, which would include a flat fee of $175 per household on prudence. There'd be a $10 additional fee for plaque cards, which is based which is meant for use by the rentals, stays with the property, and the owner would have to buy their own pass as well. And there would be a $10 fee for a second pass. And also, I would include that the only use that Prudence Island sticker holders would have would be for diversionary items at the Headley Street Transfer Station. Is there a second?

So to reiterate, we've got establishing an enterprise fund, $175 per household, $10 for an additional sticker, and also $10 if you need to get a placard for your short-term rental or even weekly rentals, whatever. um it's not part of the motion, but if I could just say, John, just um it is with the understanding that we we will still be supplementing this program because it's still not going to fund the whole program and they're going to continue to use pay issue throw bags there as well.

Yeah, that was my question. Is it technically an enterprise fund if in fact it is part of the town budget, which it is currently. Um and and currently there's a a subsidy um from the town to to um to keep that transfer station running. Administratively, it's I think it would just be easier just to keep it the way it is. Me, too. You have a revenue section in the general fund, which will now instead of just incorporating the short-term sticker prices as revenue, it'll just be the revenue for the full price that they're going to pay. Uh and then we still have uh the expenditure side uh separate as prudence island. So I think administratively it's easier just to keep it the same. Right.

So thank thank you the 290 had gone into the Headley Street station.

Yeah. So just for everybody listening uh in the past the revenue for the Prudence Island transfer station for the annual stickers that were bought went into the Headley Street Enterprise Fund. What's going to happen now is the annual price uh of the sticker will go into the Prudence Island uh revenue in the general fund. It's not that big a difference because quite frankly only 90 stickers were being sold. Uh so this way as I understand and I think you're probably going to talk about this as well. Well, I don't want to, you know, steal your thunder, but I think the if you're, the way I understood the ad hoc committee is there was going to be a fee for each of the households that was going to be so each household will be assessed $175 fee. That way, we make sure that we get the revenue for that station.

Correct. And that was part of the motion. The only correction is the only thing I could add is it it doesn't cover properties that are just bare land, raw land. Correct. just households only, right? Yeah. So, we um if I understand it, we we are not looking to to set up a an enterprise. Yeah. What I would ask though is um on the same line that that you've been speaking, Mr. Raina is is it possible to have a an accounting system for Prudence Island that's solely Prudence Island income expense.

Yeah, there already is. What made it complicated before is because it was this hybrid where you had revenues from Prudence Island going into a enterprise fund. This will make it a lot cleaner and easier. But the answer to your question is yes. So all income and expense would be under the prudence island going forward, right? For accounting purposes. So it would be very easy when you look at that to determine the cost of the program as is. Right. Correct. Great. Thank you.

Sean, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask you to mute yourself real quick and I'm gonna ask Kathy to bring up Karen. I'm assuming that's Karen Stevenson. Can you hear me? We can now. Thank Karen.

Okay. So, Karen Stevenson, 23 Bulbin Road and 0542 Narroans Avenue, Prudence Island. Um, I have a question about the short-term rental placard. Um, why? So, don't I get one placard if I I have a property that's purely rental? It's purely seasonal. So, why do I have to pay an additional $10 to get my renters which are only there six to eight weeks out of the year? Don't get one like I get for in town I get a sticker and I if a second vehicle I get a second sticker.

The reason for the placard is is you you can't put the stickers on your renters. So, it's just the cost of printing and establishing that placard for you. Okay, that's all. Okay, that's it, Karen. Yep. Okay, thank you. That was too easy, Karen. Um, so the only thing that would change in my motion is we wouldn't call it an enterprise fund. It would be a prudence island transfer station fund, if you will. It's just it's not even a fund. It's just accounting. There'll be there'll be line items in Yep. chart in the chart of accounts for prudence.

Okay. Crazy accounting terms. Yeah. Nope. You've got that right. Okay. Any further questions? All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes six to zero. John, thanks so much for all the work you did in this in this whole area. I I really appreciate it and the committee does as well. Thanks. Thank you.

And John, we'll work on the rest of the recommendations, but we got to get through the the budget process first. We'll we'll look at the ad hoc in terms of the uh composting. We'll work with DPW, see if there's a location that we could potentially do that or even at Farm or something, but Okay. Thank you. Once we get through the budget, we'll start trying to tackle that if you don't mind. Yep. Very good. Thank you. Thank you, John. Don't go too far though, just in case we have more questions. I'm I'm here. Thank you. All right. So, next up, we're going to tackle transfer station. Transfer station, which is you. Okay. Okay.

So, to be aware when you're doing your numbers, we just took 26,000 as of last year's numbers. $26,970 out of the trans street transfer station fund.

Okay. So, um, got some notes here. Transfer Station currently is used by 40% of our current solid waste and recycling enterprise fund users, despite the fact that it's considered by some to be obsolete. As of January 26, it was believed January of 2026, it was believed that enough funds were generated to cover the calendar year 2526 cost to run the transfer station. However, on March 17th, an unaccounted for auditing error was reported to councilors McDow and myself and to the town council sometime earlier this year that excuse me to the town sometime earlier this year that revealed a new I'll put quote unquote new deficit of $86,000 in the transfer station fund. And this was just uh basically some accounting. there was money taken for fees uh prior to the year and just put in the wrong pot if you will. Is that a fair assessment in some ways? But there was some catch up from previous years.

It was it was mostly the change from the calendar year to the fiscal year and everybody had paid prior year and they were prepaid items that weren't carried forward to cover the following year of transfer stationation. So, so the bottom line is in the recommendation for the sticker fee, the calculations were presented to the council to ask for a fee of $321 and $330 if for for sticker if Putin's Islands removed from the Headley Street operations, which we've essentially just done. This covers the $86,000 debit debt. Before getting into sug suggestions and motions and recommendations, I'd like to thank the ad hoc committee. I have to hear it again. Uh the members for all their work and contributions that I I feel will make positive contributions to all the solid waste operations. myself, uh, Mary Mcdal, David Reese, and Juan Carlos preceded me on the on the group. One Carlos Pierro were active participants along with Paul Rodri, Gavin Lopes, Colby Kresky of DPW, Paul Kessen from the solid waste and recycling committee and especially I want to thank John Spidaro because this really started around the the focus of straighten out things on prudence and he was a major contributor. I want to thank him again for that. Also, Mr. Rainer, Kayla Marsden, and Matt Hen for their invaluable contributions of excuse me, dollars and cents and numeric data that they provided the committee. A lot of the data provided was analyzed to provide suggestions for possible changes to operations primarily on Prudence Island, but with additional research could be utilized at Headley Street Transfer Station. committee feels that looking at additional data could contribute to cost savings and I think this will will be will be I think the recycling committee is going to run with this um in the

future. There was also discussed um discussion about preventive maintenance at the facility. Concerns were raised about the existing electrical and hydraulic equipment and the potential for equipment failure. Is there currently a reg regimented preventive maintenance program? I'm not really sure if the if not one should be established. Additional education and outreach to the user community needs to occur to to raise our recycling rate and reduce the waist stream to drive the disposal cost down with pay as you throw. This was a lesser concern for the transfer station but still could be improved upon. The pay as you throw was not a popular item back when when it was instituted, but the main effect is we raised our recycling rate and lowered our disposal costs. Um before I get into any motions, does anybody have any comments, questions, or concerns? So basically I'd like to make a motion to get rid of this $86,000 debt uh as part of the transfer station cost and suggestion is to uh my motion would be to eliminate the second contracted worker within the transfer station. So right now as it stands that is an option to the town. Um, you could argue whether it's good, bad, or indifferent, but that would take care of roughly the I think he's $84,000 deficit.

So, your suggestion that we ask our the company that is managing the transfer station to not fund one of their employees indirectly? Yes. Because it's offered, if I'm not mistaken, as a as an option to us. In other words, we ask for a price or a second man. Um, and it was optional. Okay. So, then we'd have to go back and negotiate that into the contract since they it was accepted. I don't know if it's a negotiation or if it's the contract gets re um renewed on a yearly basis and you renew that section, but sure there would be some contract work.

The contract was three years with two renewals. So, we're in the middle of the first year or the middle of second year. Second year. Second year. Second of three. So if we wanted to do that, they they accepted the contract under the terms that we agreed to 18 months ago. Correct. So if we want to remove this, we either got to renegotiate and give them the probably give them the two years.

Um that is highly likely. If they even agree to this at all, they're going to come back at us. It's a safety issue. you know, um in in looking at this position, it it just bothers me a lot that um it was an optional position and it was when I read the the um description of what that person was going to do, it it really is not happening at the transfer station. And um it bothers me so much that anytime I go there and unfortunately I go as a routine three times a week different times a day to get rid of my recycling because I don't like it sitting around these the people there for the most part are sitting on their phones no matter what time of day. Now, most recently within the last um I'd say three months on occasion because they've been alerted that Mary McDow is very concerned about them sitting on on the chair with their phone and not helping. So now when my car pulls up, they will stand up and um sometimes they go and ask someone, sometimes they don't. The last time I went, I went and spoke to Rayo and you know he he came over to me. Oh, you're Mary McDow. Yep. I've heard about you. Yep. He says I said look it I'm not out to get anybody. I just want someone to do their job. This job was designated

for helping people. rail said all they have to do is ask the the gate attendant and and they'll make sure they get help. That's not what this job was intended for. I I think we really have to take a look at that. And if if if the company that we contract with is okay with people sitting 90% of the time on their phone, then then we have the wrong company. And if they can't see that, then I I don't know. And there have been a couple times where there's only been one employee there. So there just last week, I think it was on Thursday or Friday, um there was only one there. He said the other person wasn't there. So safety, I'm not sure I buy that. Um, and I think that I I've heard that when Waste Management was looking at this um, contract, they were only going to put one person there as well. So, I don't mind if there's two people there and they're doing their job, but they are not doing their job. Please, please, please understand that. And for the amount of money we're paying, it's a travesty. Back to you, Mr. Le.

There's a motion on the floor. You had a second, right? No, there was not a second. No. No. Okay. I'm sorry. So, the motion is to uh eliminate one of the positions uh the second position. Not obviously not the main position. second position um of the contractor. This doesn't eliminate a gate guard or gate guards are ne necessity. They're the ones that are actually checking the stickers. So, right. All those in favor? I I opposed. Motion passes 4 to2. Okay.

Mr. Hamilton and Miss Blank. Mr. Hamilton, Miss Blank. Sorry, Madam Clerk. Messing up that clerk's week. I know. Okay. So, um my second motion is to put the put the waste and diversion manager into the DPW staff and payroll to reduce cost to both the transfer station and the curbside programs. And I only make that recommendation because I know he has um our diversion manager has worked for the DPW over the summer. He seems to have a good position there and they are short-handed and this would help the finances especially for the curbside program.

So you're increasing the staffling level at DBW and he will be able to he won't be just a waste and diversion manager. He'll be able to be utilized by waste and diversion will be his primary job but he'll be able to be utilized by a director deputy director to do other projects as well. That would be great. second. So what would the um ratio be? Do we know

like I think that's something they would have establish. We we are 10 months into our curbside program and if I if if history from other towns who have est established programs things will shake out after the next year and there'll be less headaches and more opportunity for KBY to do other projects. I don't think we should give it a 8020 thing or 7030 thing. I think this should be just managed by Paul and how much he needs Kobe to do certain jobs, right?

And I think we we really have to take a look at then the job description, right, of the waste diversion manager. Well, that's we'd be changing his job description. It would be a it would be he would just be a DPW employee with a concentration on waste diversion management and then Paul would be able to utilize him where he needs to if that's going out in truck or sorry Colby plowing in the winter again. That's very very Mr. Reese sorry that it just have to have the green light my friend.

All right. All right. Well, that's the same thing basically that Brian Woodhead was doing and Paul Rodri was doing before he showed up and it's just a few hours sometimes, you know, attend the meetings. I think it's more than we're trying and we tried to streamline a lot of the paperwork, a lot of the accounting and all that. So yeah no

no it's the whole reason we did this is because it was taking the deputy of direct the deputy director of public works was working 100% of his time on the enterprise funds on trash. So this is why this came about. We used to have a recycling a waste and recycling coordinator that was gone. Um Paul took it over thinking along those lines it would be essentially a part-time responsibility added to his job description and it became a full-time job. But the request now was to move the entire position which would take it out of both the curbside and the transfer station fund. That's correct.

And and move it into DVW. So Paul, you get an extra employee total. He might not want to Other towns did do this after three years of starting a curbside program. You got understand we got three programs here, not just one and to utilize them in DPW, of course we could. As probably on the management side, there's no way you could put them into the contract with the the workers there because there's 17 workers contracted and they all have CDLs,

right? We could manage that. We've we can manage that. So he would be a non-un employee. Correct. Okay. Okay. The reason I I just want to backtrack. I don't think the transfer station is any is any uh kind of financial problem at this point, but I know the curbside program is and I think this takes a chunk of money out of the enterprise fund that'll help the sticker fee ultimately the people that decide to use curb curbside program. takes a chunk of money out of the uh curbside as well. Yeah. Okay. All those in favor? I

opposed. Motion passes six to zero. One last motion, Mr. President. Yes. Okay. So, the motion is to set the transfer station fee at $320, which is an increase with $20 per user going towards an equipment maintenance and repair fund similar to what the Harbor Commission has set up for the boat motor funding. So, in in the event that you have some equipment go down, you'll have some type of surplus money hopefully in five years that could cover those expenses. as of July one. Yeah. Right. In the next

It wouldn't be it would take you wouldn't start that until July 1st. These are all July 1st starts. So that would be a roughly $44,000 a year into a maintenance fund. Correct. Okay. So we would do that before we know the impact of what we just did earlier, right? in terms of well you're just they're establishing everything and then when we get to the enterprise funds on Wednesday night staff will have had the time tomorrow to digest all these numbers put it into the spreadsheets and come back to us. So it may not be

you might not I mean it's it's it's uh if you eliminate the $85,000 it's $86,000 the transfer station sticker actually comes in at less than 290 as I recall. So, you've got $30 extra going into the program, 20 which would be earmarked for the maintenance fund. So, I think there's going to be money in it, but obviously you'd have to take a look at it. Okay. Thanks. Was there a second for the $320 sticker fee with $20 of each fee going into the repair fund for just for the transfer station? You need the second before you Oh, second.

Thank you. Yeah. I I just this for transfer station. Okay. Yeah. Chris Careller, 63 Leaps Road. Just a quick question about the 320. Um you were just talking about the waste diversion manager. If you're taking that out of the enterprise fund and putting it onto the budget side, that 320 would change then. Correct. It could. Okay. If if we have to change if if when staff comes back Wednesday with new numbers, we could adjust that number. And if that number if if Mr. Gleon's goal is that $44,000 for 20 bucks for 2,200 people. Okay. If we have to drop it to 310 and

Okay. So 320 is not the the number you're focusing on. The $20 you were focusing more on, right? Like that going into the fund. Yeah. I hadn't thought about that concept that you're actually taking part. I think it's the split is maybe 30% 30 versus 70. I'm not really sure how his time is spent now. 40. Okay. So there is a saving there. Let's see. So the numbers may come back different. Yep, that's fine. If if you would want to wait till Wednesday night to set the sticker the sticker fee, we can do that as well. If you want to hold off until we get the numbers back, we have enough we know enough to be dangerous here. Why don't you let us present the enterprise funds uh with these motions to do that? Okay.

Establishing a maintenance line. That way we can give you a definitive this is what the price should be. All right. That's fine. To your point, it might be 290 plus, so it could be 310 or it could be 280 plus and be 300. Sure. So, so I retract my motion. And if you retract your second, sir. I retract my second. Thank you. All right. Okay. Let's That's it for you now. Let's move on to curbside. Now, we're going to go to curbside. And Mary, this is your baby.

Yeah. It's Thanks. So, prior to the most recent RFP that was issued, the town of Portsouth went out for bid twice for curbside collection with no award made. Beginning in two 2017, our town looked at a variety of different options, ranging from a single hauler model with a transfer station that would manage bulky waste and diversion disposal, a single hauler only, two separate waste disposal programs, curbside and transfer station. At different points throughout the process, several combinations were discussed. Eliminating pay as you throw for curbside container sizes of 90 or 95 gallon totes or 60 65 gallons leaf and yard debris only at curbside, etc. The combination seemed limitless. Finally, on January 29th, 2024, an RFP was issued with a response date of March 28th, 2024. And in April of 2024, we had an agreed upon RFP with MEGA. The contract was not finalized, however, until the beginning of January 2025 with a start date of July 1st, 2025. While some aspects of the new curbside program have been smooth, other aspects have presented us with our current fiscal dilemma. We have fallen significantly below our target target participation rate based on town predictions resulting in an enterprise program which in its first year of operation is realizing a deficit of over 250,000. This deficit must be absorbed by the approximately 3,300 present participants. As a result, the projected sticker price for curbside for the 20

627 fiscal year is anticipated to be around 622 622. Efforts have been made by the town to reach out to those who are not signed up for either solid waste disposal program with the hope of enlisting more residents for the curbside. The reality, however, is that we do not we did not we do not reach our participation goals. This program could potentially see sticker prices rise yearly. I am hoping that what uh Mr. President said and what Mr. Raina has voiced that you know this is growing pains. It will level out. That is the hope. The ad hoc solid waste committee has looked at our different solid waste programs to determine if there are any cost efficiencies, operational efficiencies or financial accounting processes which could make our programs more effective in meeting the continual challenges that are unique to each program. Curbside presented us with the biggest challenge. What could the town of Portsouth consider to reduce costs for our residents, which ultimately could attract more resident signups? The following were considered by the ad hoc committee in reviewing the present curbside program. The first consideration, we we met briefly, Mr. Rea um and others in our solicitor to talk about the possibility of reopening the curbside contract. As Mr. Rea indicated at that meeting, there is no um appetite on the part of Mega to do so. Um, however, I I believe that there are um clauses in the contract that can that will allow us to at least sit down with them and discuss

that program. The RFP was based on 4,000 participants which was not met by the town which i.e. means that our contract was based on more. We didn't meet it. So, um, there could be a reason and a good reason to reopen the curbside contract. The second consideration that the committee came up with was to consider, and it's already been mentioned and voted on, consider reducing or eliminating the waste diversion manager for at least a year and potentially using that hire in the DPW workforce. The third one is to bring clarity to the continual truck lease discussions and potentially put the truck back into the original intent from the RFP. And when I um when we mention that there are um sections of the RFP that talk about the truck and that is on page um 11C6. It says this mo um and I I wrote to Mr. Gavin in February I believe with some questions and this was the question uh I had a question because it went back and forth in the discussions um regarding this truck in the open public discussions uh and Mr. Gavins respond responded to me in this way. The small truck was purchased by the contractor for use in this program to service residents who otherwise would not have been able to participate due to the size and location of their private ways with its cost incorporated into the operational cost of the contract. The town is not directly paying for the truck. Rich has informed me that he and Brian Woodhead are actively reviewing the issue with the contractor and working towards eliminating or reducing this cost from

the program. So my understanding back then was it was eliminated because I hadn't heard anything more on that. Um so that is still a a consideration that we have to look into. The next um is the to institute a consideration institute a pay as you throw program for curbside that could potentially reduce costs for a considerable number of present users while at the same time reducing the amount of solid waste and increasing our recycling rates. The curbside users are generating more trash and less recyclables than the transfer station based on current ryrack data. Um I I had thought that there was going to be a um Mr. Rainer's calculation up here, but they did a calculation for the 24 uh for the 25 26 um curbside program with a pay as you throw option and um sticker prices were determined from that calculation. The next one, continue to explore creative ways to increase participation, which must include reaching out to condominiums and commercial accounts, and mega must be part of these conversations, and established the long-term goal of providing curbside pickup to all residents funded through the town budget with the possibility of Headley Street Transfer Station for waste diversion items such as metals, cardboard, yard waste, etc. And that goes handinhand with um Prudence Island Planning Commission's recommendation, his one of his uh number 10 under his recommendations where we

begin to develop a program to possibly look at putting it into the tax base. So those were the things that uh were discussed with the curb side. Unfortunately, um there are no motions that are are going to be coming forth from this because uh we're still in the first year, but we I think we really have to look at some of these um considerations that have been mentioned.

Okay, I'll try that again. Okay. Um so I have a couple questions. One, pay as you throw. If we were to institute that, would we use the same bags and just split it 60/40 the revenue or we would have to have two separate bags? I think it would be problematic to use two different bags. So, we would just aortion the the revenue and the expenses based on the number of sticker sales. So, let's just assume the numbers that were out tonight are 22 22 33 55 whatever that ratio is.

Okay. All right. As as far as putting it back into the taxes, I have long stated that's my goal is to put it back into taxes. We cannot one of the uses of going over the tax cap is not to implement a new program like trash. So, it would have to be a long-term add-on where if we could find $100,000 or $200,000 a year to roll into the taxes and the course of 10, 12, 15 years, whatever it is, it's finally fully into taxes. So, it's not something that we can just say, okay, next year we're going to raise taxes by an extra $2.2 million and it's all in the tax base. It won't pass the general assembly, unfortunately. Um although stranger things have passed the general assembly. Um, I think we should continue to have conversations with Mega every day about bettering the contract and doing things better. So,

so what what would that look like to you? Me? Yeah.

It would being that the staff continues what they're doing now, but maybe holds their feet to the fire a little bit more. Um, I will say that uh the email that came out from uh Mega to all of our customers because they're the town's customers and that Mega is providing a service. It was disturbing that they should not have gone directly to our customers to say, "Hey, don't forget to reup and pay us your money." Hopefully, nobody did that. So, I think there are plenty of ways to do there should be a discussion with MIGA to straighten out some of these things, including multiple misses, missing neighborhoods, um yardways not being picked up, you know, all that stuff.

So, I I take back that there will be no motion associated with this. I would like to make a motion that we sit down um officially with Mega to discuss those concerns as well as what we can do to make this better in terms of fiscally appropriate for our residents. We can we can advise them to come in. Go ahead, Dave. You want to make the second on that? Yeah, I'll make a second. And I also now we have to second Y second.

We I we got to as part of this we got to sit down with the solicitor and really go through the contract so that we're all aware of what we have to you know see what we can change and what's flexible. And I'll go and as the second part of number one is on out on us not on them. We didn't come up with the 4,000. So it's not their fault that we didn't get there. That's on us. That wasn't their number. That's our number. No, that was our number. So,

question on the motion or just in general about something on here? Yes.

Chris Careller, 63 Leaps Road. Um, number three, I've brought up with all of you, including Mr. Rener in reference to that truck for $48,000 a year. Um, I agree with Mary. That was the conversation last year that was talked about. I questioned it over and over and I was left to believe last year that it was coming out because it was not part of the RFP. It says right in the RFP states that all equipment would be provided by MEGA and then all of a sudden a $48,000 a year truck ends up in that budget. We discuss it over and over and pretty much told, "Oh, it's going to be taken out." I kind of believed everybody. Then this year it's there. I questioned it and they said, "Well, it was brought up afterwards and it's there now, so that's too bad." Is it too bad? I mean, why did the RFP Did every company get the same thing that they would also get a $48,000 truck because maybe it was included in their contract with you, whether it be Waste Management or whoever else put in for the RFP. because we just I feel like we gave Mega another $48,000 a year to give them a truck for 5 years. That's $250,000 for a truck. That's crazy. And we're paying for that for curbside just for how many people? I don't even know how many people we are using that truck for. But that's crazy. I just have a if if something is not in writing though about that then and I never ever saw anything from Mr. Gavin after the fact. The way he left it was it's going to be taken out. So that that would have to be an amendment to the RFP and it I didn't see anything like that.

Right. And is this what we do with other RFPs? Do you have an RFP? put it out for bid. You make an a deal with somebody and then you add in $48,000 a year. I don't think that's right. And I just don't understand how that works because we're paying for that on curbside. $48,000 a year. Um so I just I I I I wish we would look into that and I wish we would look at re looking at the contract. um you know, mistakes were making last year and you got to you got to fix it cuz we're at 620 this year, maybe a little bit less if we're moving the waste diversion manager, but what's it going to be next year because a bunch of us are going to the transfer station. That's it's it's a fact. Well,

it was a fact that was brought up last year, but actually the transfer station numbers went down. So, um we're going to talk about that. Yep. Curbside will go down next year. Mr. Mr. R, you want to respond to the $48,000 in the amendment?

Yeah, I can't rewrite history. The truck is added in because the town, we made a request that they would service residents on small, inaccessible, and private roads. Two contractors were brought in. The first one was waste management. The second one was mega. Waste management would have done the same thing. people on small, inaccessible and private roads would have had to take their bins to the nearest accessible road, which is what's done in Middletown. So, it was our request that they do this and that was the cost that was associated and we agreed to it. Uh, obviously the council agreed to the contract as well. We have gone to them numerous times and we want them to take that truck out of the contract, but the truck has been bought, right? So, uh, I will gladly sit down with them and set up another meeting. Uh, I appreciate all the conversation has come out tonight. They will absolutely know the council's feeling on this and we'll see what kind of movement we can make on this. But the truck is there because we asked for it.

Question. U, Mr. Solicitor, I know this I don't know, but it may have been that uh Mr. Cicion knows more about this than you do, but in your opinion, is there have you looked at this contract and know whether we could actually open it up or do anything different that were to save money on the curbside program? I mean, obviously,

what I I have uh on the GEO had me look at one issue in particular. Um counselor Uh Mary has some interesting language in there that can be used, but uh solicitor Gio told me that they said pound sand unless you extend the contract. Now there is one way out, foolproof way out that we have the absolute right to do. Um the only foolproof way out immediately don't fund it. You don't fund trash. If you don't appropriate for this, um they have no right to the contract. That's crystal clear. What does that mean? Um, it means you could not fund it or appropriate for the full year. You're not going to do that and just get out right now with you could not fund it for a half year. You could appropriate half the amount, hold their feet to the fire, demand cost savings, and there's many provisions in there that talk about um uh potential cost savings that uh if they're not unreasonable, you're supposed to work with the contractor and lower the cost. And then after six months, you could uh either take the rest of the money that you've appropriated in the contingency fund or you could say you're not saving us any money. We're going in a different direction. Don't know what that direction would be, but the only direction that works under the contract is to get out. You can't go out to bid for somebody else. You can't figure out a way where the town is in the trash collection business like this in a different way. You would have to they go private. Um, and the threat of that could be what brings them to the table. But other than that, you can negotiate. They've said pound sand. The manager is going to do it. Gio's been trying to do it. And there's definite provisions in that contract that contemplate change circumstances um and reasonable negotiation to reduce costs. Uh, but if they say no, that's it. you're stuck with this contract unless you fail or agree not to appropriate and get out of the trash

business for a year, half year, whatever you uh appropriate as far as and that was the issue Gio had me look at. Is there any way we can just get out? Um and that's the only way to just get out without negotiation. There's a there's a 30-day out in a contract. Correct. If we do a 30-day out, the cost for all the bins becomes immediately due. Correct. I don't see any way to just get out and cancel without penalty. I don't know what that penalty would be. Can't cancel the contract. No, they've entitled all their money for the whole time subject to those uh unless you don't give them the money and you get out of the business. Failed to appropriate.

That's that's beside the point. We still would have to pay for all of the bins that are around town. The town would be on the hook for those bins. I'm not sure of that. I'm not sure of that. The town would be on the hook for those bins. I'm not sure of that, Mr. President. Not sure. You could fail to appropriate. You could appropriate for 6 months, see where these negotiations led, and if they didn't lead where you wanted, you could do something else. I'm not sure about the cost of the bins. Didn't say that in the provision I looked at.

Thank you. Sounds like a pretty radical approach, but I would support uh you know, an additional meeting like you proposed to start looking at other solutions. But I I do I do think we would be on the hook for the bins. Yeah. Mr. Carceller, Sal Careller, 63 Leaps Road. I think I know the answer, but I have a question. How many other townships in Rhode Island offer what we offer to residents, a dual pro dual programs, meaning curbside or

Well, in terms of dual program, I mean, Middletown has two programs. say either you're in there pays to throw curbside pickup or you go private. Um I don't think Little Compton has just the transfer station. Tiveran is all curbside. Barington Barington is their own. Bristol has their own pickup. Yeah. So I don't know.

That was my without looking at every single township. So when we talk about how things worked out in other towns, I'm just going to warn that we need to be really, really careful because what we have is not what other towns have. We have something very, very different. So what I foresee is when you offer anybody a choice of A or B, that individual is going to pick the choice that best suits their needs.

But the town has to still support both choices. So, I'm going to make a prediction. It's very possible that curbside will continue to lose at 600 plus dollars. Some people are not going to be able to afford it and it could be the straw that breaks the back and they just say, you know what, I'm going to go over to the transfer station and we could wind up in a really bad situation because you're going to wind up with curbside costs out of control. Next year you'll be under 3,000, maybe 2500 if the price approaches $1,000. And then you're going to get double whammy because the transfer station is going to be completely overburdened.

Continue. Sorry. So I I guess I I I I don't know the answer. I'm just statistically looking at this that we're headed for possibly a really bad disaster. I would disagree with you in the fact that granted there were people who were paying less, but the majority of people in the curbside program were paying close to $8 to $900 a year with their previous suppliers. Anyways, the cost next year will go down because we won't have the No, that's okay. No,

it's much more important for them to get where they're going. Uh the cost will go down. I don't think will there will be as much of a mass exodus from curbside to the transfer station. We heard the same thing last year and the number of people who said, "Forget it. I'm going to go transfer station." And the transfer station numbers went down from the previous year. So I go back to the fact that we have a good amount of people who just aren't choosing to use either one even though they were using either or in the past either private or the transfer station. Okay. So will there pe people Sounds like your pickup truck is going to be going to the dump. Yeah, more than likely.

But give us until Wednesday because there are new numbers that have to come out and the 622 is likely to go down. Absolutely. My only purpose to come here was just to point out that when we really shouldn't be saying that it's going to pan out and it's going to work out like it did in other communities when what we have here is a unicorn. It's very different than other communities. It is. So it is that's all that was my and and that was because there was a big push to save the transfer station because there was a thought process that curbside was going to close the transfer station which it wasn't intended to do. Right. But to appease as many people as possible, we kept two programs. Yep. So

Okay. Thank you. Thank you, S. Appreciate the comments. Uh we have a motion on the floor to ask Mr. Rainer to approach uh waste mega waste to review the contract all of its attributes and see if there's any cost savings to be shown in there. That is not going to happen by Wednesday. I can tell you that. However, can you please with the changes that were made to the Well, let's start with that. Do we have a motion and a second? All those in favor of asking staff. I could. So, the intent is a meeting with just Mr. Rainer, solicitors, MIGA, it would be probably with Paul Rich and a lawyer.

Okay. Review the contract. Can we have a counselor present the head of the ADO committee? You'd have to add that to the motion. I don't I don't particularly recommend having staff I mean having a counselor because then they stop negotiating with the solicitor and the administrator and they just negotiate directly with the council because they think that they can pull heartstrings. That's well maybe you should take that role. Nope.

I I would have to say I disagree with that. I've been in involved in contract negotiations and that hasn't panned out that way with me. So I I think that's I think a counselor is important to be at the table with Mega the solicitor town administrator. In fact, I think two counselors should be at the table. You'd have to add that to your motion. Why is this not a violation of the charter?

I I don't think it is at all. And where I come from and 20 years of city experience, always had a council person there. And frankly, if you say we're going to negotiate with the counselor, that was a good thing. Want to negotiate with Mary? See what you get. So I I have no issue with this as far as the charter or one or even two council members sitting at the table. But I would advise as part of this motion, there's really two meetings that whoever's sitting in meet as a town first before meeting with Mega, get the negotiating position, what we're asking for, what the legal rights we have, and then we we go in and meet with Mega. But as far as um a counselor sitting in, I think that's usual practice.

But again, I'll go back to that's not going to happen before Wednesday. So the motion on the floor right now is to reopen to approach mega and reopen the contract. Period. That was the motion on the floor and look at look for cost savings. All those in favor? I I I

opposed. Thank you. Now that is off the table. Wednesday night, it is going to be Mr. Rainer and Kayla's responsibility to bring back new curbside numbers based on the changes that were made with the waste diversion person and also whether or not we do pay as throw or no pay as you throw. That will be part of the budget process. So I do think though a pay as you throw program for curbside should be we should have a public meeting just on that and just get Wednesday night that's that's included with the budget. Uh okay

we have to establish a budget going forward here. We cannot just continue the kick the can down the road until July 1st rolls around and if we don't have any money to pay for and we can't jump into things either the way we do sometimes. We that's how I feel that we we're not jumping into the curbside program. We're establishing the cost for the curbside sticker next year. Looking at curbside has certainly not been jumped into. It's taken us 10 years to get to this point. So I'm talking about pay as you throw the implementing that.

Okay. If you want to skip that, we can look at doing that for the pre for the next year. We can either do one of two things. Staff can bring back the cost of the 622 going down based on the waste diversion manager coming out and any other changes that we have made. Or they can bring back two proposals, one with pay throw and one with the current. And you can look and say, "Okay, well, if pay as a throw is $150 cheaper per sticker, that helps those folks who are single family, single person households as opposed to folks who are four, five, six person households who are going to pay a little bit more because they have to buy more bags. So I think bringing both options forward is a responsible measure if you want to go with the recommendations in your slide. But

would you like that in the form of a motion asking the staff to bring back both? Yes. Okay. Staff, could you bring back the pay as you throw option for the curbside as well as the new price based on the modifications made tonight? Of course. Is there a second? Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. Thank you, Mr. Rainer. 6 five 6. Thank you. So, I have a question. Yes. So, why weren't we able to make an amendment to the motion to add counselors? We can make a second motion. Do it separately. There was there was not a motion made forward, but we can do it separately if you want to.

I was just curious. I would like to make a motion that um we meet as uh our solicitor has indicated as a group which includes two counselors in this um discussion group, negotiating group, whatever you want to call it. Um we meet first and then we we asked to have a meeting with mega um to discuss ways in which we can relook at the contract for u fiscal efficiencies and um bring down costs.

Any further discussion? All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes six to zero. And I'd be glad to join in with Miss McDall in that negotiating committee. Sounds good. Are we good with trash for now? Mr. Rainer Kaylor, you have your marching orders for Wednesday. Um, next up, Miss Marson, is your is your throat good? I'm going to try my best. Okay. Our monthly finance report.

Good evening, Mr. President and Honorable Council, as of the end of March, the town was 9 months or 75% through fiscal year 26. Year-to- date general fund revenues were at 77.73% of the budget, primarily driven by tax receipts, state aid, mooring fees, and interest income. Year-to- date general fund expenditures were at 73.5% of the budget. Significant cost drivers there were the quarterly pension contributions, and the remaining snow removal expenses. Performance continues to trend favorably. Revenues and expenditures are still being monitored on a weekly basis and discretionary spending is still frozen. Thank you.

Are there any questions for Miss Marsen? Hopefully not so she can rest her voice. Do I have a motion to receive and place on file? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes six to zero. Next up we have new business. Request approval of the eighth grade class. Should we receive the um school finance report and place on file as well? If you would like. I don't think there's a really need to. Okay. That's their report. That's just there for FYI information. Thank you. Yeah. Uh request for approval of 8th grade class St. Phil to have a campfire in Sandy Point Beach, June 4th from 2 p.m. until sunset. Miss Abbott, I do have a question for you. Yes.

When did your little daughter get taller than you? It's not Oh, um about a year ago. No, she's Yeah. Yes. That's I not not even close to being little. Nope. And my thumbs are going to pass me next. So, I'll be the shortest human in my house. There you go. Um Daniela Abbott, 213 Leaps Road. So, you're looking to have a bonfire and a picnic on Sandy Point on June 4th.

Yes. We did this two years ago, if you recall. Um the eighth graders are graduating. They go um after lunch at like 2 p.m. in the afternoon, the last week of school, and just have a little get together on the beach, have a fire, and then go home at uh sunset. We do work with Wendy to secure a lifeguard, and we get a sizable liability insurance policy, and um and we use plain wood, nothing but nails or anything on it. Uh plain wood, and we actually used a fire pit um last time, too, that we just kind of brought onto the beach. Beautiful. Is there a motion to approve? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I oppose. But m motion passes six to zero.

Thank you. I appreciate it. Have a good evening. You too. New business number two, proposed revised exit and entry routes for Polo. Mr. Keading, there he is. I understand you guys had a uh a nice showing last night on the Real Housewives of Rhode Island, huh? Congratulations. After 35 years of doing this, that if that's my crowning glory, I hope it is not. Hope it is not. Also,

what do you have for us, sir? Um well, we'd like to um uh look at the uh entrance and the exits of uh Glen Farm, the section that we use, and uh propose a new entrance system and exit system uh so that we can um uh facilitate traffic, but also uh make it safer, allow for uh rescue and uh police vehicles to get in and out and uh more efficiently, and also uh protect the public a little bit by hardening the edge. Uh right now we have an S turn that goes through um where the main gate where people come through and it mixes a lot of cars and traffic and people um in in uh picnic spaces. So, what we'd like to do is wrap the traffic around, keep the traffic entirely to one side of everybody picnicking and kind of wrap it around and kind of harden the edge uh of that um that uh western edge so that we you know we don't have people mixing cars and picnicers. uh the the big where the the issue is is that we would in this plan uh change the entrance by um altering the historic wall. So that's kind of something that uh I dragged my feet about for about two years on this plan uh just because I didn't want to even propose that. But um looking at other alterations that have happened on the upper part of Glen Farm, including the the front uh entryway and the um the um uh passages between the different fields that have become crosswalks, uh they do create a safer environment than anything. So um

and this is something you're looking to get started on to get in place for this year. Well, um, uh, my masons are coming back from the Azors. Uh, well, they're back and they're looking to start next, uh, May, but I was planning on them being on my farm, but since this came up at this time, uh, we could do it for this year. Okay. Any questions, Mr. Keing? Um, I'll ask uh, Chief Peters and Paul, are you guys, have you both reviewed this and you're okay with it? You just nod, that's okay. Okay. Um, is there a motion to I think you've you've mentioned it. You're going to pay for all the stone walls. Oh, absolutely. Will be done in like fashion to what's there now.

Right. And probably add a couple more lynons so that we can uh looking at small leaf lindons to match up. Sure. So, motion to approve the plan for the changes at the polo fields. Second. Any further questions, M. McDonald?

Yeah. Um, I just have a I had a um resident contact me about about, you know, the traffic there a while back and Mr. Raina had said that uh we were working on it. Um, she did talk a lot about people using the access road to get to the booth and neighbors telling people to use the access road. Is there some remedy for that? The access road, are you talking about Glen Farm Road? Um, yes. Yeah.

Okay. All right. Um, our address is 250 Lynden Lane. And what happened is we we made that just by traveling down and like coordinating it with Google. And um what would happen is is when there was a traffic jam coming down Lynen Lane, um it would reroute traffic all the way down through the neighborhood, right? And um what we were able to do is move the address without changing the address with the organizations like Apple and Google to the front of East Main Road. Okay.

So now when there's traffic beyond uh to the east of that, it still it it doesn't route people through there because we we ask people why did you come this back way? You know, we figured it's kind of like the celebrity entrance. you know, we use the, you know, for people who know and you know, like neighbors and things like that and they were like we were routed that way through our GPS. So, we've been able to move that through and uh I've talked to some of the neighbors and apparently they're very happy. They they've noticed a change and it was also not only was it bad for the neighbors, it was be difficult for rescue and things like that. It it was a it was a problem

that too the the problem with the emergency vehicles. So, what we attempted to put some uh signs there, but uh they they didn't meet the sign ordinance uh saying no polo um uh entry there, but would like to maybe figure out how to put that uh there um for people uh so that meets a sign ordinance. So, she also talked about the possibility of a detail uh police detail. Is there a possibility there?

There is, but there are two entrances to the Glen Farm Road. So, you know, which where you going to put that? So, um the the other issue is is that um we'll take all the details we can get on in the summer on a Saturday afternoon and sometimes we're cut short um because you know it's there's only so many Saturdays in the summertime and and uh so a lot of times the detail is uh officers from um Tiveran or Bristol or uh other places. So, um we've talked to the chief about actually increasing the police presence, having um having more police presence and also starting earlier and ending later. Um just to make sure we have uh public safety kind of we're kind of as we grow a little bit each year um you know, we're starting to run into problems which we have and um you know, we also this year we're going to institute um a capacity issue too. we're gonna stop, you know, it's Yeah. And that's really because we want to protect the experience. Um, and uh,

you know, but I'm sometimes we also interview people and say, "Why did you come on this game?" and they say, "Well, you know, it was my first time and everything." And it's like, "Why would you come in the busiest game of the year, you know, because for us also creating the systems that, you know, like bathrooms and, you know, parking and and and all the stuff that goes into it, we're not set up to do like these strange peaks that happen without being prepared for them. So, we'd rather just have everything nice and even, right? You know, thank you. Thank you. Any further questions? a motion and a second. All those in favor I

Oh, I just have a follow-up question. I I wanted to kind of when we when we do that, we want to uh have the design kind of consistent with the other elements inside the uh farm. So, is there um a route I should go with that to to work with Paul at DW? Paul. Okay. All right. Great. because he's been working with the uh because there's some themes like some of the entrances have uh these beehive pillars and then some of the internal uh don't. They have like a more of a simpler they can uh Okay, great. All right. Thank you all. Appreciate it. Good luck with the season. Thank you.

Yes. Uh, next up is a request approval resol resolution requesting immediate reform to the ISO New England day ahead ancillary services initiative. This is what was brought forth to forth to us last year, excuse me, last meeting about uh the extra two or three cents added on just because they felt like doing it. So, I would like to ask for this to be uh I gave the language to Gio, who whipped it up before and or maybe on the plane, I'm not sure, before he went on vacation. Um pass this, send it off not only to our governor, the PUC, our state legislators, and also the other five New England governors to see if we can't get this change to lower the rates for our consumers.

I'm going to support your resolution, but can you explain it better for the listeners at home? I can try the day ahead um service initiative was designed to figure out the load capacity that might happen the next day. Right. So in order to do that and put it in place, it's costing the utility companies two to andor the power aggregators 2 to 3 cents more per kilowatt hour. So, the goal of stripping this back out is to help hopefully lower the cost of electricity down by two to three um cents, right?

So, we shall see. Motion to approve the resolution. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes six to zero. Uh, next up is a request to perpetually proclaim April 24th since we do this every year anyways as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day and fly the American flag in the council chambers on the day every year which is still up since we didn't have a meeting. We and we did it already for the 24th. So, it is there. Do we have a motion to approve the perpetual hanging of the flag? So moved.

Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes six to zero. Next up, request for approval for Sandy Point Beach proposed parking fee schedule elimination of the fourpack passes and increasing stickers from two households to three households. Miss B is here or are there questions? Mr. Rener is relatively straightforward, right? Uh this hasn't been addressed since before CO. It does not affect any Portsouth residents. Be fees are only charged to non-residents and they can only be charged uh when there is a lifeguard present. Uh so this uh we're proposing that we increase the rate from $15 to $20 on uh Wednesday and Thursday and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday holidays uh $25. Um, we would also implement new fees for uh larger vehicles like uh the shuttles and minibuses that have been coming. Uh they're much larger. They take up more space. So those would be 40 40 and then 50 uh Friday through uh Sunday and the holidays. Also uh during COVID we restricted the number of uh passes per household to two. Uh, so what we're proposing is that we open that back up to three.

I do have one question. Sure. So this is all cash sales at the beach pretty much. Exactly. And we feel comfortable with that as it as it goes. I there's Yeah, we've done a poll. uh cash is being accepted uh roll over

uh there's just hard there it's there's no easy way to get around this. Uh we have implemented controls there is daily accounting there are receipts there turn in finance uh but uh this is where we're at. Is is it possible to have any type of lock box situation where the money just went went into the ground or into a metal box that's attached somewhere to the building and it's collected at the end of the day. Uh we can certainly yeah look into something like that.

I I don't know. I just I remember the incident from years past. We had some issues. I have no idea. It just came to mind. It seems like a lot of cash. Well, it's it I mean now it's the accounting is based on the passes handed out and if 20 passes are handed out $1,000 better come in or excuse me non-resident daily $500 better come back. Yeah. So if passes started at one and you hand it out to 20, you're responsible for that amount. Otherwise it comes out of your check or you're fired. that that's how it is accounted for right now is passes one through 20. We make sure there's 20 tickets sold. We do accounting every day and that's

comfortable with it. I just wanted to ask the question. I mean, if we went to a lack of a better term, an iPad system or a cube system, it would be we would lose 3 to 5% on the fee. Not only the cost associated with that, but there's no connectivity,

right? Right. It would have to be a cube on a phone, right? And it's easier for somebody not to swipe a card than it is and to let them in than it is to actually have the passes. It's an age-old problem at beaches. But and I do agree that obviously that issue six, seven years ago is a concern, but I don't think it's we haven't had that in the past few years since then. Mr. McDow.

Yeah. I'm just I I am very uncomfortable with the cash, but if that's the only way we can do it without decreasing, you know, revenue, I guess I just think it's a it's a big liability for the town. I I'm also wondering, do other towns that have beaches, are they all cash? Do we know? Has anybody looked into that? It's it's there are some areas that will accept uh cashless payment. Uh but most of them are accepting cash speeches. Yes.

Uh question. Uh Wendy, maybe you can help answer this. Um is there a reason why there it's not Monday and Tuesday if if we're charging for Wednesday? No, not enough lifeguards. We can only charge when there's lifeguards on duty. Okay. Thank you. And unfortunately, kids don't want to be lifeguards these days. Weird, isn't it? get paid to sit on the DJ, watch the water. Um, so I have a question on that. Um, the tax. So if you're giving out the passes, is that how you pay the tax? Yeah, that that's because uh they put a 7% sales tax on last year on all parking fees,

right? But I'm saying so if you sell if you give out 20 passes, that's you're paying tax on those 20. Correct. So that the technically the parking fee is the $1869 and but the the the tax comes back to the town. We have to account for it upstate and they send us a check back. Yes. Okay. Yeah. That's efficient, isn't it, though? You can you can blame you can you can blame slashthank Mayor Smiley for that because he didn't want to pass general revenue sharing and get himself $6 million. He did taxes on parking fees and got three. How'd that work out? Anyways, is there a proposal to approve the uh new Sandy Point proposed parking fees

and stickers and parking passes for residents as well from two to three and parking passes for residents from two to three. Second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I

opposed. Motion passes 6 to zero. Next up, the uh approval of the letter support for Bristol in their litigation against uh Ryland Turnpike Bridge Authority. It's actually a it's a request from the their their lawsuit is against uh them not following the Freedom of Information Act or access to public records. So, this was the letter that was put together based on our conversation two meetings ago. Two meetings ago. Yeah. Any questions or concerns? Anybody okay with it? Is there a motion to approve? So moved. Second. All those in favor?

I opposed. Motion passes six to zero. And finally, new business number seven, presentation and submission for review of the town administrator's proposed budget fiscal year. We are going to review uh opening statements and then also review the revenues. Let's wait for Kathy to bring up the brief.

Mr. Can I just uh we take a fivem minute recess if you don't mind just to allow. Thank you. I'm doing everything.

So you can you can leave it right there. No. Okay, folks. We're going to get back going here. Uh Mr. Rainer, fire away, sir.

All right. Good evening again. Um this presentation I'm about to present uh outlines the town's proposed fiscal year 27 budget. Uh just as a disclaimer, the since the LA or since the budget was first developed, uh we did receive updated information on state housing aid. So as a result, the proposed levy increase was reduced from 3.95% to approximately 3.03. We've also incorporated adjustments to assess property values following recent property owner meetings, resulting in an updated tax rate. This proposal reflects a balanced general fund budget of approximately $79.1 million, representing a 2.6% overall increase. This budget has been developed over the past nine months with a focus on fiscal discipline, maintaining essential services, and building potential capacity to manage long-term obligations. We have worked to absorb significant cost pressures, particularly in health care, while limiting overall growth in both municipal and school spending. Overall, this proposal reflects a deliberate and responsible approach to balancing service needs with the impact on taxpayers. Next slide. So, here's the schedule moving forward. The public hearing will be on June 10th and final adoption is scheduled for June 22nd. Next slide, please. The proposed fiscical year 27 general fund budget is approximately, as I said, $79.1 million, representing a 2.6% increase over last year. The proposed tax rate is $9.85 per thousand, which reflects a 25.8% decrease over this current year to the re due to the recent revaluation. The total levy increase is approximately 3.03% 03% which remains below the state cap and generally in line with or below current inflation. Actually below

current inflation. This budget supports education, municipal services, public safety and capital investments. Next slide, please. So in this slide, we compare the current residential tax burden across Rhode Island municipalities based on median home values. As you can see, Portsmith falls in the middle third of communities statewide and is just about at the median. That positioning has been relatively consistent and reflects a balanced approach to maintaining services while managing the impact on taxpayers. Next slide, please. This chart shows that Portsouth's current residential tax rate falls in the middle range and remains competitive among Rhode Island municipalities, which is consistent with what we saw previously in terms of the overall tax burden. Next slide. When we compare specifically to full service communities, i.e. those communities that operate a professional police, professional fire, public works, and school systems, Portsouth's residential tax rate remained in the middle range. Next slide. And what this slide shows is uh Rhode Island municipalities broken out by median household income. Portsouth is among the higher inome communities in the state. This provides important context when comparing tax burden and service levels across municipalities as higher income communities often have different service expectations and cost structures. Next slide, please. And as you can see here, Portsouth ranks among the top 10 municipalities in Rhode Island by median household income. This places us among a group of peer communities that typically have similar budgetary needs and constraints. Next slide. This view looks at median family income, which is another way to understand relative economic conditions across communities. Portsouth again falls among the higher income municipalities, reinforcing the importance of comparing

ourselves to similar peer communities when evaluating service levels and tax burden. Next slide, please. Portsouth is also among the top five communities of the top 10 in Rhode Island for median house family income, reinforcing our position among peer communities with similar focus on balance, quality of service, and fiscal responsibility. Next slide, please. This slide outlines the primary drivers behind the fiscal year 27 budget. One of the most significant changes since our January discussion is the increase in health care costs. We were initially planning a much lower increase but in late March we were notified that health care health insurance premiums would increase by approximately 16.5% which uh with dental increasing by over 9%. This was not anticipated in our initial projections and represents a major cost driver in this year's budget. As a result, the school department's appropriation requests increase from approximately 2.5 to 2.9%. On the municipal side, we worked to absorb these increases where possible and made the decision to defer certain capital improvement requests in order to remain within the state levy cap. More broadly, this budget reflects a careful effort to manage rising operating costs while continuing to invest in critical infrastructure. At the same time, the pressure to remain under the levy cap limits how much additional capacity we can build this year to prepare for anticipated debt service associated with the pending school bond uh in FY28 which will require continued attention in future budgets. Next slide. These are the four components that determine the tax rate. So you start with spending and what it takes to deliver services. Then you look at revenues which we can offset from other sources. The tax base determines how the levy is distributed and it all

operates within the constraints like the tax cap. Next slide. This slide shows how our proposed expenditures are distributed across major service areas. Education, public safety, and public works together account for nearly 85% of the budget. This reflects the core services the town provides in the areas where most resources are committed. Next. So compared to the state average, we allocate more toward education and contribute more than the recommended contribution to the defined benefit plan. At the same time, we carry lower debt service. Our pay and benefit obligations are lower and we conduct and execute leaner operations that reflects both our priorities and a disciplined approach to spending. The next slide. This slide narrows the comparison to similar municipalities. As you can see, Portsmouth's overall budget distribution is closely aligned with its peers. The largest categories, education, compensation, benefits, and operations are very consistent across communities. Horsemith is lower in debt service and compensation while purposely and strategically allocating more toward our pension obligation. Overall, this reflects a budget structure that is consistent with comparable communities. Next slide. This chart shows debt service as a percentage of the overall budget over time. As you can see, we've maintained our debt service within a relatively low range with a decline in recent years followed by some fluctuation. For fiscal year 27, current debt service is projected to decrease slightly to approximately 3.35% of the budget. This provides some near-term capacity as we prepare for the anticipated impact of the school bond beginning in FY28. The timing of how we build that capacity is important. To the extent that we

build less of it this year, a greater adjustment will be required next year. Next slide. Over the long term, debt service declines as existing obligations roll off, even with the possible addition of a new school bond. Next slide. So, this slide shows projected debt service over time, including the anticipated impact of the school bond beginning in FY28. The blue bar represents current debt service levels, while the green bars reflect projected anticipated levels if the bond is incorporated. As you can see, the debt service increases beginning in FY28, then stabilizes overtime and gradually declines as existing debt is retired. This projection demonstrates that even with the addition of the school bond, the town maintains a manageable long-term debt profile. The key consideration is the timing of that increase in the early years following the issuance, which will require continued attention as we move through future budgets. Next slide, please. This slide shows our fiscal year 27 capital improvement plan by department. Overall, this is a rest a restrained capital year. Most investments are focused on public works, recreation assets, and essential public safety equipment. Within DPW, the funding is largely directed towards equipment replacement and maintaining key town facilities. Recreation investments continue to focus on field improvements and park infrastructure used by the community. Public safety investments are more targeted this year, focused on equipment and safety upgrades rather than major capital expansions. Across the board, we pri prioritize maintaining existing assets and supporting core functions while deferring larger discretionary projects as we prepare for future financial obligations. Next slide. This chart here shows how roadway conditions change over time depending on funding levels. Today we're at a rating of nearly 72 which is considered

industrywide as satisfactory. At higher funding levels obviously we can improve conditions and at lower levels we would begin to see steady decline. So funding policy determines whether we maintain, improve or allow conditions to deteriorate. Next slide please. This shows how our roadway funding would be applied. The focus is on preventative maintenance and targeted repairs. Addressing issues early to extend pavement life. That approach avoids more costly reconstruction down the road and keeps the overall system in better condition. Next slide, please. This slide highlights the portion of the budget that is discretionary versus non-discretionary. For the next fiscal year, approximately 97% of the budget is non-discretionary, meaning it's committed to essential services, contractural obligations, debt service, and other required expenditures, which means only about 3% of the budget is discretionary. This provides important context as we discuss potential adjustments since changes to the overall budget largely involve areas that are either fixed or directly tied to service delivery. Next slide. This slide shows where the town's revenue comes from. Most of our revenue, nearly 85%, is derived from property taxes. This provides important context for the role the levy plays in supporting the overall budget. Next slide, please. So compared to the Rhode Island average, Portsouth receives less state aid and relies more on property taxes to fund local services. If we go to the next slide, we compare Portsmouth revenue structure to similar Rhode Island communities. Here you can see that the overall pattern is very similar. Property taxes are the primary revenue source across all these communities. Portsouth is slightly more reliant on property taxes. And that difference is largely explained by two factors. We receive somewhat less state aid and we have a smaller base of local

nonpropy tax revenues particularly from commercial activity. That means a greater share of our budget is supported by the property tax. So while the numbers are close, this helps illustrate the situ the structural factors that influence how our budget is funded. Next slide. As shown here, approximately 90% of the tax levy is derived from residential property with commercial and tangible property making up the remaining 10%. This reflects the structure of Porsche's tax base which is predominantly residential. As a result, changes in the levy are largely borne by residential taxpayers and our ability to offset those impacts through commercial growth is limited. Next slide, please. This slide compares Portsouth's property tax base to the state average. Portsouth has a has a higher share of residential value and a smaller share of commercial value than the statewide average. That provides stability, but it also means we have fewer alternatives to offset the property tax. Next slide. So, the proposed property tax levy, as I stated, increases 3.03% which remains within the state's 4% cap. This results in a margin of approximately $633,000 under the statutory limit and represents potential capacity within the current fiscal year to plan for a probable FY28 debt service liability. Next slide. This slide summarizes our collection rates and distribution of the tax levy by property t property class. Collection rates remain strong and consistent across all classes. The overall levy, as I stated, increases by 3.3% but the distribution reflects changes in assessed values. In particular, commercial valuations decline by approximately 13% which results in a greater share of the levy being carried by residential property. This is a function of the revaluation, not a

policy shift in how the levy is applied. Just to clarify, the levy determines how much property tax revenue the town raises overall. The tax rate is simply how the levy is distributed across the property values. So when values shift as they did in this recent revaluation, the distribution changes, but the levy itself is what drives total re revenue. This slide shows how the levy is derived from assessed values and the proposed tax rates. The total proposed levy is just over 67 million and remains well under the state tax cap. Next slide. This slide shows the change in tax rates year-over-year. The decrease in the residential and commercial tax rates reflects the results of the time townwide revaluation which is conducted every nine years to align assessed values with current market conditions. It's important to note again that while the rate is decreasing, individual tax bills will vary depending on how a property's assessed value changed relative to the overall market. Properties that increase less than the average will see a decrease in minimal ch or minimal change. And those that increase more than the average will see either a minimal change upward or a significant increase. Generally about 4,400 tax bills uh will receive no change or a lower tax. Uh and 4,600 tax bills will receive a higher tax next year. This slide puts the proposed budget in the context of current inflation. With inflation running between 3.3 and three nationwide and 3.6 for the Northeast, both municipal and school spending are below that level despite significant external cost pressures. At the same time, the revaluation resulted in a significant uh increase in assessed property values, which is what drives the corresponding decrease in the tax

rate. Next slide. This slide shows the relationship between property values and taxes over time. While median home values have increased significantly, nearly doubling over 20 years, the associated tax burden has grown more modestly. Even after adjusting for inflation, tax growth remains well below both property value growth and cumulative inflation, reflecting long-term restraint. Next slide, please. So this slide shows how our tax dollars are allocated across the services the community relies on every day. The largest share supports our schools followed by public safety, police, fire, and emergency medical services. Public works includes roads, snow removal, and maintaining town facilities. And the remaining categories support general government operations, capital improvements, and debt service. These are the core services that define what we provide as a full-ervice community. Next slide. Here we can see how the real estate levy is distributed. So most of your real estate or the taxes on your home properties support direct services. This includes obviously education, safety, and critical infrastructure. Next slide. So this slide shows how each dollar of residential tax revenue in this proposal will be distributed. Just over half of each dollar, about 54 cents, supports the school department. Public safety, including police and fire, accounts for roughly 23 cents combined, and public works and general government make up most of the remainder. The remaining balance of just over 6 cents supports capital improvements, debt service, and all other community programs. So, in summary, this slide summarizes the proposal. It's balanced and

discipline. It protects core services. It absorbs significant cost pressures and it reflects the reality that most of the budget is fixed and largely largely residentially funded while providing potential to position us for what's coming ahead. So with that, Mr. President, uh we can move on to revenues. Well, I'll start with any questions on the presentation. Do you need to make adjustments to revenues based on what we discussed this evening? Specifically, you're going to make some changes to Prudence Island. Yeah. So, we can run through everything and then we can make the changes and approve her revenues tomorrow night.

Yeah. Uh I mean there have been some decisions made tonight that are going to reflect be reflected in uh the overall budget. Mhm. Um and the enterprise funds uh and we will present those uh on we'll start obviously tomorrow I'll give you some updated figures on the revenues. So look for instance tonight we'll go through revenues uh but we won't uh do prudence island revenues. We'll do that tomorrow night and then we can kick into the expenditures. Okay. Mr. Gre, you have a question on the presentation? Yes, I do. Uh Tom Greet 110 drive. I'm just curious what size bond uh it wasn't on the slide. Did you assume in the the blue and yellow blue and green chart?

That's a great question. I I went with worst case scenario in my mind 35 million. Uh I know that the stage two uh and the uh memorializing resolution went up to 41 or 42 million. We know we're not going to go that high. Uh so I'm just it'll be up to the council in the future. I just So, thank you very much. Yeah, that that 35 million represents about $1.5 million in debt service. Let's say it's uh $31 million. I think it goes down to 1.2. Uh yeah. So, just being conservative.

Thank you, sir. All right. Would you like to roll through revenue? Any other questions for We have a hand up. Sorry, Mr. Wilson. Thank you very much. Uh, I really enjoyed the presentation tonight and I'm here to learn. Uh, I have some comments uh that I put into a letter that was distributed to council members. Mr. Wilson, can I just stop you real quick? Um, if you could just give your obviously your name and address here, Wilson, but course. Thank you. Your address is I'm gonna guess 235 Blackpoint Lane or 735.

735 Blackpoint Lane. U my wife and I are 14-year part-time residents. Uh we love and support our community and we feel quite privileged to have a small property and a 1954 non-reodeled cottage on the water. It's quaint and we love it and we love the town. Uh here to learn tonight and I have some comments that I distributed uh overnight. Perhaps you've seen them. Uh tried to get them to you early. Uh but as I'm sure you all know, there's been a significant change in this year's updated uh uh property appraisals by vision appraisals. Uh the proposed town budget shows uh what I showed before was a 39 increase uh 39% increase. Tonight it looks like it's 37%. But uh by comparison, I took a look at what Portsmith only real estate values have increased during that same 3-year period. That was only 10%. And I realize that the total assessed value would include new properties, but there seems to be quite a disparity there. Uh the assessed values in our neighborhood uh that vision is showing have gone up by more than 20% above uh other market uh indicators like Zillow. And we've never seen that before. Something's changed with vision, and I can't seem to figure out what it is. Uh we would suggest that the council pause the establishment of the new property tax assessment and tax rate until an independent appraiser can take a good look at the vision process and their algorithms. Uh perhaps if that takes too long, we can do some reasonable adjustment to prior years, but there seems to be something way out of sync with the vision appraisals this year. The apparent huge overstatement in appraise at assessed values, I should say appraise values by vision, has caused the proposed property rate to drop by 10%. Have we ever seen such a tax rate drop in Portsouth before? Uh, I I don't think so. If my concerns are

correct, the vision process could be flawed. And I believe it would be irresponsible and unfair to present some residents with a false tax break while unfairly and incorrectly inflating other residential taxes before taking a good independent look of the vision conclusion by qualified experts. Please show slow down the budget process and get this important set of values right. Many in our town will be unfairly impacted both ways if we move ahead too quickly. Now, I understand more than 700 owners met with vision uh over the last few weeks regarding their appraisals. And to the best of our knowledge, the town has not yet mailed detailed responses or revised uh values, assessment values to homeowners. I understand they're going out this week. But in order for the budget and property tax process to remain open and fair, owners should have time to review these responses before town meetings and certainly before the town finalizes budgets. Again, we respectfully ask the town council to pause this process. I've asked if there's an electronic searchable database that residents and town council members can use to evaluate the vision process. And I asked that during our vision meeting and I was directed to a I think 6inch thick binder in Mr. Hellfan's office and he was quite helpful by the way. Uh that reminded me of technology that was in place when our 1954 cottage was built and uh Matt suggested that there was a recent sale on Indian Avenue. It was the primary reason for the big increases in in values of homes. U we uh you know we have an unreodeled 1,800 foot home. We're not here to talk about our specifics tonight, but the Indian Avenue property was completely remodeled. It's on a town service road, and I have a typo on my letter to you all. It was sold for 8.5 million. Uh Vision's assessed value of that property has dropped to 3.6 million. It's a 2acre parcel. It's recently updated. It has a

private beach. It's fabulous. It's more like a high-end resort. And someone had an emotional uh attachment to that property and really overpaid even by vision standards. So, we don't think that 8.5 million really should be driving uh our tax uh numbers uh across across the board. Also, uh my understanding from the division folks is we're only supposed to be looking at sales within a year of the uh 123125 revaluation. And uh again, Matt was extremely helpful. He provided me with a list of uh sales during the period that were used by vision. And unfortunately, I saw that there were quite a few that were outside of that one-year uh limit, and I'm kind of curious as to why we're doing that. Now, there are a couple of other points beyond the vision uh specific valuation that I think the town needs to be considering. You know, the state passed a coastal access law back in 2023. In our case, about 6,000 ft of our property or over 20% uh basically now has an easement that really lowers the value of our property and limits the peaceful enjoyment of the property due to privacy issues. And since it's about 20% of our land, it seems like that easement ought to be recorded and it ought to be considered by Vision. They confirmed they hadn't considered that. In our limited analysis of Vision's assessments of waterfront property, we're seeing increases of over 100%. And that's not just us. That's quite a few properties. That's a huge increase, doubling of of value in three years. That's not what the market did the last three years. With the negative impact of the state regulated public easement and this new uh uh waterfront assessment, it seems that the waterfront value should be lower, not twice as high. So, that seems very strange. Finally, we just received a new tax bill, which I'm sure you're aware of. Again, we we love the town. We're happy to be non-residents and contribute, but the state has come

up with a new way of taxing us. We have a a a state tax bill that goes to only non-resident owners. The non-resident state tax uh uses the old assessment. In other words, last assessment, it increased our taxes 15%. Our property taxes would go up by 15%. If we use the vision current assessment with a 100% increase, our our taxes will go up by 30%. which is a huge increase. So we just kind of see these two the sorry these two state laws one rendering reducing security and privacy and the other increasing tax burdens impacting the value of of our property and many others in town. And it just doesn't seem that vision took this into account at all. So, for all the reasons above, my wife and I respectfully ask that the town council pause the budget process until uh thoughtful and fair addressing of these material issues can be done. Now, while we're part-time residents, we spend several months a year and love our time in Portsouth, and we welcome opportunities to give back to our second community. We try to be good stewards of our home and as part-timers, we ask for far lessened services. We love the Portsmith community. The new taxes and laws are really a challenge for us and we do wonder if the broader Rhode Island community loves us back. We do remain optimistic, however, that you on the council will reach thoughtful and fair resolutions of our concerns soon. And as always, we very much thank you for your service and your consideration.

Thank you very much for your comments, Mr. Wilson. I I can say that we we can't stop the budget process because we do have to have a budget in place by July 1st. Um waterfront properties across the board went up. Waterfront sales have gone up a lot. Generally speaking, we do these re-evaluations and 33% of people's taxes go up, 33% stay about the same, and 33% go up. It's or down. I just went down. Thank you. Thank you for keeping an eye on me, Charlene. Um I I can tell you from looking at your particular property, it was the property value that went up the most, not the cost of your house. So it's the cost if you were to sell your property, which unfortunately is happening in town where people are buying houses and knocking the house down and building a brand new one on it. So it was the value of your land and not the value of the house that in that triggered your large increase. But in terms of stopping the budget process, we cannot do that at this point in time. On to revenues. Go to the budget page and we see the executive summary based on current revenue projections and proposing a general fund budget of approximately 79,96,18. We realize this is going to change but as it stands right now it represents a 2.598%

increase in the overall budget year. The proposed tax levy as we stated 3.03% which remains within the state of approximately $633,000. As discussed earlier in the presentation, the tax rate has been adjusted downward to reflect updated assess values following the recent subsec. The levy itself remains unchanged. Mr. um town administrator, is your mic on? It is now.

Thank you. Um so if we go to uh page nine, please. Um we'll move on to the revenue section of the budget. So page nine, uh, this outlines the assumptions and sources that supported the proposed FY27 budget. At a high level, our revenue structure remains unchanged. The town uh, continues to rely primarily on property taxes, which account for approximately, as I've stated, 85% of total revenue. The remaining revenues come from state aid and various local sources. Again, it's important to note that while assessed property values increased as part of the recent revaluation, the levy itself is controlled by statute. That means the overall amount we raise in property taxes is limited regardless of changes in individual property values. What the revaluation does is redistribute how that levy is shared among taxpayers based on updated market values. Outside of property taxes, most other revenue categories remain relatively flat. We have incorporated updated state aid figures including housing aid which resulted in a reduction to the originally proposed levy. So overall this is a conservative revenue estimate designed to support the budget while minimizing w risk. So you can either follow the bottomline numbers here on page nine or track along with me starting on page 14. So on pages 14 and 15, these pages show how the tax levy is calculated, including the certified tax role by class, the proposed tax rate per thousand of assessed value, and the anticipated collection rate. As I stated, the estimated collection rate remains strong at 97.75% consistent with recent actual performance. If we go to page 16, we have tax revenue. So after accounting

for uncollectible allowances and adding pr-rated taxes, payment in lie of taxes pilots and prior year collections, projected gross tax revenue is 67 thou 67,51,855, representing a 3.08% increase over the current year. Page 18, please. Here we go. So, state aid is projected at $8,29,786, which is a slight decrease overall. This reflects updated housing aid projections updated after the budget was initially developed.

Sorry, Mr. Grief, you have a question on the the property tax or the state revenue aid?

State state aid. Um Tom Grieve, 110 Third Drive. Um I also uh found that the state housing aid uh from the recent bond was not in the budget. However, when I calculated what the correct number should be, I did not get the $725,000 figure now budgeted. The original $137,000 is correct for the old bonds. If you look at page 74 of the budget, the fiscical year 26 debt service for the 22 bond bond was 1,429,000. 45% of that is $643. It's $1,000. Adding the 137,000 and the uh 643,000 together, we should be getting $780,000 in state reimbursement next year. The budgeted 7 to25 is 55,000 below that. However, that 780,000 does not include any catchup money for when we pay debt when we paid debt service, but did not get reimbursed because the project had not yet been completed. Some of that money um was budgeted last year. I will save time by not going through the calculations I did, but I conservatively calculated we should get approximately $60,000 for catchup in fiscal year 27. That would raise the total to be budgeted to $840,000, which is $115,000 more than is presented in this budget. I'd suggest that the council have the state aid calculations reviewed and presented to you in detail before approving this line in the budget

tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Griev. I know uh Mr. Dario goes through this line by line and stays on top of ride to make sure we're getting all the dollars that we're supposed to. And some of the money that may have been in there as well was tied to the roof repair. And I don't know if we're getting that this year or next year um for the high school, but we will ask Mr. Dear. I I was I was speaking solely about the debt service for the 2022. Okay. Bond to look into it. Is that excuse Mr. Mr. Ree, is that a school bond item? Because it is missing from what I can see. We didn't get reimbursed for that.

For what? uh the um pay the catch up when you bond is silent. We get the the housing aid is part of the payment for what we're owed on the school bond. We will ask them to look into to see if there's any more. All right. Do I have to make a motion we invest have that investigated? All right. It's already been done. All right. I I have another question on page and 18. Um, as far as state aid, is there a um reimbursement for the uh road repairs? The road reimbursement fund that gives us back money, but I didn't see it listed anywhere. Is that under just a general state aid? There's it's not a reimburse. It's

revenue from road reimbursement, but I think that's what they call it. Yeah, I I didn't see that listed. the the Rhode Island Road program, what the heck you call Rhode Island Road Program. Where would that be? That's in the actual DPW road improvement. Um, and is it listed as such? It's not in state aid. It's netted against the road improvements and we can break that out for you, but it is in road improvements. All right. And it's not state and we don't really have any place. Do we have any place that we list federal aid? because we're going to get we're going to get FEMA money that we're going to get have received from the federal government and

we may get FEMA money. Um well, we'll know because Dave Gleason and I are on the water board and they're working with the town to to get this money. We we may get FEMA aid. We can't when it does, I'd like the council shall be notified. Yep. And so that the funds received and provided with a detailed list of how the how it's going to be distributed for council approval. Can we do that? I mean, when it comes in, we have to decide where it goes because it's new funds, right? When it comes in, it goes back against I mean, the biggest cost driver was overtime and and DPW So it would go to offset those costs. It would if it came in after July

last year's budget that have to go into a contingency for if it went if it came in as a unexpected revenue would just come in as a surplus and be added into the budget. Okay. Can we be be made aware of that when it comes in? Okay. Of course we'll be made aware of it. I mean, I just I wouldn't feel comfortable putting in a FEMA aid number of $100,000 and it doesn't show there's a a spot in this where it would go procedural thing, too. Okay. All right. Thanks, Mr. McD.

What is the normal time frame for something like that? Is there a you you tell me. Is there anything normal with the federal government? No. It could be six months. It could be a year and a half, two years. It could be a year. It could be longer. Yeah. And I'm just going by Ray nodding in the back. He he handles that. So it there there is no normal with the federal government, especially this one that we're currently dealing with.

Yeah. All right. Mr. Rainer, continue on, please. Sure. Uh so if we uh go just below uh state aid on page 18, we'll start department revenues. Uh outside property taxes and state aid, most local revenue categories remain relatively flat with modest adjustments based on recent activity and trends. So these estimates are intentionally conservative to ensure stability and avoid over reliance on variable revenue sources. So from here I'll walk through the department revenues beginning with the town clerk. Real estate transfer uh fee revenues remain steady and we are maintaining the projection at $550,000 consistent with current trends. Overall, town clerk revenues are projected to remain relatively flat year-over-year with minor adjustments across categories based on recent activity. These estimates reflect a more normalized market compared to the elevated activity seen in prior years. and we are projecting uh 842,500 in total town clerk revenue or a 06 uh increase over fiscal year 26. If we go to page 19 at the top of the page we have finance. Uh within finance revenue we have interest income uh projected at 400,000 which is consistent with current balances and prevailing rate conditions. We have held this f this estimate level year-over-year reflecting more stable interest rate environment following the increases seen over the past several years. Other finance revenues remain minimal and are projected flat. Overall, finance revenue is stable and based on current performance and conservative assumptions. We project $46,000 in finance revenue next year.

Mr. Grie, you want to make a comment about where we're staying on? Yeah, I was just going to first just um

just qu you said it's conservatively uh funded. Is that why we've gone from like 536,24 554 and the only interest we're getting now is $400,000 that we're presenting it. I mean, is that to stay on the safe side or is there actually potential to make more on the interest? So conservatively, I decided to keep this at 400,000 this year. In FY26, I did increase um the interest income by almost 250,000. Um in prior years before 24, interest income was quite low. I'd say below 100,000. So I'm trying to be conservative. I'm not sure what's going to happen with the rate cuts or anything of that nature come next year. Um 254 midway through the year. Um, could we receive more to up to 500 this year? Yes. Yes. But I'm trying to be conservative. I don't want to lose out on 100,000.

I know it was asked to that we look into um coupon CDs. That is something that I have looked into. I have not been able to progress it until I have some time on my hands. Would you be able to say like how many funds were invested in ballpark? I mean 220 this is solely interest income. Yeah. Um I could look into TD and see what is being invested but this is just money that is in our um general fund. Okay. It's just that there's no okay investment of right

other than the interest directly. Okay, thank you. Aa scre

Tom Greb 110 third drive. Um uh it was discovered in the the last audit that the money from the various funds like special revenue funds resides in the general fund. We were told this makes it easier to invest the money and track it which is quite reasonable. The audit showed $23.5 million in cash or equivalents in this fund at the at the as of last June. I understand that the amount will fluctuate over the year um as we spend money, get tax receipts, etc. The audit of the previous June showed around $20 million in these funds. So these funds are growing year-over-year. The following are recent yields for various instruments appropriate to these funds. Money market 3.25 to 4%. High yield savings 4 to 4.2% US treasuries under one year 3.8%. And this is the the the the big one. Local government investment pools like the Fidelity Ocean State Investment Pool was paying 3.61%. At 2% $23.5 million will will provide 4.7 I'm sorry $470,000. at 3% 78,000 and at 4% 940,000. The water company has invested their similar funds in lattered treasuries and CDs. We get money monthly fund reports and that and they have earned over 4

almost 4% in the last year. It's clear that rates substantially above 3% are quite reasonable to obtain. If you very conservatively assume the town average is about $20 million in that cash fund and equivalence and gets only 3% interest, at least $600,000 should be budgeted. The council asked for an investment plan for these funds several months ago. Uh, this is the time to insist on one and budget accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Gre. I look forward to my water bill going down with all that money you're making at the water board. Oh, we got we got we've got it is being worked on, but budget is coming first. Mr. Seen is we did ask for it at one point to to look into investing. I think we could be a little bit more aggressive than we are cuz we're probably only getting what about 1% 1 and a.5% on the money and there's a lot of safe places that you can invest money and not tie it up for long periods. Is that something we can look at? I think we asked for that at one point. It is being looked at. Yes.

Okay. Is still being looked at. If if there are line items in this budget that you would like to change, you make a motion to change the line item. If you say, "I would rather see $525,000 in there," you can say that. Okay? If it's not realized, then we're in trouble. That's why our finance director is asking to be conservative. If if more money is generated, how do we how do we realize that? not until the the

we realize it on the end of June when the audit is done and then we say okay I mean if if simple numbers say that 254 was through the end of the year then we're going to have about 500 and we're going to be about $100,000 over that line item at the end of the year. No, I was just looking at the um you know 6 months is 254,000. So that's about 508. So it doesn't carry across. That was my only question. We went, you know, from 7125 to 123125 made again $254,000. If you want to raise it to 500,000, you can make a motion to raise it to 500. I'd like to make a motion to raise it to 508,000. Okay. Is there a second?

I'll second for discussion.

Okay. With the interest rate environments going down, I'm a little concerned about raising it that much. But if the council wants to go there and raise it that much, it'll just come off the top of the uh uh tax burden and then, you know, make the tax levy potentially go down to 9.84. I don't know if it's going to be that much, but about a penny for every 60 or $70,000. Any further discussion? Uh, can I just make a recommendation? We just settle in the middle at 450. I think I think there's more room there, but I think I I like the Kayla's conservative approach. So, if you're going to change it at all, I wouldn't go all out.

All right. So, would you like to amend his motion to 450 or would you like to amend your motion? I'll amend my motion and make it 450 for that. But I think in the future we should be looking at more aggressive investment procedures. There he is again. Miss Mcdal, I don't know. I I I do think that I mean the the track record is over 500,000 for the last and probably this year too. This um when we get done. Do we have anything Kayla up until now? Do you know? Like sometimes I I have those in the uh

finance report. Yeah, sometimes I look at that and I didn't look at that. Do you have any idea up until now? As of March 31st, 366,000 366. Well, I I would love to to increase it just because of P, you know, the record that 100,000, but I would um I guess I would be agreeable to anything that I can get the vote for. But um

well, before you agree to anything, there's a motion on the table to get it at 450. If it is currently 366, three three quarters through the year that it should settle around 488. I'm using round numbers here. Yeah, I I prefer to be conservative than No, I I understand then being here next year looking at ways to shift money around to cover expenses or No. So, the motion is to to what what's the number? The motion is to move it to 450 50,000 450,000 to increase it by 50. Correct.

Correct. Mr. Gre Tom Gre 110 third drive I I want to the emphasis should be on making sure that it's invested properly rather than the actual amount of money that you're going to get. Um that's the the the the key to making it right now at $500,000 and assuming a $20 million um uh fund, you're talking a 2 and a.5% interest rate. the Ocean State investment um pool that is you can go to the the treasur the Rhode Island treasurer's website and he says this is a good investment for these things in Rhode Island. It matches all of the Rhode Island rules and so forth. It's getting more than 1% more than that. It's getting 3.61%. And both of these numbers are past numbers. The the n the 500 is what you know what we're getting up to this point in the fund and the other is the same. So it's at least 1% higher if you invest it properly regardless of what the number you actually choose is. That's the key thing this council needs to do.

Understood. It's being worked on. Well, there's a motion and a second to change the interest income revenue line item to $450,000, which would change the finance total to $456,000. And of course, the revenue number would change by 50,000 and we could reduce the need for property tax by 50,000. Miss Blank.

Um I feel we should be more fiscally conservative. Uh and there's always the addition that could come and leaning on professionals who have a degree in finance. Um I think is responsible in my opinion. Thank you. Okay. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes 5 to one with Miss Blank in the negative tax collector revenue. Okay. Could I could I just make um

a statement or a motion just to follow this up just so that doesn't it, you know, fall off the cliff. I I'd like to make a motion to have the town administrator and the finance director present our current investment strategy and present a future investment plan going forward as soon as possible. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes six to zero. Tax collector, sir. Yep. Beverishly taking notes. Okay.

On that same page, the tax collector revenues are projected to remain generally consistent with the current year. Most of the revenue is derived from penalties, interest, and lean related fees, which tend to be stable based on historical collection activity. So overall, we are projecting a slight increase or $262,550 in revenue, but the category remains relatively level year-over-year. Go to page 20. At the top of the page, we see building related revenues. Uh building official related revenues are projected at 824,000 for fiscal year 27. While this represents an increase over the current budget, the estimate is consistent with recent actual performance and aligns closely with the 2-year average. This projection is based on known activity including projects already approved and in the pipeline uh rather than speculative growth. And below that we have planning uh planning related revenues are projected uh at approximately $44,000 for fiscal year 27 which is consistent with the current year. These revenues are driven primarily by application and filing activity which can vary from year to year. This estimate reflects a conservative approach based on typical levels rather than higher one-time activity seen in prior years. We go to page 21. At the top of the page, we see police revenue. So, we are projecting police related revenues of $223,500, an increase of about $15,000 over last year. This change is primarily driven by traffic fine revenue which is being adjusted to better reflect recent actual observations. Most other categories remain flat or show only minor variation. As with prior years, these

projections are based on observed activity levels and do not assume any change in enforce enforcement practices. And just below that we have Harbor Master. Harbor master revenues of appro are projected at approximately $147,000 an increase of about $30,000 over last year. This increase is driven by the moing fee adjustment approved by the council in November and not by any change in usage or enforcement. So moing fines and other revenues remain consistent with prior years. At the top of page 22, um we have fire uh revenue. So here, ambulance revenue is projected at $134,000 consistent with fiscal year 26. This represents about 29% of total anticipated ambulance revenue with the majority continuing to be directed to the public safety capital fund. That fund supports major equipment purchases purchases such as fire apparatus and police vehicles, all fuel for the fire vehicles, their maintenance and ambulance billing fees. As those costs have skyrocketed in recent years, particularly the purchase of apparatus, we will gradually allocate more of this revenue to the public safety capital account to keep that capital program sustainable and reduce future reliance on borrowing or taxup supported funding. We'll skip over uh the prudence on transfer station. We can address that tomorrow or not.

Yes, Mr. Agree. Um why is it 134134? Yeah, exactly. Hello. What? If you'd like to come up and say something, come up and say something. Don't yell out in the back of the room, please. No, that that was the question. It's obviously a mistake here. It's answered, but it was as eloquently as it could be answered. I'm sorry, Mr. rate if you could. No, it's a as long as as long as you recognize it's going to be corrected. I don't I don't It's not going to be corrected. It's the number is the number. It's based on the 29% of the billing revenues. No, no, no. Each each of the last three numbers are exactly the same down to the $94. Yes. That can't possibly be.

Okay. It's probably going to be less because I was just informed that we have less traffic accidents and there's less people going to the hospital, which I think is a great thing. which is why the traffic fines are up so they balance each other out. Mr. You want to try to explain it better? We're programming that much money. We just level funded it. We're programming that much money into the general fund from this revenue source.

Generally speaking, 29% goes to the general fund. We're trying to reduce the reliance on this revenue because of all the skyrocketing costs for the purchase of apparatus and maintenance of those vehicles and fuel in the public safety capital account. That's all purchased through that account. So, we're all the revenue outside of the 134,000, you know, the level funded $94 will be going into the public safety capital fund. That's all that we're saying. Okay. Um, it's just being level funded from last year.

You don't level fund revenue. It's a it's a percentage of the total revenue. So, it's being level funded. So, this year it's 29%. Next year it might be 26 based on these numbers and the rest is going into the capital improvement plan for the public safety. So, do you have that someplace else where the amount that's going into the capital improvement plan? Yeah. Everything else, all the ambulance revenue comes in 139,000 or 34, 94 will go into this revenue line. Everything else will go into the the public safety capital fund.

Okay. But you you don't project that then. You don't have a number that you don't you haven't projected that number. We have not projected that number. I mean, I'm sure he could provide that what he anticipates that number is going to be, but all that all that money goes into a restricted account. And all right, it was set up six years ago. Six, five years. It's been a number of years. Yes. since last year.

No, but the explanation just was is we're putting more of that money to the capital improvement rather than into supporting the general fund of the budget to help defay the costs of the now used to be $500,000 engine and is now 750 or a million. I I'm I'm not wrestling with the logic. I can understand what you're doing. I'm wrestling with the accounting of it because money is coming in and I want to know how it's being accounted for. We're only accounting for 13 39,000 here. Where are we accounting for the other part? And that I'll find I'll find out now that I know how it's being handled. I can go look myself.

It's in the public safety capital improvement plan revenue.

Okay, we're skipping prudence island because we're going to change that for tomorrow. recreation. Here we're projecting revenues of 336,900 increase this year. This is being driven by continued strong participation across a wide range of programs and facilities including camps beach. Our largest revenue source in this line remains camps and programs. The widely diversified this approach to appeal to a wide spectrum. We are hoping that this will help revenue stabilize and become more predictable year even as individual programs fluctuate. And then we have rental and other. So we are projecting approximately $62,175 in rental this house.

Miss McDow.

Yep. I just um have a question going back to recreation um parks and recreation. So in the actual for um 2025 we were $57,000 short in the um in the approved for 2026. It appears that we could possibly be um $150,000 short. Correct. Now, where are you now, Kayla? Do you have a number?

So, looking at the uh camps and recreation March, yeah, fees for March, we're at 102,000. Okay. I mean that those that's significant, right? The last couple of years that that shortage. Wow. I think I don't know. We have Well, I mean, I guess

those fees are generally just used to cover the cost of running the programs. So, if 20 kids sign up, the 20 kids cover the cost of that program. I know with the addition of Ellen down there and and Wendy's um help, I hope we can raise those numbers, but the recreation department revenue basically pays for the recreation department. It's not going to offset the budget or taxes. Um I have a question. Um so on the same recreation U Brownhouse, is that the rentals of the space upstairs?

It's a rental. Yes. So you have uh one two three four four units plus a 10% retainer. So uh that is the rental and the retainer. Okay. Thank you. Mr. Cle, I just have a question on the uh Glenn Mayor House. There's a little dip in the income. Is that just being conservative or are we actually losing events down there? It's feel for that.

It's a little bit of both. not so much losing uh but based on everything that's been going on, people are scaling back their numbers, so they're inviting less people. Uh we had a meeting with Glenn Manor House today to discuss this. They're going to be working with us to look for other ways to increase that revenue, but it's it's impossible to project that right now. Okay. So, you're still seeing the same amount of events, but just less participants to make money from. Okay. Thank you.

Yeah. I I mean I know of people who are looking to book weddings and they're out till end of October of next year, but like Mr. Rainer said, less people going at 100 120 300 bucks ahead starts getting very expensive for a wedding. Miss McDow in the um the Melville Pond Campground that the revenue seems to be going going down every year. What do we know anything about? That's unusual for campgrounds when I try to get into them.

Uh you're seeing the same thing happen here. Fuel costs are quite high. So while they they're maintaining a a very good level of reservations, um it's the the number the the length of the stays has been decreasing and they're not getting as much revenue as anticipated. Again, we we've had multiple meetings with Justin May and we'll be we will be working with him to also look for ways to increase that revenue, but this is the projection for now. Thank you,

Mr. Mr. H. Mr. Ree, just a quick one. Um, now, is this something that could be eliminated? Uh, the farmland, agricultural, didn't we get rid of all that land when we going to because we're going to make it into um soccer fields? No, there's there's still some Yeah, not everything has been gone. It's only Okay. a little bit. All right. Next. That's it. Nope. That's it. So, what we'll do is we will come back tomorrow. We'll give you uh Prudence Island updated revenue figures uh and updated expenditures because the tax rate and the levy will change slightly. And then we'll start from there.

Also, the other adjustments that were made this evening, correct? The $50,000, the prudence island transfer dee. Correct. Okay. And the uh curbside. All right. I have one other thing. Sure. I'd like to on page 70, which is recreation. Um and it's it's is it is it revenue related or expenditure related? Let's see. If it's expenditure, we'll hit it on Tuesday night, Wednesday night. The reason I'm just mentioning this is because I think it's going to take a little bit more because this this is recreation and this is um the proposed projects of um so is is this in the CI CIP then? Uh yes. Okay.

Um for example, all the things that want to go on down at Cogill Demo, baseball fields, Glen Park structures, etc. We need more detailed information on this. I mean this is this is u you know just not a description of what is actually happening there. We will be covering CIP in detail when we get to the CIP section. So you're going to explain it at that of course. No no but I sometimes I like to read these things ahead of time you know. All right. I'll try to get my questions ready. All right. You can also send them ahead of time. Just shoot an email and ask a question. All right. Correspondence. Is there anything anybody wants to pull off on correspondence?

Motion to receive and receive and place on file. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes by 6 to zero. We have our future meetings tomorrow night, Wednesday night at 7 p.m., Thursday if needed, and then our May 11th town council meeting uh here at 7 p.m. Any other meetings that anyone wants to schedule? Hopefully not. If not, a motion to adjurnn. So moved. Second. All those in favor? Oppos? Motion passes.