Town Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everybody and welcome to the third and hopefully final uh night of our budget hearings for the Porsche Town Council April 29th, 2026 meeting. Uh if you could please uh pay attention to where you came in, the door behind you or the door behind Mr. Reese and if there happens to be an emergency, we would evacuate the building orderly and head over to the school building and wait for further instructions from our first responders. Now, if you could all please join me in a pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence for our men and women in harm's way. Pledge 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 and justice for all. Thank you all. All righty. For those who weren't here last night, we made it through the school budget. the police fire deep.

We're all here. Even even Mr. Poe was here this evening. Have to say it for the record. Mr. Gleason here. Miss Blank here. Miss McDow here. Miss Patton here. Mr. Pera here. Mr. Reese here. Mr. Hamilton I am here.

Okay. Again, for those who weren't here last night, uh we made it through our police, fire, DPW, the school of harbor budget. Uh we also covered the sub sub budgets underneath the police and DPW. uh which are excuse me deplete uh snow removal, road improvement, harbor master, prudence island volunteer fire department, the prudence island public safety officer, animal control, and we approved the revenue as well. I think that covered everything we did last night. Oh, we we approved our budget and moved a couple things out of our budget into civic support. So, Mr. Rener,

good evening, Mr. President Council, ladies and gentlemen, uh just as a recap, following the votes by the council last night, um there were obviously some revisions made to the budget and we prepared those change pages for your uh packets tonight. Uh specifically, the expenses related to the police boat were deducted from the appropriate lines in the harbor master budget, uh which is page 51 of the budget that's been updated. So, uh, money has been taken out of boat fuel, docking fees, equipment, and boat maintenance. Uh, that amount total to $18,555, and this amount was added to the boat reserve fund. So, the total budget for the harbor uh, master remained the same. $18,555 was added to the appropriate lines in the police budget on pages 4748. So, boat fuel uh was added. Uh that amounted to $4,875. Docking fees were added uh that was $4,750. Equipment uh was added to by $1,300 and then a boat maintenance line was added at $7,630. So, that total budget increased by $18,555. So, the new bottom line for the police uh budget is now $8,530,224. Okay. So, we'll stop there. Do I have a motion to provisionally approve the new police department budget at $8,530,224?

So move. Second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 720. Uh we will probably have to make some revenue adjustments, but we'll wait till the end. Come to the end and then we'll go back.

All right. Uh the Prudence Island uh Prudence Island Volunteer Fire Department, that change uh which was already provisionally approved uh was made where we increased uh the Prudence Island chief and the personnel stipens to 4% over last year. Uh you did the same essentially for the EMA director salary that was increased by $1,000 to 50,319 uh and you provisionally approved that budget. Additionally uh you uh made a vote to move the Portsouth Education Foundation line uh and the amount in the postprom line in the town council budget and add those to the civic support budget. Uh and we will talk civic support later in the presentation tonight. Uh but you did provisionally approve the town council budget. And then lastly uh you did uh authorize a greater pay pay increase for the prudence island transfer station uh attendant uh and you had provisionally approved that budget as well.

So we didn't we didn't change the prudence island. We we changed EMA. EMA didn't we change the we didn't do change? No. strike that. I thought we did. We did not. I I had a note that we did. I'll strike it. Is that okay? All right. So, if we can move. So, there was no change done obviously. Okay.

So, uh if we can go to the town administrator budget on page 27. All right. So the uh proposed town administrator budget totals $398,493. Uh this represents a 6.07 increase over uh the current fiscal year. Uh the salary and benefits portion of the budget reflects a contractual and market driven adjustment. Specifically, the town administrator salary reflects a 2.5% contractual increase. The administrative line reflects a full year of funding following prior year vacancy. a prior year vacancy and backfill adjustments. Uh Barbara retired, there was vacancy, Rebecca was hired and that now is fully adjusted in this budget. The stipen line of $9,000 that reflects a one-time contractual payment associated with the completion of the final year of the administrator's contract. Overtime is increased uh slightly that reflects salary adjustments in the actual usage. Benefits increased by 7.31%. This is a constant drum beat throughout the entire budget. Uh this is driven by health insurance and then the associated increase in payroll taxes and retirement contributions tied to salary levels levels. Uh operational expenses uh dues and memberships essentially remain stable. Uh those dues and memberships include Rhode Island legal cities and towns, the international community managers association and local newspapers. office supplies are reduced to uh reflect actual usage and there's no new programs or operational expansions proposed. So, uh we're respectfully requesting provisional approval of $398,493 for the town administrator budget. Have any questions for the town administrator budget? If not, we have a

motion to provisionally approve at 398493. So move second. Mr. Gre, you have a question on town administrator's budget. Uh

Tom Gre 110 third third drive. Just a a comment. Um the League of Cities and Towns uh last time we asked them to come in and and talk and explain their support of a a bill that um eroded the 4% tax. Uh they also did not tell us what was going on with the zoning uh efforts that the the council is now trying to um unwind. Um, and I think we really need to follow the lead of the school department and cut our dues and memberships in half like they did and not renew the League of Cities and Towns. This is the second time they've done or not done something that um is harming the town. my thoughts. Thank you.

Thank you. Is a Mr. President, I just want to make sure we get the bottom line number right. It was 3989 9993. Is that correct? I have 493. It's 493. The bottom line. Okay. Got it wrong. Page 27 there.

You didn't because of the changes. Okay. My bad. Last night's packet. Got it. Okay. So there's a motion and a second. All those in favor I I oppose. Motion passes 7 to zero. Town clerk budgets. Next page covers page 2829. Uh this budget totals $559,677 represent. 61% last year. Salary benefits cost reflect track phone personnel driven adjustments salaries increase 4.87% uh driven by wage adjustments step changes longevity reflects eligible changes time year per year comparison benefits increase 7.88% again primarily by health uh operations overall uh decreased by 5.66% reflecting several targeted adjustments. Advertising is reduced to $11,000 aligning the budget with packable usage. Printing is reduced significantly reflecting lower cost volume document distribution practices. Postage increase to $8,000 as driven by mail on rate. Document processing remains level $50,000 to support annual code updates. eing software remains level 900 and just like last year short-term rental compliance remains from this budget continue to fund it. Um some other adjustments the compensation for municipal and proate court judges has increased slightly to 9,600 uh consistent require annual adjustments miscellaneous to better reflect tax.

So we are requesting provision approval of 559,677 for town budget. Any questions on the town clerk budget? Yes. Yes. Yes. So, um that longevity represents two people, three what what does that represent? Two people. Thank you. Any other questions? We have a motion to provisionally approve the town clerk's budget at $559,677. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I

I opposed. Motion passes 720. Canvasing.

Right. The proposed canvasing budget totals $43,760. Uh this is a 28.55% increase over fiscal year 26. Uh fiscal year 27 is a major election year uh which will include both statewide primaries and a general election along with expanded early voting uh which is required under the Rhode Island law. Uh personnel costs increased to support the full election cycle. So salaries increased 24.07% and that's being driven by uh contractual wage adjustments for the register and the register's clerk. uh a significant increase in temporary assistance to support early voting and election operations. Uh poll worker funding uh is uh funded and that reflects full staffing for both primaries uh and general elections and the increase overtime for election uh preparation uh is there to support training ex and extended operating hours. benefits increased 14.98%. Again, this is driven primarily by health insurance increases and higher tax payer higher payroll taxes associated with the increased temporary and seasonal staffing. The operating expenses increased almost 71% reflecting the scale of a full election year. So, printing increases to $23,000 that's being driven by required mailings, including local ballot explanations, ballots, envelopes, and election materials. Uh, and then prior experience showing that costs approaching this level uh has been seen uh as comparable to election previous election cycles. Advertising increases to $10,128 reflecting statutory public notice requirements for both elections. And then the election expenses remain controlled but do reflect necessary costs for ADA compliance, security

measures, voter outreach, and poll worker costs and election staffing are are fully built out based on uh the anticipated turnout. Uh the state board of election guidance and as I said early voting requirements. Uh travel is increased to 5,500 which supports required training, certification and conference participation. Um some other notable items, uh board stipens remain unchanged, uh following the adjustments that were made, uh last year. Uh training and certification funding remains in place. And then costs such as printing, advertising, and staffing uh are obviously nonlinear and those are election driven. So bottom line, fiscal year 27 represents a peak election year requiring full staffing and operational readiness and increases are being driven by mandated election activities. early voting requirements and staffing needs. So we we are respectfully requesting provisional approval of $43,760 for the canvasing budget.

Okay, Mr. Yes, if I may.

Uh Mr. Rainer and I thought I saw jacking the audience. Uh, obviously the biggest driver that I'm seeing in this is this I'm even afraid to say it because it's the number and I haven't had the best type of luck in the last couple of weeks of driving the change 20k for printing. Um, would you be able to better explain in further detail what that driver is about? Because if I'm looking back at previous election cycles, there's a huge discrepancy. In 2021, there was a referendum, a Portsouth referendum, and the ballot explanation was sent to every household, and it cost $16,000 back in 2021 to do that mailing. So, that $20,000 is particularly for I have to go out for bids, but I will get the bids, and that's what I anticipate, especially with the postage um costs currently. Thank you for the explanation,

Miss McDonald. Jackie, just one second. So, um, a peak election year is considered a year with the primary with the main election, correct? Is that the term that Yes, that is two consecutive ele elections within a fiscal year. um even when there is a presidential election, there are two fiscal years involved because the um presidential preference primary is in April. It's in a different fiscal year than the um the other elections. So, um when I look back at 2024, Yes.

and and I look which is considered peak election year, right? Yes. And I look at um 2027 proposed, it's like $136,000. I mean, the bottom line is 1366. Can you just help?

But what you have to look at too is um we used to have in our operational expenses the costs of the pole workers was in it. In 2024, we had to change the way we hired our pole workers to ensure that they were insured under our um insurance plan for the trust. Um the election world has evolved into a very different world and security is also um an element that is in this this budget as well and those are requirements. We did have an inspection done by the state a while ago and we've had to make modifications not only to our office but to the procedures that we do and how we handle things. Um so the costs of the pole workers are now reflected in the um salaries portion.

It's been removed from the election expense which which is 314 31,04 right? Not all there's two there's two elements to it. Let me go back to my breakdown. Okay. [clears throat]

There is um I have primary early and early voting. So, I have 31 for I we requested $31,420 for primary and that was um at the polls. That's election day and that is for the primary, early voting and general election. So, that's for the three types of um Yeah, it's all inclusive.

Yes, that's all inclusive. So, that is for for them. Then when we go to sta, we have staff overtime, which is um the hours that are legally required to where our office needs to be open when the rest of the town hall is closed um when um it's the last day to register to vote, when it's um when when we have to attend pole worker meetings, those kinds of things. Those are statutoily required. Um then we have Yeah, I was just looking I was just trying to compare a peak election with this election,

right? And and also it wasn't mentioned, but we do have longevity. So that's also in there, too. This year is the first year that our clerk is receiving her longevity as well. So there's two people receiving that that I'm not sure exactly what number that is because that's determined by 9,2 so that adds to that

postage has gone considerably higher. the $20,000 for that one mailing when there when there does need to um have an explanation for local ballot questions and bonds and that's the cost of printing and mailing it with where where was that expense in 2021 2022

that was a special um request I had to request additional funding because um it wasn't voted to mail that until later. So that was a request by um the board of canvasers to the um the finance director and it went through the town council to approve and we must have pulled that out of it's not in it's not listed as an expenditure in the canvasing so it must have been a contingency or something. I don't remember we can look it up an attorney to go for my for me. Okay. I do have the emails that are still there. I'm not worried about that part.

I just it's just not reflected underneath the historical trends of the budget. Just one one more. Go ahead. Go ahead. No, please. Go ahead. Um, so this year you did have a surplus.

Yes, we have not spent. See this is we are we are gearing our expenditures do not coincide necessarily with the fiscal year. We are now I am waiting as a matter of fact until next week because everything is crazy um at the moment. I'm I have an office that's half completed. I have to have it ready for um additional workers to be in there to work. Um we are preparing I'm as a matter of fact I I left the office today. We're up they're updating the candidate modules getting ready for that for next month. Um so this is when we're gearing up to do things and that's why there's a surplus. I have discussed with the finance department items and um purchases that we will need to have before the end of the year and if the money is not there then I will have to wait until the other fiscal year budget comes in.

Okay. Thank you so,000. Going back to my original question, um, was that for the school bond referendum or was that for

It was two. It It had both of them. It had It had two questions on it. And that's why I have to wait before I can go out to bid because I don't know how many questions and how large the mailing is going to be, what it's going to weigh, um, what it's going to look like. So, I will go out to bid. It It has to go out in um, September. So, I will go out to bid probably in July when we're certifying the questions um to determine exactly how large of the mailing it is. As a matter of fact, and I just found out how to do uh a report with just the um residential address without the voters's name on it so that I can ensure that it goes to all of the addresses. And so when you're saying other referendum questions, you're meaning the ones that come from the state and whatever.

No. Okay. I just want it is only local questions that we we have to explain because the secretary of state issues a handbook. Yes. And that handbook will contain all of the state questions. But I can't have any specifics about our questions until they determine how many questions are going to be on their side because our numbering system begins where theirs ends. So if they have 20 questions on the ballot, we're number 21 and and 22 if there are two or if there are three. So it's it's a process that you have to go through. Yeah. My question was more about the the sheer size of the information.

The last the last mailing it was three pages because it was a special election. We had to explain why there was a special election, what a special referenda was, what a bond um issue is, and then we had to have the bond council tell us exactly what the um the details were for the bond. and then the charter question, not the charter, it was a resolution, it was the the transfer of property at the time for the senior center. So, it was those two questions that had to be um explained and sent anticipating a two to three page mailer going out to the

a two to three p page mailer depending on the on the size of it and and you know if it does it go in an envelope, does it not go in an you know those those are um details. Thank you. Any further questions on canvasing? We have a motion to provisionally approve the canvasing budget at $43,760. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 720.

Mr. President, can I just ask everyone that when you are voting that you have your microphones on? Thank you. Next up, finance department.

Finance pages uh 32 and 33. Uh the proposed finance budget is1,175,282. That represents an increase of 4.5%. Uh personal costs reflect standard adjustments and insurance impacts. Salaries increased 3.36% as driven by normal wage and staffing adjustments including the addition of a longevity payment. Uh benefits increase uh 23.34% primarily due to high cost tied to updated enrollment and rates. Um operation expenses uh were driven by uh liability and property insurance increases. Uh that increased to $549 uh,470 uh dollar. That was a 6% projected increase based on uh our LA our current fiscal year experience. Auditing costs increased uh to $32,560. Uh it's due to the new audit contract following uh this year's RFP. Uh we will continue the 4060 uh cost split with the school department. Uh telephone usage uh finance pays for all departments that increased by 7.14%. that's based on actual billing uh uh increases and uh usage trends. Uh insurance insurance deductibles uh and other core operating lines remain uh level funded to maintain uh stability and risk management capacity. So in summary, we're asking for provisional approval of 1,175,282 uh for the fiscal department or financial department budget.

Thank you. Any questions on the finance authority? Mal. Yep. Um, in this in this uh budget too, we're going to have a sizable surplus. No. Yes. I believe as of um 1231 I had not paid uh the actuarial services. So that 48,000 uh will be expended. Um, the auditing fee had not been paid also as of 12:31, so I I should be coming in pretty close. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions?

Do I have a motion to provisionally approve the finance department budget at 1,175,282? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I I opposed. Motion passes seven to zero. Human resources.

Yes. Uh the proposed budget for human resources is 2 million $244,694. Uh this is a 7.66% increase over uh current fiscal year. Uh this increase is driven primarily by higher retiree related obligations and health care costs. Uh so as you know the healthcare insurance premium went up that also includes our retirees. Uh this is partially offset by reductions in pension contributions and workers compensation insurance while continuing to support core uh services benefits administration and regulatory compliance. Uh with respect to personnel cost, salary lines increased by 7.43% that reflects the inclusion of a scheduled longevity payment. Uh benefits cost uh decreased by 12.61%. This is largely due to a reduction in the town's defined benefit contribution uh which helps offset the increase in health insurance and the increases in payroll taxes and retirement contributions. With respect to operational lines, uh operations increased by 15.414% uh due to several key factors. Uh, OPEDB is budgeted at 1,133,786. That represents a 24% increase based on current retirey healthc care obligations. Uh, workers comp insurance decreased by 7.69% that reflects improved claims experience and updated projections. We increased the retirement contingency to $80,000 to maintain flexibility for anticipated retirements, including contractual payouts for acred leave. The employee testing was increased to $37,000. That's based on current year spending trends and ongoing requirements for pre-employment screening, exams, and physicals required under the various collective bargaining agreements.

Um the administrative fees for the uh family savings accounts and health savings accounts increased moderately. That's just due to the rising administrative costs. Advertising was increased to $9,000 to support recruitment and required postings. And professional services was slightly reduced. This reflects updated expectations for pension and consulting related work. So, the town continues to fund the employee assistance programs and vision care benefits at the current level. Uh, and all in all, uh, we are requesting provisional approval of 2,244,694 human resources. Pat question.

Yeah, I just have a question. Um, maybe Lisa can help. Um, the miscellaneous expense, can you just I mean like what exactly is that or That is the line that we use each year. Um the PMEA union has a a benefit that they receive that they are entitled to clothing each year. So it comes out of that budget line item. Thank you. Any other questions for on the HR budget, Miss McDonald? No. Okay. I don't think so. You were reaching for your button, so I didn't know which way you were going. I wanted to make sure I had it on when we vote. I don't want to get in trouble.

All right. She's She's running a tough ship over there. Yeah, I know. I don't want to get in trouble. Do we have a motion to provisionally approve the HR budget at 2,244,694? So moved. Second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. I do have just Okay. And I just go back to Kayla for one second. I might have missed it, but I know we provisionally accepted it, but um the health the health under finance 56.70. Could you just say that again or somebody say it again why that went up like that?

Sure. So in my department we have two family plans now and a individual plan. Prior there was two individuals and one family plan.

Thank you. Love the easy questions. There we go. Next up, we have the legal. Yes. So, on page 36, we'll find the legal uh line items. The proposed budget for legal services is $289,900. Uh this about 11.29 uh% increase over the current fiscal year. Uh this budget increase is a full year under the town's updated solicitor contract. uh higher than anticipated prosecution levels, anticipated uh collective bargaining agreements uh negotiations corre correction uh that are coming up the in the next fiscal year and then a more refined alignment of the budget costs with the actual uh costs that we're seeing. The town solicitor costs uh we propose funding of $174,000. That includes their base retainer of $8,000 a month or $96,000. uh and then uh projected additional services of $78,000 based on the current year usage trends. Year-toear uh year-to-ate spending indicates that the total legal services costs are tracking above what we had originally anticipated in fiscal year 26 uh which obviously necessitates an upward adjustment to better reflect uh the actual legal service demand. The assistant solicitor for prosecution has increased significantly uh to $40,500. This reflects a higher volume of prosecution activity and a more accurate annualized cost based on current billing trends. Um, labor attorney services, we increase that to $34,000. This will support the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations which will include uh fire and PMEA contracts. It also provides capacity for grievance handling, arbitration support, and general labor counsel. Um, subcontracted or specialized legal services. This is increased to $20,400. This reflects uh the ongoing need for

outside counsel and specialized areas and overflow support. Uh the DEM situation being one classic example. Reserve for claims has been reduced from $40,000 to $20,000. This is based on lower recent utilization while still maintaining a contingency. Uh that contingency helps support unanticipated legal claims and expert opinions for uh specialized legal matters. So, all in all, we are requesting provisional approval of $289,900 for the legal budget. Any questions on the legal line items? Mr. President, if I may. Sure. Thank you. This is probably the one I've had the most trouble with.

Um, I see that we're having an increase when it comes to specialization utilization. And so I'm assuming obviously our current well current trends and what we have going on as you just explained um when it comes to the prosecution and Jen maybe you could um help with this a little bit. Um are we seeing this kind of going to look sound like an ROI uh argument. Are we seeing an ROI in the higher rate of prosecutions with a return on people paying fees for the extended prosecution?

Um it's it's more nuanced than that. What you're seeing is greater compliance with the um DEM regulations regarding cesspools and septic tanks. And then the other side I have with our town solicitors, one having two of them, but this now still an increased need for specialization when a huge part of bringing them on was to consolidate all that. Um what was is there any other trends that we're seeing about that?

It's hard to say. I mean, when we submitted the budget, we tried to update this as quick as closely aligned as possible to when we handed the budget to you. But at that time, we were averaging uh two specialists who were assisting with um Joe and Gio, and I'm reading the fine print. Uh but we were looking at an average of about uh you know, on the order of $25,000 at that point for uh their services. Right. Thank you. Any other questions on legal? We have a motion to provisionally approve the legal line item at $289,900.

So moved. Second. All those in favor? I oppose. N. Motion passes 6 to1 with Mr. Bay in the negative. information [clears throat] technology.

Yeah. Page 37. Uh this budget is uh uh proposed at $397,728. Uh it's a 4.02% decrease from uh the current year. Um as in last year, you'll see that uh really uh salary and benefit costs remain eliminated. This reflects the town's transition to a fully outsourced IT service model. Um with respect to operations uh this is where the obviously the decrease comes. Uh IT services is reduced uh 6.15%. Uh this reflects refined estimates for our contracted support based on the actual usage and includes ongoing vendor support troubleshooting stipens supporting IT shared services with uh the school. With regard to software and licensing, it's essentially level funded, but this supports uh the Microsoft 365 system used in town hall, uh our cyber security protection, uh our backup and disaster recovery services, uh the Civic Plus website services, and our infinite visions financial system. With regard to equipment replacement, uh that's been reduced by 28.99%. uh that reflects the completion of a major unin uninterrupted power source uh system uh that we started that project and if FY26 will finish that this year. So uh fiscal year 27 uh is really focusing on targeted replacement and general uh equipment maintenance with respect to cyber security infrastructure. uh specifically uh we continue to invest in what we call endpoint protection through Sentinel 1. uh we implemented the multiffactor authentification and identif identity management software uh and protocol and

we've gone to a cloud-based backup and disaster recovery service and these systems uh will ensure our compliance with uh Rhode Island trust requirements uh rating agency requirements state requirements and federal data security standards. So while f last year, this current year uh represented a major investment year, uh we're referring to fiscal year 27 as a stabilization year with costs leveling off. Um we do continue to benefit as uh Dr. Rivero stated yesterday uh with uh our shared responsibility uh with the school IT department uh and the uh contractor-based model that we've implemented. So, we are requesting provisional approval of $397,728 for the IT uh budget.

Any questions on it? I have a question. Mr. Gleason, um it sounds like the IT people cover I think you said three different systems in Microsoft 365 here and there were a couple others. If you could just repeat them, you don't mind.

Sure. Uh there's there's a few. So there's Microsoft 365. This is all the administrative uh work uh software on everybody's computers and our email systems. Uh Sentinel 1, this is a cyber security protection system. There's data. Uh this is a system that provides the uh backup and disaster recovery services. Uh then there's Civic Plus. This is the system that is the backbone for our websites. And then there's uh Tyler Infinite Visions fiscal system. This is the finance uh accounting software. Do they also maintain systems at the police station as well? Correct. Yes.

All right. Thank you very much. Any other questions? Do we have a motion to provisionally approve the IT budget at $397,728? So moved. Second. All those in favor? Opposed? Motion passes. 720 our tax assessor's office tax also a very hardworking man in in Matt just so you know didn't want to leave you out last night

um tax department is uh $587,811 2.32% decrease from the current fiscal year salaries increase modestly uh those salary increases reflect contractual uh adjustments and step increases. Uh there's uh a full year funding for the administrative clerk position and then normal longevity adjustments. Overtime is reduced from uh 1,500 to 1,000. This reflects actual usage. The benefits uh increase just like all the other departments. This is driven by uh the health insurance enrollments, health insurance premiums and enrollments. with respect to operations that uh that line or those lines decreased by 17.91%. That's driven primarily by the final year of the town's revaluation program. So we finished the full year revaluation uh this current fiscal year. So the revaluation line is reduced by 34%. Uh that funding decreases from 100 uh,000 to 66,000. uh software licenses are up almost 8% but that in uh uh includes contractual adjustments to the KMA program. KMA is the computer assisted mass appraisal system uh tax administration and collection software and the GIS web hosting services. Collection fees are down uh 8.33%. This is reduced to 11,000 based on recent collection activity. uh professional services are increased to $1,000 and that supports potential appeal appraisals during the revaluation and then postage and operating costs remain level uh to support the tax bills and statutory mailings and align with current trends. So overall we are requesting provisional approval of $587,811

for the tax department.

Questions on the tax? Miss McDow? Yeah. Um could you just explain that administrative clerk again? You said it's not um the increase of 6.44 is is reflective of not a full year prior to or is that what you what you said or not? Because I'm looking at um 2026 and then I go to proposed 2027. It's it's following the it's following the cadence of it's it was a new position that was layered in. So it's following this step increases that the previously added administrative positions were added. So it was a little bit more than the 4%. It it will peak out after four steps to be in line with the rest of the administrative clerk positions.

Okay. Okay. Any other questions on the tax department hearing? None. Do we have a motion to provisionally approved at $587,811? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. 720 to zero. Planning department.

The planning department has proposed at $565,352. That's a 63% increase over the current fiscal year. Uh so obviously this is a largely level funded budget. Uh there's modest personnel growth offset by reductions and realignments in operating expenses. Salary costs uh increased by 6.37%. This is driven by uh standard contractual adjustments and a step increase for the planning technician who went from step one to step two and then continued full staffing of the department. Uh overtime remains level funded at $6,000 and this is this supports administrative coverage for the planning and zoning board meetings and replaces uh a prior stipenbased secretary roles. Healthc care waiverss uh increase modestly. This reflects a prorated adjustment as the planning technician transitions into a different health plan uh during uh fiscal year 27. um she comes off of the affordability care act and has to start getting insurance and then benefits uh decrease by 4.28% primarily due to a shift in health insurance as we've been seeing throughout the uh uh the budget and then as I said single coverage to a a family plan and then reduced overall cost with respect to operations uh operations decreased by 13.46% 46%. Uh, as I alluded to, the battery the board secretary stipens have been eliminated. Um, the planning and zoning board secretary functions will now be handled internally by the planning technician. [clears throat] Advertising is reduced by 50% uh based on uh recent usage trends and postage printing and miscellaneous is reduced by uh 10% reflecting lower mailing activity following the fiscal year septic deadline surge. Um, storm water management is reduced to

$12,000. This reflects continued refinement of the DEM testing requirements. Um, the professional contract services has been increased by 10% uh to $11,000 that supports the MS4 storm water uh reporting which is federally mandated uh CDBG program management but that is reimbursed through grant funding. Okay. So, you pay it and then we get reimbursed. And then tra there's a traffic analysis work assoc associated with the northern Portsouth corridor traffic study software licenses uh are up just slightly essentially level funded that supports our host compliance uh related software that's uh and and contract that's uh what monitors our soft sorry our short-term rentals. Uh the comprehensive plan is level funded. Uh that line item continues to fund uh restricted reserve for the next comprehensive plan update which we anticipate uh will begin in fiscal year 32. And the estimated cost for that uh is you know in today's dollars is projected to be about $150,000. So overall uh we are requesting provisional approval of $565,352 for the planning department. Any questions on planning?

None. I do have one question. Mr. Um, just if I could just get the philosophy behind the 17% raise for the planning technician clerk. That's the new position I take it. Right. She came in last year at step one, so this is her first full year at step two. That's the increase. Step one, two.

Nice race. Thank you. Uh to just to clarify that a lot of people probably don't understand what the steps are. When somebody's hired in the step positions um that they don't get paid their full salary, they step up over a number of years to the full salary. So while obviously it's a raise, they're just the longer, you know, it's an enticement to stay in the position uh and get the full amount that's been authorized in the contract for that position. Mr. McD

um when when I look at the uh Mr. Rainer's approved fiscal year. And in this budget right here, it shows um the approved 2026 as being um 5618.40. But when I look at the um expense, you know, the uh monthly expense sheet that we received up until 331, it shows for the budget figure 540 341. Yep. So what is that?

So that is the comprehensive plan of 21,500. So what I do is I budget as a transfer out. So if you go to the bottom of my finance report, there is a transfer out of 21,500. It helps accounting wise moving from funds but it is accounted for in my entirety of the budget for the finance report. Okay. Okay. Yep. Thanks. Any other questions? No, just one other one. Okay. Just um then this this is this budget um showing us relatively high surplus as well as of now? It's about at 90%.

It's about 90%. Yeah, I know. But what the surplus I'm talking about. So based off my incumbrances through March, there is only uh 10% remaining. Okay. There's one more quick question. Sure. Um I'm only accounting for uh four people there. And my favorite cheery person when you first go into the building office, does she under She's not under planning. She's under building supply, excuse me, building department. She is on the building. Okay. All right. Thank you.

So the um also we have planning board secretary um line here and it's not in yours in your like monthly sheet. So is that I didn't see it anyways. Or is that under something else? It looks like it's reading something else. It looks like it's reading there's one as zoning board secretary and then there's one it's it looks like zoning board. It's just a labeling lab on this but it's account 53361. Thank you.

Any other questions? None. Do we have a motion to approve the planning budget at $565,352? So moved. Secondly, provisionally, sorry. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 7 to zero. Building official. Okay. Building official. Uh starts on page 42. Uh it is proposed at $431. Yes.

$431,58. It's a 10.49% increase over the current year. uh salary c costs are increased by 9.93%. This is driven primarily by a full year of funding for the current building official compared to partial year impacts in fiscal year 26. He was not the he was an assistant building official who transitioned up. The former building official left. So this he's now going to be accounted for as a full year as the building official. Um and then the standual the standard contractual adjustments for the clerk position. the assistant building official salary decreases slightly reflecting a position alignment because Matt was the assistant building official. He's getting the full step. The new person when he does he or she does get hired will come in at the lower step. So that's the reduction there. Um benefits increase by 12.6% 6% again driven by higher health insurance uh and uh the in increased uh contributions and taxes associated with those higher level salaries. Uh operations increased by 10.09%. This is largely driven by higher inspection demand and the associated contractual costs. Um so with regard to contractual services going up 11.88% 88%. It's increased to $92,862 uh reflecting, as I said, the higher volume of inspections based on recent activity trends, but also an increase in the per inspection rate from $35 to $42 uh per inspection. Training and professional development uh has reduced slightly while still maintaining the required certifications and licensing compliance. Uh vehicle costs have been reduced. uh modestly uh based on usage trends. Uh maintenance is essentially level funded to support inspection requirements. Uh postage has been

increased. Uh there's a minor increase there. It reflects normal variability and operational needs. Uh all other operational lines remain uh generally level funded uh supporting their day-to-day operations. So in summary, we're requesting provisional approval of $431,58 for the building official. Any questions on building official or our new department of building supply? Apparently none. We have a motion to provisionally approve the building official budget at $431,58. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 720.

Planning board has been removed.

Right. This will be the last year. You see this will drop off next year. Y uh the following page is economic development. Um this proposed budget is $53,741. Uh it's 2.78% increase. Uh salary costs increased by 4% and therefore the payroll tax has increased proportionally. Um operations remain level funded. Uh dues and subscriptions in this uh budget include funding memberships in Connect Greater Newport, the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, and the Portsouth Business Association. Uh software support. Uh this maintains subscriptions for grant research and survey tools. Uh advertising and marketing supports down the downtown business district initiatives and the Portsmouth economic development committee activities. The professional development line provides for participation in local and regional networking events. Uh travel reflects actual usage trends and mailing and postage is maintained in a minimum level consistent with prior years. So we're requesting provisional approval of $53,741 for the economic development department.

Any questions on economic development? I'm just hearing none. Do we have a motion to provisionally approve at $53,741? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes. 720. We are going to jump way up into the back of it now.

Uh now if you will go to page 63, recreation. We we've already covered everything in between. So on page 63 uh and 64 we see the budget for the recreation department. Recreation department is uh budgeted at $451,132 representing a 9.27% increase over uh the current fiscal year. This increase is primarily driven by program uh cost adjustments, anticipated participation levels, and rising operating costs while continuing to support a broad range of community programming. With reflex with re respect to salaries and benefits, uh the salary costs increase by 2.46% 46% and this reflects a standard 4% adjustment for full-time staff and continued alignment of staffing levels uh with the program delivery needs. Benefits increased by 8.76%. This is driven primarily by health insurance costs uh and the retirement contributions along with salary levels. With respect to operations, uh this is programmed to increase by 22.86%. As I said, this reflects expanded programming and a more accurate alignment of expenses with the actual program delivery. So, the key drivers here include uh camps uh in the program and expense and event expenses. Uh this is increased to $87,846. This reflects higher participation levels across the programs and expanded offerings with more detailed program uh level budgeting. So this includes the summer camps, vacation camps, uh sports programs, and community events. With respect to building grounds and

maintenance, uh this has been increased to $14,971. This reflects ongoing maintenance needs uh and facility upkeep required to support programming. The electricity costs uh have been revised to reflect updated utility rates and facility usage. Uh the brownhouse uh line item has been adjusted to reflect the actual operational and maintenance costs and beach operations remain relatively stable with modest adjustments for level uh service levels. All other operational lines remain generally level funded including vehicle costs, supplies and administrative costs. So overall uh this budget is a continued represents a continued effort to improve cost recovery without compromising accessibility. We are fully aware that full cost recovery would fundamentally change the nature of the program and it would limit the access to these programs for a large portion of the community. We are requesting provisional approval of $451,132 for the recreation department.

Questions on recreation. Miss Flank. Uh question where we have a leased truck and vehicle uh fuel for the gas, but we also have a car allowance. Can you help me understand the car allowance? Correct. Uh so there's an entire staff especially during the summer. So usually the camp counselors, the people uh doing work down at the beach, guards, they're using the truck, but at the same time we provide a car allowance for the director because she's using her vehicle to support the department.

Do we have car allowances for other people driving around town using their vehicle or is it a unique case? This is fairly unique because there's one vehicle for the whole department. Whereas other you have 59 vehicles in DPW. The building official is the only one that drives that car. The EMA director is the only one who drives his car. Uh the other departments are given cars. So the police chief has a vehicle, the fire chief has a vehicle. Um you know, the DPW director has a pickup truck, the assistant director has a pickup truck. So this this is aligned with the other departments. And how many staff for the non beach um does that cover?

I don't have a specific number in front of me. Perhaps Wendy or Lisa can cover that. Did you say non-staff or non the non beach? Non beach stuff. It's it obviously that means camp and things like that. So it depends on um she can have 10 to 12 different people counselors and things like that. Okay. Any other questions on recreation? Yes. Okay. Okay. M.

Yeah. So, um, with the 2026 budget and as of 33126, we are running short. Correct. Yeah. Obviously, uh I don't know that we have the the last camp uh vacation camp figures in there and and then the beach will open obviously in May. Um you know it's

Do you do you know how much we are short as of March 31st? Uh we've expended about 85% of the budget. But uh don't forget there's also the incumbrances are included in the budget balance. So, anything that we've created a PO for ahead of time would be included in the budget balance. So, even though we're only 75% through and it's showing 85% spent, it's already including uh POS that are going to be expended in the future months.

So, for the 2026 like when all is said and done, even though all is not said and done, you have incumbrances etc. is there a shortage? We will not go over on this budget. What's that? We will not go over on this budget. Okay. I will we will not go over the budgeted amount of 412,000. Okay. Any further questions? Hear none. Do we have a motion to provisionally approve the recreation department budget at $451,132? So moved.

Second. All those in favor I oppose. Motion passes seven to zero. Next we have our

parks department uh Melville page 65. So the proposed budget for Melville is $49,219. Uh this obviously represents a significant increase $31,219 over the current fiscal year. Uh but that increase reflects the formal establishment and the proposed continuation of a park steward position following a success a successful pilot program which we implemented during uh this fiscal year. As you'll remember during fiscal year 26 we implemented a park steward program on a trial basis using unexpended funds. Uh as far as we can tell the results have been overwhelmingly positive. The presence of a dedicated steward has significantly improved the overall park conditions include improved trail maintenance, general upkeep, and responsiveness to routine issues. Equally important, uh this program has helped transition the workload of the Melville Park Committee. The committee has historically relied on volunteer support for both planning and physical uh physically demanding maintenance tasks. [clears throat] This volunteer base has matured. uh it has become increasingly difficult to sustain that level of hands-on work for this this committee. The park steward role allows the committee to shift its focus towards uh to long-term planning, stewardship initiatives and strategic partnerships. One current example of this shift is the committee's collaboration with the US Naval Station on the design and implementation of an aeration system for the upper pond. This initiative uh was started by them and is intended to improve the water quality and reduce algae blooms. Uh and that kind of represents the type of long-term environmental improvement that the committee can now you know focus their priorities on. So uh personnel uh cost is $29,000. Uh that's what we proposed to be budgeted for the park steward position uh with

the associated payroll taxes. operations uh funding remains level at $18,000 and that supports the core maintenance activities which include uh pond one algae treatment uh vegetative control, vegetation control and trail maintenance. So yes, we recognize that uh this budget reflects a strategic shift from a fully volunteer supported maintenance model to a hybrid approach that combines dedicated staff support with volunteer leadership. Uh so we are requesting the continuation of the park steward program and provisional approval of $49,219 for the Melville uh park budget. Questions Mattel?

Yeah. So, um, just I know that when we we agreed to this position, um, we were going to have Steve come in and talk about, uh, what he's done or what his, um, you know, what his expectations are going forward and that that hasn't happened. Um, I I just I have [clears throat] spoken to Steve, but I think it's very important that he come in and talk if he is going to be the the the one we're continually hiring, which I think we should because he certainly is a dedicated person and he loves this um he loves the job and he loves the park. But I do think it's important that we know what's been done, what his goals are, what his objectives are going forward. Um, which I which I had hoped had been done, but so I I'd like to to have that definitely take place. I mean, I'm not against this, but I'd like it to take place relatively soon. And this 29,000 represents a full year at different times. And isn't um his services now a contracted service? So it shifts to a town employee now? No. No. Can you explain that?

It's it's he's a contracted so it'll be a 1099. He'll be He'll be at 1099. Okay. And M. McDell, he's scheduled for May 11th. Great. Great. All set. Could No. Um, so who who does um who's the supervisor and um who supervises him?

Yeah. Right now he is uh essentially reporting to the parks and recck committee. I've been meeting with Ed Rizzy to uh determine how this is going to play out in the future. So, uh, there's a number of different ways we can do this. We can put him under the parks department. My vision right now is that he would get, uh, advisory control, uh, by the, uh, parks or I'm sorry, well, the Melville park committee. And then as far as uh physical uh and administrative support, that would come from the parks and recck department and not not the committee, not the advisory committee that he's been part of [sighs]

that we can discuss this uh I'd love to discuss it. Yeah. Well, I met with uh the recreation committee and uh the Melville park committee. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions on the parks? We have a motion to provisionally approve $49,219 for the parks. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. 720 civic support.

Civic support. Uh this starts on the next page, page 66. The proposed civic support budget is $820,415. This represents an increase of uh 6.97% over the current fiscal year. With the inclusion of state library aid, total civic support expenditures are $960,972. So an overall increase of 5.78% or 52,500 $490. This section reflects funding requests.

It's under your new from tonight because of the we move the $2,000 the $1,500 down. So it was the pages you got tonight that were updated. No problem. Um so this uh this section the civic support uh it reflects funding requests that have been submitted by community organizations, cultural institutions and human service pro providers generally uh that contribute to the town's quality of life. And so as in with recent years, these appropriations fall entirely within the purview of the town council. Accordingly, this budget presents the requested funding levels for council consideration without recommendation, allowing the council to determine final allocations. Key components of this uh proposed budget uh the Portsmith uh library uh they are the single largest single appropriation at $64,842 reflecting a 3% increase consistent with prior funding practices and operational needs. The Portsouth Senior Center increased uh its request by 33.39% to $112,046 reflecting revised requests associated with their operational and uh programmatic needs. The Eastern Rhode Island Conservation increase to $2,000 uh based on uh a submitted funding request. The wildlife rehabilitators increased their funding request to $4,416 reflecting updated program needs and service demand. There is a new request uh the Rhode Island Social Skills Academy at $1,500 and then most other organizations remain level funded consistent with your prior year appropriations. With respect to library aid, uh that's

projected at $140,557 and that's a slight decrease uh of $958, but as in prior years, this funding is provided by the state and passed directly through to the Portsmith Library. So, it's included here for completeness, but does not impact the local levy. Uh the prevention coalition funding uh has submitted a request for $31,500. This funding is anticipated to be s supported through the town's allocation of opioid settlement funds and is therefore not included within the general fund civic support total. So in summary, this uh budget it reflects the full scope of funding requests received and maintains transparency in presenting these requests to the council for your consideration. Final funding decisions remain at the disc the discretion of the town council and we are submitting 960,972 in total civic support requests for your approval. So um for me uh increases are well a new monies are I don't think should be allowed for this year. um sizable increases uh you know a 341% increase to the wildlife and I get in trouble for this every year but it it's it's a nice to have but when we've already added $21,122 to the budget we have to find places to uh help pay those off. I'm also interested to see what the $28,000 increase is for the senior center. I know we decreased them during COVID and when they weren't in there down from 90,000 to 84. So I could see going back up to the original funding for years at 90,000, but they have a brand new building

um fully furnished. So I I I would like to know and I know Miss Patton, you're on the board and uh what is the request? What is the need for the extra $28,000? you know, um, as of right now, I believe it's for like electricity and, um, utilities. They don't know what the billing is going to be. Um, they're trying to work that out with the MOA. Um, that's Mr. Ferber, you're on the board as well. How about that? 27 Street. I'm a treasurer. Um if you can just pull that mic up a little bit and talk. There you go. Thank you, sir.

Um the reason for the increase is basically legal expenses which are about seven Well, it's estimated to perhaps be about $7,000. Increased uh healthc care expenses. um electricity. We just don't know what electricity is going to cost because we've gone from gas to electricity and we're using mini splits and a couple of the people that are on our board have mini splits and thought that our original guess as to um I think we increased electricity expense by three or $4,000 and they thought that was way underestimated so it was raised to 15,000 and um see what else. What what specific legal issues do you think this

well bylaws um preparation of the bylaw the first the first thing was the memorandum of agreement between us and church community housing and that's an issue as well because we haven't resolved it entirely yet and part of the issue we have which relates to expenses is we have some shared uh spaces that we don't fully appreciate the expense allocation for. Um so for example, we've got um the main the main basically the residents the 54 units that are there. They're going to be able to use those spaces after hours. This the certain segmented spaces, the library area, the main the main [clears throat] room and I forget what the other one was, but the um fitness center was that

there is no fitness center. No, we we uh cut that out because it just logistically it just didn't work out. we needed more storage space and that particular the room that was designated for a fitness center just doesn't work properly. Um so we don't yet know who how the electricity expenses might be shared. Um trash expenses um janitor

yeah the cleaning we we don't currently even even with what we think is a space that'll be allocated exclusively for us will increase the cleaning responsibility for the person that we've had doing it. So naturally that person wants to be paid more for doing that. So those are the kinds of things that have caused the increase and we're basically going into a new building without you know a lot of experience with any of this stuff. So I think just if the medical expenses, the attorney expenses, the electricity expenses, that's the bulk of that $28,000 increase. One other subject I was talking about was a food prep coordinator, too. You're right. That's 17,000 right there.

And that may or may not happen. Um my personal [clears throat] view is that we increase it somewhat but not to the total that's there. Um I I think the easy hanging fruit for me is um to take away from your favorite the wildlife rehabilitators and add $1,000 to the uh St. John's Food Bank and the Well, I have to add you could we still have $21,122 to make up in the entire budget. Oh yeah. So we either add that to taxes or we find ways to cut things as we go along. We I think we'll we still have some wiggle room.

All right, Mr. Hamilton when you But you go ahead. That's my suggestion. I Okay. I'm I'm familiar with all your issues there and I'd um I'd like to split the difference. Um, I I think if you took a 19% increase, which is to bring you up to 100K, that would cut some off of us, but give you some more money. Yeah. Um, well, that's a that's that's like $12,000 less than 12,46. So,,46. And so, in my opinion, there's quite a bit of uncertainty with regard to the electricity expense. This is a wild guess as to what it might be, but as I said,

a couple of people have many splits and they thought our original estimate was I have many splits and actually I think your wife was one of the people that suggested we were too low. So, um so anyway, so obviously you must be paying a lot for your mini split. No, I run the wood stove, so it's 75 degrees in there. Oh, okay. Well, in any event, um that was the reason for the significant increase in electricity expenses. Um, so I have no idea. And the lawyer fee that's just a temporary thing to That's right. I was gonna say that I wouldn't expect that we there are some unknowns. So what I'm trying to do is you had bills all the time anyway. I want to cover a little bit more for you and maybe next year if you if you come back and you're

you'll be nicer. Should I be nicer? I don't know. But uh we'll you'll have a better idea of your expenses. like that, right? It should should then you'll still you'll be nicer. You know, I don't know what I'm going to be spending tomorrow either, you know. So, I'd like I'd like to make a motion that we increase the uh What's Senior Center? Can I Oh, Mary, I'm sorry. No, can I I just ask a a couple questions here. So, um, like all the things that you mentioned are are new unknowns and that's why you're you're looking for this extra well the two the two big unknown well three unknowns the lawyer

the electricity and the um cleaning expenses. Those are those are the three big unknowns. The um the others we think are pretty reasonable guesses at our expenses. And of course, we we've included our most optimistic guess as to the income that we'll receive because it's based pretty much on a steady flow from the past. And as to this the town's contribution, there hasn't been an additional contribution for five years. On the other hand, they haven't, as I understand it, they haven't asked for an increase either. But um there hasn't been spended $84,000 for for five or six years. It went down to 84. Used to be flat at 90, right? Mhm.

So, u my other question is do you ever go into your your re reserves or your checking account or or is that stay stable? Like I I had seen a um statement sheet and you have about 300,000 plus. Yeah. Total. Yeah. Do you ever go Well, actually more than Well, if we've got about I I don't have the numbers in front. We've got $200,000 in a CD. We've got um between 60 and $80,000 in um an interestbearing account. And then we've got a checking account that obviously runs, you know, up and down. Um so yeah, but the the key target for this money going forward or for

accumulated money going forward is to um eventually get a van for the senior center. That's been like I guess the number one target for quite a while. And we probably have enough money for that. But then we have other issues. you know, who's going to pay for the driver? Is the driver going to be a town employee? Can we get the how much are we going to have to pay for the van? Can we get a discount for being We just don't know some of the answers to the questions that are involved there. I think if I may, I think the van is still a gray area because I think that's part of the memorandum of understanding or agreement that hasn't been formulated. You know what I mean?

Me sitting on the sidelines at all your meetings. Yeah. And right been through the we the board hasn't fully spoken about the bandit situation. No, we haven't spoken. I just know from I'm new to the relatively new to the board. Been at it for one year, but the um when I first got on the board, I was told that you know that's been a long time ambition of the board to have to eventually have a van. And in my opinion,

this just the CD alone would probably cover the expense of the van. But some people believe in the event of a catastrophe, you know, that's what the money's there for. But insurance covers catastrophes. So, I don't necessarily I don't personally agree with that. But it's like the it's like the town or school department. You don't want to dip in to these reserves to subsidize operating expenses. So, but if you had to do it for a year, it wouldn't hurt that bad, right? If we split if we go to Mr. Reese's. So, you're going to be you're going to be nicer to us next year. [laughter] It is the way it is. There is an election, so there's a chance that all seven of us might not be here next year. So, you might have a more favorable

Well, we can we can hope. [laughter] But I I I I like this the splitting of the difference and going down to $100,000 is a nice round number. But Charlene, can you help me relate this to the board? How difficult this council is to work? As long as we're done with questions, Miss McDonald has one more the electricity. So, there's solar on that building and you don't

Well, yeah, you're right. The solar on the the solar on the building, I don't know how it impacts us because that's one of the issues that has yet to be resolved. We have this memorandum of agreement that's being worked on between the lawyers, but it hasn't been resolved yet. So, we don't know, we really fundamentally don't know what the electricity expenses are going to be and then how will they be split, at least as it relates to these shared spaces that we have in the in the senior center. Because if you benefit from that solar operation, that that'll be a big plus.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely. That's why I say the the electricity expenses are big a big uncertainty. And um the board basically threw out the $15,000. I It's not It's not a number I made up. It was just the the board suggesting that's the number that we should use. And then this the same with the legal expenses. I had no idea what the we I think we spent roughly $1,000 already just doing the working on the memorandum agreement, but that's in the that's in current money. That's not from this proposed budget, right? Okay. All you good for now? I have a question, Miss Beck. Yes.

Um, is there a This is a general question. Um, is there a reason why this header is different than the rest of the budgets that we have we have on all the other pages? Yes, as I explained, um, this has been brought up a number of times over the last few years where I have been it has been implied that I'm trying to set policy for the council. I have nothing to do with the civic support and it was told that it should not be my place to recommend. So, I don't recommend uh I just let you know what's been proposed uh and submitted to us. That's why the headers are different.

Okay. And I I personally just followed FY 2024.

There's just there's more room. I guess see the information presented is different than on the other pages. You mean excuse me, the format? The format. Format. Yeah, the um Well, I inherited the format from the current director, so I assume it's a format that's been presented for several years now. No, she's talking about our the format of Oh, your format. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you meant our format. Oh, it it doesn't go back as far, right? And there was a it looks like maybe just the the columns that you usually show maybe.

Yeah, it's just it's a function. Uh well before your time we were also uh received great criticism because the font became too small. So it becomes a function of how much information we can fit on the page. Too small. The column headers on every other page. Yeah. This this is so different than all the others. I don't develop this section, right? Who who develops this section?

It it's put together based on the format, the information that a previous council said that they wanted presented to them for the civic support. So, we follow that format. This is why they have a separate binder. I'm not trying to influence what you spend your money on with regard to civic support at all. Thank you. All right. Now, Mr. Reese, you and I can make a motion to Yes. Uh level fund them. Give them a 19% increase from previous and make that 100. It wouldn't be level fun. No, no, no. Make it $100,000. Reduce their Reduce the request down to $100,000. Yes. Got to get a break.

I'll second that. All right. Let's tackle that one first. All those in favor? I oppose. I'm I'm opposed. This patent, you can't vote on it because you're on the board. You should you need to read you need to get form. Sorry. How about me as liaison? No. No, that doesn't count. All right. Just checking. Wives on the board might might as close, but we'll we'll we'll let it go this time.

All right. So the motion passes 60 and one with a recusal from Miss Patton specifically on that line. I don't you can vote on the rest of them. Um and the overall um I would like to see a motion to level fund the wildlife rehabs at um $1,000 again. So we'll second that. So move second. Okay. You so moved it and you seconded it, but you seconded it before moved it. But that's okay. Well, so we're going down to $1,000. You're in a hurry. I could tell.

No, I I'm sure this will pass, but I'm not going to support it. I think we we should give them a little bit more money for what they do. I I will agree with Mr. Gleason. I think we should probably give them something. We're the same level funding as $1,000. Not Not wiping it out. Just No, I'm saying I'm just saying a little for more for programmatic stuff, then maybe this year probably going to 1500 versus the whole thing. I also agree. It gives them a little bit of wiggle room.

Okay. Well, there's a motion on the table. So, we will vote on that one first. If it fails, we'll vote on somebody can make another motion. So, the motion on the table is to level fund the wildlife rehabs at $1,000. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 4 to three. I also don't feel we should Mr. Gleon. Mr. Gleason, Miss Pero, Mr. Blank in the negative. I also don't feel we can bring on anybody new. I don't really know what the Rhode Island Social Skills Academy is. It sounds like a worthwhile organization, but I think social skills should probably be taught at home. Just me personally. Um,

can I make a motion, President? I'd like to add u $1,000 to the Martin Luther King Center as well as St. John's Food Bank. Some of that money you just took out of the uh the wildlife rehabilitators. Okay. So, we would add 2,000 back in, 1,000 to uh do Martin Luther King Center, which would make them six. Just want to make sure everybody's understanding of this. And then the other one was the food bank island. I didn't get a second yet. So you might want to wait. Second. Thank you. Uh okay. We need do need to change that name though because they're the Aquinic Food Bank if you don't mind.

That would make them $6,000. They are no longer at St. John's and St. John's is for sale if anybody wants to buy a lodge. No longer. No longer for sale. Oh. So Miss Patton. Um, so then if we do that then we still have to make up the $2,000 somewhere else. No. Or is it No, because you're taking it out of the 3146 that was just removed from the wildlife rehab, we're only going to take 2,000 of that. So that would still leave us with 1416. So far, all those in favor of adding $1,000 to the food bank and Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center, say I.

I. opposed. Motion passes 720. All right. Um the 1,500 bucks for Rhode Island social skills. Anybody want to tackle that one or we just going to leave it in there? Um, do we have See as we don't know what it is and they're not here to represent themselves, I make a motion to um remove that funding. You can remove it or you can move it to the library. You can put it someplace else. But if you want to just just eliminate it, can eliminate it. Okay. Second. All those in favor?

I oppose. Motion passes 720 to zero. Okay. That brings us miss.

Yeah. I just um I'm looking again. I had some questions last year and got some clarity on that last year, but I I I need some more clarity on it this year. The Prudence Island School Foundation, I saw their um application. Um, but I I didn't see what the and and it looks like they've spent, if you can update me, Kayla, if they've spent any more than the 25 286. No, not that. Not that. Have they spent all the money? Do you know? I don't I don't see anything spent again. We send that twice a year. So the first installment would have been on July 1 and then the second installment would have been on January 1.

So you only you're only seeing 50% allocated at that point in time. But as of today, um I have sent over 50,571. Okay. And on their application, um if you could just take a look at it too, Mr. Um, Rainer, I didn't see it said that what the things they proposed to do with the original 50,000. It doesn't give amounts or anything like that. it. They've spent 252.86 on this, but what do they plan to do with the new money coming in, I guess, is what I want to

I just want to clarify. Okay. Um, by the sheet that you're reading right now provided by us for expenditure civic support, it does not necessarily mean that they've spent the 25 286 that means that the town has given 25,286. Okay? So it does not mean that the organization, the school itself has spent that

Thank you for that clarification. So on their application, it lists some things that they've done. Um, but it there's no money associated with it as to how much they've spent or are plan to do or I mean I I think we're in the same boat as we were last year without clarity on this. And $50,000 is a lot of money. um if we don't have clarity on what they're going to what they what the anticipated work is going to be this year and what was done last year. So I I guess I I can't I'd like to put this on hold again if we don't have clarity. I'm looking they write here that this year we'll be focusing on a gutter system to prevent rot, new trim, sophets, uh fascia. Uh they're insulating a new roof uh on the addition and they're overhauling a pump. Uh and then if financially possible, uh they're looking into a new hot water heater uh and a heat pump through Rise. Uh, additionally, they have uh their homeschooling costs. Uh, so the funding uh supports uh teacher salary, health benefits, transportation. Uh,

I thought that was out that homeschooling line last year. No, it it can change year to year depending on if they get a teacher, if there's a student that wants to stay at home. Yeah.

Do you see anything of what's been done this year? Did did they I know they talk about their goals for next year, but there's no there's no value to those things that they mentioned and and I don't know if they've done what [sighs] what they said they were going to do last year with the 50,000. So, I just need a little bit more clarity before I vote on that or be I I wish we would all get clarity before we vote on it.

Mr. President, if I may, and Rich, correct me if I'm wrong, Kila as well. Um, isn't there an MOA between the town, the school department, and the foundation, and when it comes to a sustaining monetary amounts issue? Yes, there is a memorandum um where the town uh well I don't want to read the whole paragraph but the bottom line is uh that the town has agreed that they will support uh this foundation uh through a contribution through civic support portion of the town's budget uh in an amount agreed to the formula and this uh obviously this uh goes all the way back to when the school operated it and then the school stopped stopped operating and reverted back to the top.

Yeah, we had this discussion last year and and talked about how that MOU MOA is basically obsolete. So, um that's that's my feeling on this. It's a lot of money if we don't have some idea of where it's going. Can we um get them to come here and or like last time I believe they were on we can have Kathy's not online. I don't see her at least. Okay. But we can get further explanation or have her explain. She they wrote down what they're planning on doing. That's let us know what they did last year.

Yep. We can ask for followup for the what they spent the money on this year to this current fiscal year. All right. So, if I did my math right and Kayla, you can correct me. We are now at $83,953. I'm not I don't have the state library in there. Just to recap, just make sure we're all on the same page. So, Porsche Senior Center went to $100,000. Yes. The Dr. Martin Luther King Center went to $6,000. Correct. The wildlife rehabilitators went to $1,000.

Correct. The Aquidnik written here is St. John's Lodge Food Bank uh went to $6,000. Correct. And the Rhode Island Skills Academy was zeroed out. Correct. Which get got me to a total of 14,962 to be subtracted out of the 818 915. Can you read your overall number? $83,953 and then overall I'd have to just Now you're going to make me do math again. I think I'm missing one. I'm sorry. 472 and that's leaving in the prudence island school.

Yes. 944,510 6,000 for that skill. Yeah. So that's 944 510. What number are you getting? 805453. I got 803953. I'm going to the bottom line now that you asked me to get to.

So, we removed $12,46. We removed $1,416 and we removed $1,500. So, unless I added those wrong, we're still coming up with 805453. 46. Yeah. You started with um the 82415. Is that the number you're going with right now? You're subtracting from I'm subtracting from 818. No. No. Put in the other one. That's right. I got the wrong pages from yesterday. So, you can't do math.

We'll go with yours. Well, I can't do math. I have the wrong numbers. You added in the poormith education, right? So that's the extra $1,500. There you are. Okay. So your total is 805453. That would that would jive with what I have now. But the extra 15. All right. Should we have a mo and then that would make the bottom line with the library aid? $946,10. Okay. Can you repeat that? 94610.

So, with all those puts and takes and everything else, we now have a request for provisional approval of civic support in the amount of Well, do you need to do both? Bottom line. You do both. You always do both. All right. So, we'll do the civic support total of 804 805453. Yes. Motion to approve. Motion to approve. Second. We can still change this because it's provisional once we hear from the foundation. Can change this right up until 7:00 on June. Please don't tell me that. 26,

whatever the date is. When's it? When's it the budget hearing? Somewhere around that date. 12th of the budget hearing is the um 11th of June. 11th of June. Yep. So you have up till 8:00 on that day to change it. Right. All those in favor I opposed. Motion passes seven to zero. And then the total bottom line with the library added add added in request a provisional approval of $946,010. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. 720.

Okay. If we can go to page 69.

Here we see the proposed capital improvement plan for next fiscal year. So as we do each year, this process begins uh in August where the departments work with me uh to identify and prioritize the capital needs. Uh we then go through a a pretty strenuous review process to evaluate those requests based on urgency, cost and then the overall impact on the community in the levy. This year's proposed capital plan totals to uh 800 get the exact amount $847,941. Uh that is an increase from last year and I want to address that directly. Uh

the CIP didn't change. So that's in your book. [clears throat] So you're going to go through each of the line items and tell us what we're doing. Uh I'll I'll walk you through.

Thank you, sir. So the increase reflects a combination of deferred needs from our prior needs, ongoing facility maintenance requirements, and targeted investments in equipment and infrastructure that we can no longer continue to push off. That said, the same discipline was applied this year as in prior years. We worked to keep the overall levy within our target, which means not every request made it into this year's plan. Many items were deferred and remain in the out years of the CIP, where they will continue to be evaluated as funding allows. I would also note that this is one of the few areas within the budget where we are able to build some capacity this year by addressing these capital needs. Now we are doing so without creating any structural deficit and it keeps it and it helps position us for the additional capacity we may need for in fiscal 28 uh when we are looking and we're planning for the first debt service payments associated with the school bond that'll be voted on in November. So in other words, by being deliberate about what we fund in the CIP this year, we're trying to smooth out the financial impact of that future obligation and reduce the pressure on the tax levy in fight uh fiscal year 28. So, this plan continues to focus on our C core priorities, maintaining and replacing essential DPW equipment, including a one-tonon truck and a new mini excavator, targeted improvements at Glen Manor House, including the dining room floor, and continued work on uh grant approved storm doors, public safety investments uh to include police equipment and fire apparatus needs, and then continued investment in recreation facilities. As in prior years, a significant portion of the plan is driven by DPW. That's where we see the greatest pressure from aging equipment and infrastructure, and these are essential essential investments to keep our operations uh functioning effectively. You'll also see meaningful investment in recreation this year. They're reflecting ongoing improvements at Glen Park or

related facilities, which continue to be a high use community asset. We have applied for a grant funding uh congressional grant funding to address the demolition of the Kagashaw school building and construction of a new ball field at the site. If that grant is approved, we will reprogram the funding for the Glen Park playground structures toward that project as a grant match. the if that gets approved and we do that uh switch over to the Cogshaw project then the Glen the Glen Park playground structures would then be incorporated into the FY28 CIP. So looking ahead the CIP identifies approximately $3.7 million in additional needs in the outy years that reinforces why this planning tool is so important and allows us to anticipate and manage those costs over time rather than react to them. So we respectfully seek the council's provisional approval of the fiscal year 27 capital plan as presented. [clears throat]

So I think one of the big things to take out of this is that because this is not ongoing operational needs like salaries or electricity. This is where you can build in where we can build in that potential need for payment for any bond expenses next year if the bond passes in November. If the bond doesn't pass, then we won't have the needs for that and it will be lesser. If we strip out too much money, then we have the potential, if the bond passes, to be going over the cap next year. So, just keep that all in mind as you look at these things. Mr. Reese, questions. Not yet. Anybody have questions? Miss Blake? Everybody's reaching for buttons when nobody wants to talk. Okay, go ahead. [laughter]

I I just have a few questions. um for the Glen Park Stonewall repairs. Uh when we had gone through the Newport Polo and he was reconfiguring the Stonewall, um how does how is this delineated from that effort? He's doing the lower portion. This is the upper portion of the stone walls before. But this this this repair is for stone walls prior to the brownhouse. He's making adjustments to after the Brownhouse. Okay. Or some of this could be next to the Brown House, too. I

And also part of his plan is he's going to make an access for vehicles in the stone wall, which will need to be repaired. And in, you know, consideration for you allowing him to do that, he's going to have his mason repair some of the stone wall on the other side. Okay. Um, and then under the DPW, the the new the equipment replacement of the one ton truck, uh, does that mean that we are able with the word replacement, I assume that means that we're able to are we replacing one? Can we are we selling one or are we adding one?

Uh, we're replacing. Generally, we drive these things so the wheels fall off. Um, and then they go on MUN bid and then they go we try to sell them if we if they can't be re reutilized somewhere else, but generally uh they're they're pretty well rusted by the time we get rid of them. All set. Okay,

all righty. Um, this is the um Glenn Mana dining room floor. Um, I personally viewed and walked the floor and I met with Ron Marvel, very nice guy on site and um, he explained to me that it was just um, resurfaced, refinished and um, any repairs were made on it at the time. I mean, it's absolutely beautiful. And um it also has u a southern yellow planking pine underneath it. And then underneath that is a quarter inch plywood. So, it's a it's a nice flat smooth floor. Um it's I don't think it's one of the most high used areas. Um and it's like he said, he just he put it on the list, but he was good. He he realized that it really doesn't need to be replaced now, but he just had brought it up. Um, so based on that, having walked on it, having seen that they just refinished it, it's the not that there's a not the floor in the main ballroom and not the room next to that, but further north, it's the one where Santa usually is. Um, and he was good with that because he said it's it the problem is that next time it needs to be done, next time it needs to be sanded, it needs to be replaced. So, we'd be trying to replace a floor now that they just refinished. So, I'd like to uh remove that from this list and put that off.

If I may, and I'm sure that some folks will speak to this. Yeah, it was refinished uh and it was made to look nice. That gets them through this next season, right? There's not much of an off time, but it will need to be refinished again before the next season, and there's not enough surface left on there to resurface it. So, it is that's why it's put into this this this fiscal or this capital plan takes us all the way through June of next year, the beginning of the next wedding season. And that's why this is it's this is being programmed this way. All right. Well, Ron was pretty good about it. So, anyway, hi.

Hi. How are you? I'm very good. Can you just pull that microphone down a little closer to you? Thank you. And identify yourself for the record.

My name is Brenda Dorne. I'm at 78 Church Lane. I'm the chair of the Friends of the Glenn Manor House. I'm here representing the executive board. We're committed to the preservation and restoration of a home that is over a hundred years old and generates a substantial amount of revenue for the town. Um, just to give you a little bit of background, our organization has contributed the past year over 18,000 in landscaping and flagpole installation. We're providing an additional 5,000 to hire consultant for the estate to be on the National Registry of Historic Places. Rob Marll, who oversees the Glenn Manor House, and Lizzy Desbia, the CEO of Russell Warren Catering Events, were not able to be here this evening, but they sent me information that addresses the dining room, the condition of the dining room floor.

Here's one of them online. If they would like to speak, they can raise their hand and Oh, R.J.'s online, right? Yeah. Well, that's just that's N. There they go. Do they want to speak? Because I He raised his hand. Okay. Raise your hand. I'm so I should sit back. No, you can stay right there. You're good. Good evening, everyone. I I I apologize that I couldn't be here in person tonight. It's okay.

Um but yeah, no, I'd love to speak to the uh the Glen Mayor floor. Uh we we actually talked with Rob today. He sent us um some information about that he's actually had to repair a couple holes in the past 4 weeks um with some there's some additional areas that still need attention. Um so from what he told us today, he said the floor presents a little bit of a safety hazard particularly for a guest in heels. Um dur during an event it is it is pretty well used. I mean, the whole the whole inside of the house is pretty well used and all the floors and we've been we've been lucky enough to, you know, replace the the ballroom and the library floor and this would be the the last piece of of uh repairing the whole floor throughout the uh throughout the Glen Manor. So, and it it will have some substantial uh usages this year. I think we have over roughly 125 weddings. So we'll have [snorts] a lot of people going in and out uh walking on the floor again with probably some similar volume anticipated next year. So right he's in his opinion he said deferring this for one or two more year one or two more years significantly increases exposure um and risk to uh people potentially injuring themselves. Okay, thank you for the update.

He basically said everything I was going to say because I [laughter] got the same information. I do want to say that Russell Warren has contributed to several projects at the Glenn Manor House themselves. You probably know this, repairing the awning. They did prior flooring work, landscaping, gardens, and ongoing efforts to secure grants. Right now we have a grant for over a h 100,000 that we're hoping because the loia needs repair. Um and we have people coming out looking at that very soon. So I again what I was told the floor is actively deteriorating poses a safety liability risk and with the volumes of events should not be deferred. So that's all I have. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I I wasn't told that when I was there and I wasn't shown any of the things. All I was shown was that the floor was repaired before the poly was put on it. And he showed me one spot that they said they repaired and that was the end. I walked the whole floor. So, and I don't think anybody's going to go through it because there's plywood underneath it and there's southern yellow pine under that. Uh and I just like to say that um that's a large portion of the money we get, you know, I mean that we get maybe at the and I think it's less this year. We usually get around 290K. This is this is 105K out of that 290 and this is just one item. So that's a cons that's why I had the consideration of that. So

but it's an asset we own that we can't let deteriorate any further than it has over the the past self. Miss Patton. Yeah. Um so I have some questions. Um under recreation um the Glen Park horse ring. Um is that for replacement of the whole thing or is that to uh do upgrades? That's for a replacement. Uh it is rotted uh according to DPW. It's essentially beyond repair at this point. So, they're going to replace the whole thing. Yes. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Gleon.

While you're on, excuse me, while you're in the Glen Park, what what are the ex exhibit hall improvements? Is that considered the 4H area? That's the exhibit halls. The first building on the left behind the playground. Yeah, that's uh that's been an ongoing concrete block building. Is it concrete block? Pardon? Is it a concrete block building on the left? I'm thinking of something else. No, you're thinking of I'm thinking of the the one that's right behind the the um the playground that's in there now. It's kind of hidden by bushes. Trees covered. Yeah.

Yeah. There's this project has been ongoing for years. There's just a number of uh projects that we try to do in there with the goal someday making it a better space that people could actually use on the inside. Right now, it's pretty much just storage. And the issue that we have during camps, uh, other than, you know, the the picnic area, there's there's no place for people to go inside.

Gotcha. The, um, I'm happy to hear that the riding rink I there was rumors around they were tearing it down and not replacing it. So, it's good to see that they're still going to use that in the future. But, what is the future for the 4 facilities? Is that something we need to put money into as well? Uh that's in the out ears. Outear. Okay. Donations are welcome. Yes, they are. Thank you. Wrong wrong wrong button, sir. There you go.

I I had Well, red red means bad. All right. Um I just I had another question on the mini excavator. I think I think that might be something that we can put off till till next year. I mean, we have small and big back hose with attachments. um they'll do almost the same thing. A mini excavator is kind of a unique piece of equipment with a special use. So I want to see what we're going to do with that. It's going to solve two problems that we have. Um one, Prudence doesn't have a new backbone. The backos are very aged. They don't have a thumb to pick up a This is for prudence. For prudence. So what we're going to do if we get It didn't It didn't say that. I mean, it's not for prudence. It's not for prudence.

No. What we're what I'm saying is so one of the problems it's going to solve is the two back hose we got now. We're going to send one of those to Prudence. Oh, okay. So that way we'll have a backhoe and a Mini X here. The Mini X is we have plenty of outfalls in town and they're in residents backyards and we can't get to them with the backhoe. Mini X does a lot less damage to the lawns. And we also have the spillway at Melville that needs to be cleaned out. All right. And all those projects right now we're currently contracting out. So this is to bring those back in house. Yes. Correct. Thank you.

Any other questions, Mr. McD? Could you just go over the the um explanation again for Cog Demo and Glenn Park playground? It's with that or there. Correct. I because I'm having a hard time understanding that.

Right. So, we applied for uh a congressional grant to do the demolition of the Kag Kagaw school and build a new baseball field at that site. If we get that grant, there's a required grant match. We don't know if we'll get that grant. We may not know until late in the fiscal year. If we do get that grant, we we would program this money for the Kaga Shaw demo and the baseball field. Or if we don't get that grant, then we'll apply that to the Glen Park playground structure, which is an ongoing project. I mean, it doesn't look like an unfinished project now, so it's not going to be an isore anything like that, but uh we would add then the playground structure project, complete that project in fiscal year 28 instead of fiscal year 27. So, that's why it's it's an eitheror. We were looking to, you know, I could have put them both in there, uh but there was great pressure to be uh under uh the levy. So, this was an area where we thought we could do one or the other, but not both. school movie.

May I just ask the anticipated cost to do the demo and the ball field? Are you talking about $350,000 total? Uh, no. It's quite high and I can't remember, Leah, do you remember the amount? Yeah, I I can't remember. We submitted that paperwork a couple months ago. Uh, I'll get it I'll distribute it to the council and let you know what the full cost of that. didn't go in. Yeah. Yeah. The grant the agreement that you would receive is more than double of what you're putting up. It's much more than our match. Thank you. Right. The the 162 is the matching portion. Yeah. For the grant, Miss Paddton.

Yeah. So, with the Glen Park play uh playground structures, it doesn't look like an eyesore. You're right. It looks very nice that you know the new uh fixtures and structures down there. I'm just a little disappointed that we didn't put anything in here for Carson Frank Carson playground. Um, you know, we spoke about trying to get that playground up and going. Um, we put the $20,000 in there and I guess at this point um that may just take care of removing the old uh basketball uh court that's down there. Um I'm not sure if we had a figure. Um I know that park and recreation committee was working on getting some estimates and figures for um structures down there. Um I just would like to see something, you know, placed down there in in a figure um and not just everything down at Glen Park just spread the wealth kind of thing.

Sure. It's I it's in the plan. I don't know what year

we have. We have the $20,000 that was approved last year that stays. That doesn't go anywhere. Um, we're also looking at other projects that come in under what's budgeted. We take that money and we can add that to the fund. I'm not sure how much we have now devoted. Frank Carson, it's 20,000, but we were looking at we we'll look at the end of this year and any money that came in under what was projected will our plan is to project is to put that into the Frank Carson. There's a couple things that have to be done there. Once we do any work there, we have to make it ADA compliant and the typography of that makes it a bit difficult. So, that's going to eat up most of the cost. Um, but I we have not forgotten about it. I promise you we have not forgotten about it.

Thank you, Miss McDall.

Yeah, I I um I personally would just like to see the cog shell demo. I know that right when we got on the council, we had a presentation um about the demo and the individual costs associated with that. Um, and and from what I remember in years past, I mean, it it's talked about all the time about the demolition, and I know we've applied for the grants. Um, but in the event that we don't get the grant, I do still think that we should concentrate on that. So to have another thing attached to it right now, I don't think is is um is a good idea.

It's it's not attached to it. Oh, you're talking it's it's all right. It's if you if you don't get the grant, then you revert to the playground structure. Correct. Because we need 400 $400,000 to or $500,000 to do the entire project. So the 162 is just to cover the match for the grant if we get the grant. If we don't get the grant, then we would have to pony up 500,000 to do the entire project out of our own funds.

Or we could look at doing, you know, starting with half the building and start the demolition in a in a uh progression in a stage. That's that's how what what I feel, Mr. Ree.

Yes. Um, would it would it be possible to hold that funding just for the Cogill School demolition only? And the reason is, like you said, if we don't get this grant and we spend the money on playground equipment or something else, then we're going to apply for the grant again, we're going to have to come up with the additional money again. You know, this way we will have it. That's part of it. That starts us down the path of saving towards getting it. I'd like to I'd like to, if I can, I'll make a motion to fund the demo of Coxel School only with that funding and bold it just for that. So that that's an intended purpose.

So you want to encumber this specifically for that, we're not going to obviously we're not going to be able to knock it down with the 162, but you're saying if we put the 162 aside this year, if that's the base, if that's the base that we need to to um

go along with the the grant we're supposed to get, we don't want to get rid of that ever because if we get rid of it, we're going to have to look for it again. This way we've have it in a budget. We're ready. We we apply for the grant. We explain it to them what we want to do. Like for example, that's probably a good site for an auxiliary fire station up that end of town. Reduce the response time. We may be able to get some grants towards that. So I' I'd like to make a motion to um to hold that money strictly for the demo of Coxell School. Okay. So if we don't get the grant, we're just going to encumber it. Yes. for the future and put it into a restricted account essentially. I imagine you could bring it back to the council and we could

that's free it up. That's fine with me. I have a second motion. Okay. Thank you. I just have a qu So is it um just the demo or with baseball? Does that go to the grant would cover everything? Okay. is the goal is for the grant to cover removal of the building, the asbestous and then install another little league field there. Okay. Okay. Any other questions on that? One more. Yeah. And um the grant was applied for when

um this was the latest round of congressional directed spending. I want to say it was maybe March, February, March time frame. We started answering questions before Chris before Christmas time frame on this. Um and then Cong Congressman Ammo was the one who picked it up. And the anticipated timeline? No, no, no news on that. Yeah. May maybe it'll fund Department of Homeland Security first. Who knows? Mo most likely it would be hopefully before the end of this fiscal year which would be October for the federal government for them. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Any further questions? So the motion is to encumber the $162,000 to be solely used for Cogill uh demo in Newfield. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes. 7 to zero. Any other questions on CIP? See, no. Mr. President, motion to provisionally approve the total for the capital improvement plans at $847,941.

Second. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes 7 to zero. So if we could go to page 80 um here we'll just uh this is not part of the general fund uh but we always discuss during this time period the enterprise funds.

Okay. And it's important this time because we're talking about uh obviously the uh waste enterprise funds. So uh just for everybody's knowledge uh enterprise funds are used uh to separately fund and account for specific town operations that are intended to be financially self sustaining. So these funds are distinct from the town's general fund and they're structured so that the revenues generated by the activity typically through user fees or lease agreements cover the full cost of providing the service or maintaining the property. The town currently maintains four active enterprise funds. So the first one we see uh here on page 80 is the Glen Farm Equestrian Center. So, in accordance with the concessionire's contract with the town, the operator of the Glen Farm Equestrian Center is obligated to remit a base rental fee of $19,422 plus 5% of their annual gross receipts. Per the agreement, an amount not to exceed the first $5,000 in revenue share generated shall be credited back and reinvested in repairs, renovations, and long-term maintenance of the facility. uh the finance director and our economic development uh director, they monitor this arrangement through periodic reviews uh with the proprietor. So at present there is approximately $107,000 in a restricted account earmarked uh for repairs and maintenance of Glen Farm. So for FY26, we project rental revenue of $19,422 and we request provisional approval of $19,422 for this enterprise fund. And again, that's used for grounds maintenance and facility repairs.

Any questions on the uh question, Mr. Muel? Sorry. The uh contract is coming up when uh next contract renewal. I don't know off top of my head, but I can answer that for you. First thing, I would say it was renewed two years ago. It's fiveyear contract, Mr. Rainer, I believe. So, yeah. Three three rollover periods. That's the second one. And um I take it that they're they're holding their end of the bargain as far as you know.

Yeah, we have periodic reviews. Uh um we have to remind her, but uh I'm also going to admit that she has to remind us too that we're not always uh doing just due to funding. There are things that we can do. Sometimes we don't get to them as fast as she wants and vice versa. But, uh, we do work well together and the facility is much better now than it was when she took over. Thank you. Is there a motion to provisionally approve the Glen Farm Equestrian Center Enterprise Fund at $19,422? So moved. Second. All those in favor? Opposed? Motion passes seven to zero.

Okay, the next one. Uh, this is the uh transfer station budget. Um I put this uh this is in the packet that I I gave to you today based on the discussions that we had uh last month and on Monday night. Uh we've developed this budget. So this transfer station budget and the operations were discussed Monday night and based on council direction the waste division manager position has been moved to public works and one waste connect employee uh is being requested to be removed from the budget starting July 1st. So based on current sales of 243 stickers, uh we request provisional approval of 79 798,436 for the Headley Street Transfer Station Enterprise Fund. And that would uh based on sales of 2004. Uh we would recommend a sticker price of no less than $331. We usually round that off to make it easier for uh the clerks.

And just um to clarify here, that includes um under your repairs and maintenance a predicted amount of $44,000. You had asked, the council had asked that $20 uh per sticker go to a repair and maintenance fund. Uh that would come out to $44,000 which you see there in the repair maintenance. So if you need some clarification, go for it. No, no, no. I I I've been following along even through

the tough times you guys are entertaining. Um uh Mr. Mr. I just want to clarify uh with the transfer station sticker that I know there's a number although small of residents that both reside here on the mainland and on prudence island then they would be able to use both uh under one sticker cost.

It's uh that's that's up to the council. I up until uh the recent changes the annual sticker cost was the same whether you lived on prudence or here. Um so you could use either station. The nuance now is that uh the households uh on prudence the eligible households on prudence are going to be charged 175. That sticker is for the prudence island transfer station. Um, I think it could be a bit awkward to say that you buy a $175 sticker and if you have a property here and on Prudence, you pay 175, but you can use the Headley station. That I think that's a bit problematic. I don't know how we solved that.

I think we just do it the other way. Yeah. You you you if you buy a if you have a house on Prudence and on the mainland in Portsouth, you buy and you use that transfer station, you buy the Headley Street transfer station sticker which allows you access to Prudence, not the other one. I would agree since we're making up the difference for the prudence side. We're not doing that here on this side. We need we need the funding more here than we do there. And I think it would be more of a administrative thing because given the number of individuals is it's probably a half a dozen. Yeah, half a dozen. It's insignificant, but I think it would just be good for residents.

Just a a comment there. I just um I I do wish that that when we presented to the um Ruden Island Planning Commission that there was some clarity, more clarity. I mean others were on that. The information we got in our meeting was that one sticker was for both plays if you bought a um prudence island. And I I agree that that's what it should be. However, I wish someone had said that at the meeting that we had with them.

There's a man that said it, Mr. Rodri. I did not clarify, I guess, the best I could, but I wasn't talking about the future. I was talking about the past and what was done in the past. In the past, the sticker was used, it wasn't to be used for both places. We were thinking that the Prudence Island people who had a sticker there and on odd trash days that they couldn't go to the dump, if they were driving over here, they could use the transfer station over here for the Prudence Island household, not for a household they owned on the mainland. I understand that now, but that's not really what we heard in the meeting. But that's all right.

That's what I explained to you in the meeting that currently if you had a pass on prudence, you could use this transfer station. That's what I stated at the meeting. I agree. But now it changes. Well, it changes, but we hadn't gone through what we did on Monday night to align stickers and charge fees. So, until we get to that point, we can't make any new rules.

I I understand that, too. It's just when a presentation is being made and there's a concern. I mean, I thought it was a little awkward. I thought it was a little different that that was the case, but that's the information that I was given and if it was incorrect, it should have been said during that meeting or we really have to stop and think about that. Um, that's all I'm asking and going forward. I wish that would happen. Okay. So, first and foremost, transfer station. The new sticker, new sticker fee based on 200, excuse me, 243 stickers would be $331. We have a motion to approve the sticker fee at $331.

Mr. Mr President, I I'd like to massage that number a little bit. Being optimistic of that, I think more people are going to use the transfer station. Um [clears throat] because of the curbside uh costs, okay, and I'm just going to suggest that we assign a price of $325. Uh anything that we um are short in the shortfall would have to come out of the repairs and maintenance fund, but I'm optimistic that we would make these goals at 325. Is there a second? Second your motion. Okay. Motion is to set the transfer station sticker fee at $325. Miss blank.

Uh just a question for clarification. Can you help me understand where you ha how you had arrived at the 243 stickers? Is that the current rate? Okay. Thank you. Sure. Yeah. So, uh, you take the cost to the cost to operate the transfer station. Um, you subtract out, uh, I don't have that sheet. Pardon me. How did we get to 20,000? That's just the number of stickers. So, that's just the number that So, there's no escalation at all from the current. That's the actual number for this fiscal year. Thank you.

And we did remove the prudence stickers that were previously in that number as well. Okay. Correct. Yep. So, there's a motion in a second to set the sticker fee for the transfer station at $325. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 7 to zero. Now, we need to have a motion to set the enterprise transfer station enterprise fund provisionally at $798,436. So, move second. All those in favor? I

oppose. Motion passes 720.

Okay. On the next two pages, pages 82 and 83, uh here we present uh curbside. So, the curbside program was also discussed Monday night and based on council direction, the waste division manager position was moved to public works as I stated and two budget options are presented for your consideration. The first uh page 82 is a budget that does not incorporate incorporate a pay as you throw bag requirement based on current sticker sales of 3,225. The proposed budget for this option would be1,730,319 and the recommended sticker price uh would be no less than $64. The following page incorporates a pay as youth throw program. So if pay as you throw is added as part of the curbside program, the proposed budget for this option would be $1,797,49. Uh there's the cost of the bags, but then you have the revenue of the bags. And then the recommended sticker price would be no less than $537 for the same number of sales.

Okay, Mr. Pero. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh question, and I I kind of went into this one blindly because was viewing yesterday. Um, does the average household use more than $67 a year in bags? Yeah. What we did is we took the number of sticker sales Mhm. all three programs uh the 436 households and prudence the 200 uh 43 um transfer station and 3,225. You get a total number. Y

then we looked at the total cost of the bags. You know, first we did that for just the two programs because there's only two programs. Then we extrapolated how much how many more bags would be used based on the number of users in the other two programs. Uh then you get a total and then we just aortioned it by the ratio. Uh and that is how we came up with the number of bags to be used. I mean this will be the first year of the program. It could be under, it could be a little over. Uh but it'll probably be about right because we've been doing pay as you throw now for uh a number of years uh for both the transfer stations. So, so I'm a little concerned that although we all the pay as you throw does offer yes a $67 decrease in the sticker price that it is going to just inadvertently cause the household that does have um curbside currently to end up paying more once you incorporate the although I get where you're coming from but I'm just the pay as you throw bags and knowing your average household in this town It's going to cost more than $67 a year in just back.

It could, maybe yes, maybe no. What we found with the transfer station is that recycling rates uh went from single digits into the 30s when we implemented this. So, you get a greater uh uh recycling credit. Uh at the same time, it incentivizes people to there's less trash, so you're throwing away less and you're being charged less in a tipping fee. Um and then don't forget let's say people are using you know let's say they are using more bags uh you know you're getting more revenue from those bags. The other thing is is that you can control your costs. Uh and this is what we find in the other two programs. So if you are a family of two or three you're you're making less trash so you're buying less bags. So, your cost isn't going to be as high over that $537 figure as somebody who's got a larger family and is producing more trash. So, an argument was made at the beginning of this program years ago that it it distributes the cost more fairly. Um, these are just the two options.

No, no, no, no. Thank you, Mr. Hen. Um my my question is um the number of stickers you're getting to the price uh with the price there I um before or currently you're going off of 4,000 residents, right?

That was the initial the start of the program. We used 4,000 uh that was our uh estimated amount that went down and that obviously caused the deficit. um that deficit is rolled into this price. Uh that deficit will be paid for in the next fiscal year. Uh so uh ideally uh the price of the program will go down the following year because the because it's an enterprise fund, you can't carry it. So each year has to pay for itself. Okay. Thank you.

Chris Garceller 63 Leaps Road. Um, large bags cost approximately $2. It's Yeah, it's $10.75 for five.

Okay. So, $2. At the transfer station, you can wait 10 days, 12 days to go to the garbage um to drop off your one bag if that's all you have. But if you have garbage pickup that comes weekly, you're going to use at least one bag a week. So, one bag at $2 time 52 is $104. So that would mean if you're buying bags, you're going to do your pickup once a week. So it's $104. So the $67 difference doesn't work out. Um and last year when they talked about the pay as you throw, people who had curbside were [snorts] totally against it. So that was the majority of the people who did not want that. And if you force them to do that, now if you have one or two bags, they're going to pay a lot more than the $64, whatever it was. um you bringing that down from 620 to 604 will make a few people happy. So I would stick with no paybacks if if if that's what you're choosing one or the other. What is the council's pleasure? I I will also agree that for the most part people didn't want pa to throw. They wanted to be able to and as I think it was Dave from uh Mika said, you could throw anything you want in that barrel. If we go pay as you throw now, you can't throw anything you want in a barrel because it's got to be in a bag.

Just there are only a couple of you here on the council, but that was a big decision and that did uh that that was a huge discussion at the high school. Yeah,

I think I think people are going to be angry with us by instituting the pay as you throw. I think it needed to be investigated. I think it potentially could help the program, but I'm not, you know, stuck 100% on having to go this route. But the people on the curb side have to be able to be better [clears throat] recyclers. um because the waist stream we're know besides what we pay you know per customer we have to incorporate our tipping fees and things of that nature and if we're not getting the recycling rate that we see for instance at the transfer station up 30% or above it's costing us in the long run it's going to affect the program so

agreed I I can go either way um I I think we leave it status quo go with the 604. That's my opinion, but I'll make a motion that we go with the 604, the no pay as you throw option. Do you want to round that number to something else? Well, if you round it, we don't cover the expenses. You can round it to 610 and you're going to potentially cover a surplus. If you round it down to 604, we would If you round down to 600, we might create a deficit. I wouldn't I wouldn't go I would go up if anything. um

605 [laughter] if we're really just going with the philosophy of the odd numbers and trying to keep a round number in there. 604 is round. Okay. As long as as long as we're not going to to another $62. So, is there a second yet? Not yet. Okay. Second. Thank you, Mr. McD.

Yeah. I I um I just think that the right thing to do would be a pay as you throw program. However, um because it it the incentive to recycle to be stewards of good stewards of the earth um that is the way to go. However, given that they've the our residents have used this program without pay as you throw, I mean, I can't even imagine what we would face. Um but I do think that we should not give up on this on educating people with recycling and even educating people um about the possibility of pay as you throw and the reasons why pay as you throw is the way to go. And that means that that the town has to do a little better in in getting that message out. I think we all do. Sounds like a slogan. Pay as you throw is the way to go.

Yeah. So, I think I hear that as a warning because this is a five-year plan and we don't know what's going to happen in second year and we may be looking at pay to throw in the third year. We can also I really do believe that's the road we're going to be going down. I I do believe that. But we continue to have bad recycling numbers. Yes. So this we can also ask our waste diversion manager to reach out to Ryar to see if they have any funding for us to for educational program as well. So this is the sort of damicles over our head like if if we don't do it today we well we investigated it. We know how it would work. So

but we've also agreed to speak to MIGA about tightening up the program. Oh that's definitely so we're not lost on that as well. Just want to mention that if if again if there are changes that are made in the next 6 weeks roughly uh with the way MIGA is going to handle our business it could affect this and change the cost but

and that that is my hope but we need to establish something now that allows a allows that to go forward and gives people an idea of where we're going to be at. So there's a motion and a second to establish the Mr. Fmor you have a question. 604 604 604. So we have a motion and a second to set the sticker fee at $64 for the curbside program. All those in favor? I

opposed. Motion passes seven to zero. Now we need a motion to set the enterprise fund for curbside waste collection at 1 million730,319 provisionally. So moved. I would All right. I would like to get a discussion. So the second second for second in discussion. Thank you sir.

Um and this was talking to the lawyer. Um, I I I agree to fully fund curbside for FY 2027, but put half of the funds into a contingency fund during negotiations of the present contract. And Mr. Larissa was here, he could run this by you, but there's there there is so they get they get paid monthly. So we'll have all the money. You you you have all the money, but half of it is a I don't know. That's that's what was suggested. So they get paid monthly. All right. They get paid monthly. All right.

So we already have half of their money for half of the year. Okay. While we negotiate. All right. Any Okay. There there is a motion and a second. All those in favor? I I oppose. Motion passes. Seven to zero.

And even though it didn't get to a second, I just would like to speak to Mr. Reese's point that um there is potential that may come out of these negoti negotiations that we just appropriate a a less a dollar amount that's less than the total fund even though we are collecting money for the whole program. Correct. That could happen do that. Correct. Yes. Yes. Thank you.

Next up uh enterprise fund pick loan program is done enterprise fund for the loan program. Uh you'll see there's still activity, but this program is closed. So the last enterprise fund is the Arthur Daniel Hal House. Um this reflects the uh town's continued lease arrangement with the tenant who's renovating the property. The base fee remains the same for FY27. Uh and as in past years, the revenue is fully offset by an equivalent expense credit. So this results in a net budgetary impact of zero. Uh, we request provisional approval of $31,230 in expenditures and maintenance and repairs for the Arthur Daniel House. So moved. Second. Just one question.

Yes, sir. How's the progress on that house coming? Slow but moving forward. Okay, that's positive. Thank you. Any other further questions? All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes seven to zero. So now if we can go to page 25 and this was uh redistributed to you today because it was updated. And Rich, can you give us the bottom number just to make sure that we're all on the right page? Yeah, bottom line number is 79,181,527.

We still have $6,160 to be made up. It's going to change here once.

6,160 is the delta between what was done last night and the 1855 moved today is what I have is $6,160. Okay, so this is the uh uh this goes back to the expenditure summary page and next we'll talk about debt service which is summarized near the top of page 25. Uh there is additional detail for those interested in starting uh interested and it starts on page 69 of the document. So as a reminder the town is responsible for both town and school debt and those obligations are incorporated into the general fund budget. So for FY27, the total debt service is approximately 2.65 million. This actually represents a decrease of about 176,000 or just over 6% from the current year. And that decrease reflects the normal progression of our existing deck schedule. So for FY27, we are asking provisional approval of the following. $5,000 for the annual bond administration fee. $1,557,420 for school bond debt and $1,92,100 for town bond debt service. So this results in a total debt service appropriation of $2,654,520.

You don't need those individual. You just need the bottom line. Just the bottom the $2,654,520. Mr. Grieve, do you have a question on the death service or is there something else? Yes, sir. Okay.

Tom Gre, 110 Third Drive. Um, [clears throat] uh, last night, Mr. Duro provided the council with a calculation of the state housing aid reimbursement for the 2022 um, bond service uh, debt service. I want to let you know that I agree with his calculations, but is important that you understand why there was a difference. Portsouth residents were told they were going to get reimbursed 45% of the total debt service for that bond, both principal and interest. That is how I made my calculations as I saw from Mr. Euro's papers and later confirmed with him after his presentation, Ry actually bases their reimbursement on the net cost of the projects. The traditional um for a traditional bond covering the projects, our two calculations would have produced the same results. However, the 2022 bond is somewhat unique as an instrument. The town sold that bond with an above market 5% interest rate. This product uh I said this produced a premium above the $19.5 million face value. This premium cost the taxpayers an extra $2 million more in debt service which RIDE will not reimburse by this difference. I bring this up tonight because the school department is planning yet another bond almost twice as big. If the voters approve that bond, the council needs to make sure they understand the complete implications of the instrument

being proposed before allowing it to be offered for sale. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Are you going to come back and help us learn what that is? All right. Well, the the problem was we were there was no way to find out what the that the instrument had changed uh until way late. They they do this after they issue it.

You you before you when you give permission to issue it, you must put parameters on it. So that if it if it's changed from those parameters, it has to come back for your approval. That was the difference that happened last time. So you have to put bound we have to put boundaries around what they're allowed to do. So they that is correct. They can't do a premium bond and pay that extra money. The boundaries are up to what the council decides. You certainly can do a premium bond if you want. But you should know and so should the uh so should the reimburseed for anything above the base rate. Is that the right word to say? It it depends. There's a lot of Well, I mean, it's just

No, but there's there's a lot of other things that go into the reimbursement rate with with Ry. I'll be I'll be happy to to talk about the the various things uh with you privately uh that that would need to be specified or have a range around them. Thank you. Chrisorio is a great resource as well. Chrisorio is also a great resource to use. And just to clarify, it was it was stated that the projected was possibly 45% not definitively 45%. It wouldn't you know I mean no when you go into

not know until the completed and then ride reviews initially when this whole build our schools better program Yeah. every project was going to be 55% as sold by Gina Raando. Yeah. Okay. That was a falsehood. Right. If you build a new school, you might get 85%. I think East Providence is getting 85%. Yeah, you get if you go regional, there's a different percentage, but what we were going for in our final because remember the entire project started off something as 70 something million. So, it's just like anything else. Money is nothing more than a commodity, something you buy, something you sell, something you rent. And you just have to make sure that you know what you're buying.

We we Chris does a very good job of trying to make sure we get as many and as much reimbursement as we can. Yes. By packaging things together that allow for a greater increase because I think some of them most of them were 35. I think one or two might have been 40 depending on what the projects are. So it it's a shell game with ride unfortunately. [snorts] Free money is always a good thing. Yes. It's not free. You're paying for it in in the in the $250 million bond that that the state funded two of them I think. So, all right. Do we have a We have a motion and a second to provisionally approve the 2.6. No, we don't.

No. Okay. Can we have a motion to provisionally approve? Second $22,654,000 $520. All those in favor? I

oppose. Motion passes seven to zero. Okay, just uh just below that section, you'll see a section called other. Um this outlines several uh nondep departmental expenditures to be approved for next fiscal year. The total for this category is approximately 960,000 and represents a 4% increase overall. The largest component here is the capital improvement plan which was just discussed and and approved. You will also notice that we did not include funding this year for the capital reserve fund or the town contingency fund. Those were deliberate decisions uh as part of our effort to manage the overall levy and prioritize available resources. We're asking you to provisionally approve the following. $50,000 for uh additional OPED funding, other post-employment benefits funding, $10,000 to the open space reserve fund, and $51,920 for grant matches, which allows us to leverage external funding for priority projects. So, at this point, that I got ahead of myself.

Okay, so we'll take them one at a time. Can I have a please have a motion to provisionally approve the OPED fund additional OPED funding at $50,000. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes 7 to zero. I have a motion to provisionally approve $10,000 to the open space reserve fund. So moved. Second. Question. Yes. um is I thought that that was normally funded through real estate sales or something like that. I thought we were doing something along those lines, a trans like part of a transfer fee. No. Okay. And so this is for buying

if a piece of property happens to come up and we want to preserve it as open space. Okay. We have a fund set aside for it. It it got pretty well whacked down over the years with large purchases. So, so we we just starting this back up. Is that No, it's been a couple years, I think, right? No. All right. But what's the what's the balance in there? It's Is it in the back page? Um your book where it's special revenue funds. What is 86? Thank you. Mary's right on top of this. Special revenue. So, the open space in there.

Find it quicker than I'm sorry. It's probably in a restricted account. So, we will uh get you that fund total. Okay. Written in invisible ink. No, unless you could find it out. Okay. All right. Yeah, I'd like to know that. Thanks. Sure. So, there's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I oppose. Motion passes seven to zero. And then, uh, grant matches to be funded provisionally at $51,920. So moved. Second. I Yep. Rich, stupid question. Uh but since it's a very specific number, I'm assuming these grant matches are already associated with certain grants.

It's uh a number of grants that we're anticipating and applying for and this is what the call. Yeah. 6160 short. No, we'll figure it out. Yes, we'll get it figured out. Any other questions on that? All those in favor? I I oppose. Motion passes seven to zero. Do you need us to uh provisionally approve the bottom line other total? It's it's already all added. You've already done. Yeah. Okay.

Okay. So, at this point, you've reviewed uh all the elements of the proposed revenues and expenditures for the fisc year budget with the changes that we've all discussed and that you've approved. Uh the town budget both revenues and expenditures is 79,166,565. So we would ask that you provisionally approve the bottom line revenue and the bottom line expenditure for the same amount 79,166,565.

Okay. So we need to but you're going to adjust the revenue to make up that six grand that's missing. It's all automatically done. Okay. So what what the changes that you've made that has changed the uh first I'll read uh what the levy is. Go to this page. It's going to recalculate chart. Yeah. It's microscopic. Okay. So, the new levy uh total. Yeah,

there you go. Uh the new levy is 67 uh million218,115. And I'll publish this all tomorrow as well. And that makes the new tax rate. Uh well that that puts you $719,296 below the cap and the tax rate on real estate and commercial property uh will be uh 98 9.837 837 Okay.

What was the number uh that put us below the cap, please? 719. Yes. $719,296. Thank you. So, okay, the percentage uh if you follow the percentage is uh we're at 2.899 and the cap is four year over year. Okay. So, do we have a motion to provisionally approve the fiscal year 27 budget for the town of Portouth? That's at 79, $166,565. So moved.

Second. All those in favor? I have it. I have a question. We're gonna I'll get to that question. Is the one you just asked me, right? We'll get to that in a second, but it's part of a discussion before the vote. But anyways, Um if we a quick second motion passes seven to zero. Yeah, it shouldn't have though. But it's all right. Go ahead.

On page 22, you know, we discussed this uh the revenue for fire under revenue for fire. We discussed this and I went home and I scratched my head and I I can't understand it. So, I tried to begin to look at it and when I when I'm looking at it, it it just didn't make sense. So we we have for actual 2024 when I believe if my research is correct for 2024 we started this fund and and if I understand it the way it was explained is this is ambulance money that comes in and correct me anytime if I'm on the wrong track. It's ambulance money that comes in and goes into the account. Correct.

Percentage. Percent. Percentage goes into the account. The rest goes into the public safety capital fund. The tell me say that again.

Yeah. Go to page. I I see the public safety capital fund and I see it in um the actual in 2023 was 766274 and then in 2024 it was 931853. In 2025 it's 1.2 million and um in 2025 it's 1.423152. So each year this this fund increased and we put we had actuals numbers um of 262438 in 2025. Uh

correct. Right. So, as I I explained, it was this was a council prior because of the skyrocketing cost of the apparatus, the fund will not be self-sufficient if we don't put more of the ambulance revenue in there. So, we're decreasing the amount of that revenue that goes into the general fund with the idea that we will finally wean oursel off of that and all the ambulance revenue will go into the capital plan. I mean the cost of a we just I don't know if chief is still here we just got a a cost for an apparatus and how much was that chief?

Bought one three years ago for 550 and go was a million.

Yeah. So it's just you know 100% increases in the cost of apparatus. We're trying to keep this so that there is absolutely minimal impact on the taxpayer. This was what this was designed to do. So, not only does it buy uh fire apparatus, but it buys two police vehicles a year. Uh the cost of those police vehicles has gone from under $50,000. It's now on by the time you outfit it with lights and everything else, it's almost $100,000 for a police car. So, we have to wean oursel off of this. This is what we started doing. And so, this is why while it looks like the revenue is decreasing, the revenue is not decreasing. We're just taking less of that revenue and putting it in a general fund. We're putting it we're trying to get it into the capital funds so that we don't have to borrow money for apparatus and

so do we know from year to year what the actual revenue is coming in is there any indicate where do we see that I look I tried to look in the audit I looked here so does is it safe to say that from 2023 to 2024 that's the actual amount that came in I think it would be easiest if we just ran a report and added this as an addendum page or a section below that that line so people could see how much is coming in year to year and that that I think that would answer your question [snorts]

is there ever money taken out I know for vehicles but has there been in the LA since the uh fund has been instituted for for apparatus purposes yeah absolutely yes and so would have an account you could do an account of what has come in since inception other than the the two police cars which are automatic chief when he's doing a request uh comes before the council and outlines what the plan is for the vehicle uh how the bids came in and it gets your approval to expend that money before he buys the apparatus. Okay. But but you will provide the for the last since its inception what the income is.

I think we can do that pretty easy. Yeah. Yeah. And and just if I may, uh I I think what the chief said, uh so people at home, I don't think you heard him. The the last ambulance was $500,000. 550 fire truck. Fire, not ambulance. Fire. A fire truck. Okay. Thank you. Did the Sure.

Sit there.

There you go. Have a seat, Chief. I think that's the last thing Chief wants to be as a lawyer. [laughter]

So, the the plan first started in actually fiscal uh 22. uh that when we made a purchase right away when we put this whole plan in place that engine that took us over three years to get what we paid upfront $583,000. We just got a quote I got it within the last week then to order a new engine. The best price we've got is just over a million. Our medical rescues I got one in fiscal 23 for 424,000. We just spent 454,000 and the new quotes, not that we need one right now, 600. The ladder truck quote came in at over 1.8 million. And it's just unbelievable. And when the plan was put together, we didn't have any idea of these kind of prices. We looked at normal growth in revenue and normal growth in costs and came up with this plan. But apparatus as I just showed you o almost 100% increase really since about co or just just after that they had a lot of trouble and and this is nationwide

is there did one of the companies go out of business is is it no a conglomerate bought them off Rev group has purchased a lot of the the manu KME that we use um I think E1 the rev group owns they also own other truck businesses like street sweepers and so forth, but it's it's all being done under a big umbrella. If you go out right now and buy an absolute stock um spec truck, you know, just made to sell, nothing fancy, nothing that you ordered. It's at least 900,000 to get something that you had no say in how it was just just something off the lot. Yes.

Yeah. And this fund also, it covers our fuel, all of my fuel where the boats too, fuel, maintenance, all of the maintenance. Um, and the as uh Mr. Rainer mentioned yesterday, the fees that we have to pay for the billing company. So, and it's gone very well, except the price is going through the roof. The problem we're going to see in the coming up soon, we're going to have a problem. Yeah, I understand you were blaming the chief on that because the road getting too safe. We're slowing traffic down. You're not having as many accidents. That's a good thing.

Good for the people, but not for Rock Avenue.

I mean, there's essentially three things we're doing to try to tackle this. Obviously, we're trying to maintain our equipment better to make it last longer. Um, we This is what we talked about when we talked about the fire budget. Uh we're increasing the qualifications of the force so we have more emergency uh and advanced life support personnel qualified paramedics. When you have qualified paramedics on the ambulance that increases the ambulance fees and that helps us bring more revenue in and then we're reducing the draw to the general fund so that we can keep this fund selfi self-sufficient. And the whole premise of this, the whole idea behind this was to avoid those large purchases being added into the tax levy.

It it certainly is a great idea. I just was having a really hard time understanding. And then when I looked at it and saw how do you I tried to look for a revenue uh some sort of indicator that says how much is go coming in and how much is going out from this and I couldn't find that so I just got confused. Yeah, we we'll we'll add a page every year. We find something new makes it better. So that's a great idea. Thank you. We've covered everything. We have approved and as you said uh we will have a public hearing um

June 11th. June 11th. June 10th or 10th. I'm sorry. You said 11th earlier. No, it was May 11th before or Yeah, that is typically a Wednesday. Um and then the last meeting in June, you will formally adopt uh the budget. So, yes, there's time to get Steve in. Yes, there's time to sit down with Mega. There's there's time to look at some of these things. So, and time for the general assembly to give more money to the libraries and hopefully some to us as well. You are a funny guy. There is a bill that asks to continue to fund. I think the library bill is going to pass. So, we don't have to come tomorrow night. We do not have to come tomorrow night. So,

I'm going to do something fun tomorrow night. I'm going to go to I'm going to go to the police academy. No, what you're going to do is make a motion to cancel tomorrow night's meeting. So, all those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes seven to zero. I appreciate all of you getting this done this evening so we don't have to come back tomorrow night. And I can get up first thing in the morning and drive to New Jersey. I got Dave. Can you say second? Second. All those in favor?