Town Council - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the first public budget meeting. For those of you who have an agenda or want an agenda, I believe and hope they're uh to the side of the door. I actually don't have an agenda in front of me. Pledge of allegiance.

Uh yep. We'll be starting with the pledge of allegiance and then I have uh I have an agenda. So, thank you for rising. I will lead. I pledge algiance to the flag United States of America and to the republic for which stands one nation indivisibley justice for all.

Thank you. So, uh, I discussed with the solicitor about our specific following of this agenda and basically what I've been told is agenda related conversations can take place. This, as you can see, isn't really the tightest of agenda formats. Mr. Rego, and I agree, thinks it would be a good idea for an overview. And uh Mr. Rego, I think there's no one here better suited than you to start off with a overview of where we're at.

Sure. Yeah. So, uh, I just want to commend, uh, Brian and Gary for doing such a great job. I think we're in a lot better position today than when this budget was, uh, originally given to us. Uh, today we're going to talk about the operation budget, the capital budget, and revenue. Uh, but for for next week, on top of whatever Sandy puts on, I think we need to discuss decent fines at that point. um debt service, uh reduce special revenue fines, and we've got our fiveyear plan and uh you want me to say it all over again? Are you guys good to

All right. Thank you. Uh so, uh again, I think we're in good shape. Uh, and the other thing that and was part of my ordinance, um, when we're looking at the budget, one of the things that I had requested, and Gary will put it in as we go along, if there are things that are over five or 4%, if we can just put in a word or two why it's that, I think we're going to be in good shape. That all you want to do? Yep. Okay. So looking at your operating budget, council has this handout which is in front of us. It's the most current.

Hopefully there are others out there in the for the public or not. May I ask if the one that was in our book is this? It's the same. It is. It is exactly the same. Just another one because I know that one was kind of crushed. Okay. So it' be easier for you with your ruler. All right. I I I I'll just make uh so the difference I believe uh from what was in our packet and what you have in front of you is under the T town managers requested 2627. If you go down and you go across from non- tax revenue that changed by a million that'll that'll be $6,55752. Is there anything else Gary that would have changed?

The revenue and the expansion. Okay. All right. So I am crossing this one. It changed after the the packet was put together. Our packet that was sent to our home, but the but this this insert we received the insert we received today is correct. Yeah. So I guess you could just change the top sheet. I have some given these different books. You have the one I have. Yeah.

All right. So, we will start right off with operations debt service. which is top line. And Mr. Marshall, you're going to be doing this live, correct? Yes. All right. So, that's always a plus. So, you're back.

Mr. Marshall, do you have a microphone, please? So, this can be captured easier for the transcripts. Okay. Okay. So, this is our actually our debt service for next year. Um, this column here would be what we're going to have to pay. 3.4 um 56 is what um we kept what we included in the manager's budget. Since then, we discovered that this first $49,000 is on a loan that we didn't completely draw down. So, there is that payment is not due. So, on your in your column in in the budget, I plugged in $49,000 this.

So, what would be the bottom line reduction on that, Jerry? Um, should be on the front page, right? Oh, you already have it done. Yeah. So, it's the three. So, it went from the 340 3 um 3,456 that in the manager's budget down to 3407112 in the council budget. So, we don't have it plugged in. So, I think you're going to have to Oh, you plugged it in over there. Yeah. Okay. So, that would be 3407 912. Yeah. And 112. It's the town. council column three firms and other

he's talking about over here it's not in this well if it was minus if it's just subtracting 49,000 from that number then the 912 should not be on top what yeah it's less no 49100 something like that 17 oh sh sorry 49002 oh 49800 yes thank you I apologize That's my mistake. All right. So, correct. The number is 34 07112. Yes.

Okay. Moving right along. We have the $1 million payment. This is our last payment, correct? Yes. The settlement. Yep. July in July would be the last payment. Then we have the financial administration which we have a so go right ahead. So the way I broke it down is by departments. So there's going to be multiple departments on that financial administration line. So we're going to look at those specific like it's it's going to pull in the town council, the town manager, the town clerk's office. So you have to go to those tabs to look at what's budgeted.

Yes. Go line by line. Okay. So we should go. So if you want to start with like the town council, that' be a good one. Okay. So that would be what? Town offices. The second page. Yeah. The second second page. Council wages salary contingency town sergeant brings us up to a total of 11561. Is that correct? Yes. Now, do we need to make a motion every time or do we just say everything's good?

We have to make motions. Yeah, I I'm good with this page. I'm I'll make a motion we approve the amount of Where the hell did I go? I just had it. 11 total expenses of 11,000 561. Is that what I'm looking at? Yes. Okay. And that is for the council. Yeah. And Sergeant, is there a second? Second. All in favor? I. Okay. Okay. Now, do we go to page? The page would be the town manager.

So, so that 11,561 that we just approved is part of the 380,892. Is that you said that that financial administration would factor into Yes. subsequent pages. So, at the end, we're gonna after we do all of this, it's going to add up to 380. Yeah, I think as we go along we're gonna we we're going to have a title total for town offices, something like that that we approve that's going to run as I'm sorry category financial administration is just the finance department. Okay. Um okay. So we have come under general government.

All right. So the first action today is going to be so this is the treasurer's office financial administration. Yes. It's a I have it as financ which is the third to be the third sheet uh four page page four. All right. That's 380892 and that is on page four. So we skipped over the town manager. Uh we did because our first one isn't an all-incclusive. We thought we were um adding up all of these and they were going to work into that 381, but that's not correct. So, what we're going to do is go back, start again.

Sorry. It's okay. We caught it then instead of in an hour. Uh so, we're looking at financial administration, which is treasurer's office 380,892. When we go to page four, you look at finance and assessor. So I the only thing I would Mary this doesn't end with the three this the bottom line here is we got revenue and expenses on the same page. I'm confused. Yeah, we can go back afterwards and do the revenue. So are we looking at the revenue or we looking at the expense?

But neither of them add up to Uh 38892.

We're missing something here. I don't think we did we change anything on the We haven't made any changes. We're starting right off with with Joe. Can I make a suggestion? Sure. Can we can we just go as as the budget format is one page at a time? In other words, because as he's plugging it in there, it all change, right? You have it set up where it all change. So, we did the council and we're good with that. Can we do the managers next? That way, we'll go one page right after another. That way, we don't have to go back and forth and then we can go back to revenue. I think it'll be easier that way.

Yeah, I I I don't disagree. It's just what I was trying to do is we were on the third of the first page. third item of the first page. So, well, if we just go through the expenses for every department, it's automatically going to put them in the category they're supposed to go. And then when we go back and we approve the total for that department or the total for town offices, it'll be right there. So, isn't that this? Yes. But some of this is going to be changed. If I make any changes here, what I did was I'll follow whatever you want. I kind of set this up so that it it would be similar to the report you're getting every month. Okay. um just to make it continuous so you know it's a little more understandable um

and then I try to feed it into the form that you used in prior years. So yeah, I think um loose idea would be the best. Yeah. So if we could go I assume that's kind of what Okay. I have no problem following uh we're going we're going where are we going? Go back to town manager. Page three. Okay. Yep. Okay. Page three. Uh I don't have anything other than if you could put um for notes under the union clerk, the office clerk and the floating clerk. Uh um because that went over 4% just for contractual on both of those

the the two the office clerk union and the floating union. That just two. You want us to make a note that they went? No, he'll put it in his in his thing. He already did that. I put it in the contract settlement. Yeah, that's what's So that's not an actual 6% but when you base it based on last year's it adds up to 6% but that was already incorporated in the last year. So it is actually the 4% from this year and the 2% from the first year of the contract that never got put in. So last year we adjusted for the 3% increase but the prior year was a 2% increase. So two in the four gives you 6%.

So is there a motion to approve the 209 293? So move second. All in favor? I I All right. I don't see a over here. Okay. I think right. Well I thought we were over here. All right. I see it over here. But on the town council, they were approving over here. Well, that's the actual John. I think that's what we've spent to take. So, this is um Well, now I see the 209, but on the town council, what we were approving is over here. It's over there, too. But it's not the same. Yeah, they're not the same numbers.

Yeah, but it was the same on the council. That's what confused me. Okay. So what what's on the left that's what's on the right that's not on the left. Uh the left I believe is a where we're at the date through February. So it'll show you how much we've spent from last year's budgeted amount. It says 26 to 12. Oh, I thought that was an eight. Okay. Yeah. So it's um Okay. Yeah. The columns always used to be uh proposed by the department heads, forwarded by the manager, and then we approved it, and that was the column that we would approve. This is completely different. Yeah. Lewis asked for an actual

Well, let me let me say this. Couple of years ago, you you were struggling not knowing what you had spent prior years. Now, we have what you spent in 24, what you budgeted, what was actual. You have what was budgeted in 25 actual, and then you also have what was budgeted last year, and what you've used year to date. But we we always had the two previous text budgets to reference in that column. That was one column, two column, and then department head requests, manager budget, and then the council's budget. If we made changes, that's the way it always was. So that's why I'm looking at this. I'm saying, yeah, this is like very easy format to follow. I

I I'll get it, but it's so different from the last one. It's, you know, All right. Not bad. Okay. So now I see the 209 293. I'm just so used to it being in that last column where council approved. So it's not there. It's like way over there. Okay. All right. So now where are we going? Page four. Page four. Which is finance and assessment. So uh picking with expenses. Correct. Correct. I had just two questions on this, Mr. President.

Go right ahead. Um on the outside services there was a jump this year. I presume that's because of the audit. Is that correct? Yes. And then uh the decrease in the clearing account due to library state aid. Can you explain that a little bit uh more? Um what jump? Are we going to re we're staying on expenses? Correct. On expenses it's um in the notes for middle section finance clearing account at the in the middle. So there was a that that explanation was because there was a negative balance of 2371 the current year and that's due to library state aid. It's money that we owe to the library. It just hasn't been paid to them yet. Okay.

And then that budget um actually stayed at um there was no change in that budget. Okay. So what was the other one you Oh, outside services. Yeah. I just you you confirmed that it was because of the auditors that we've we've hired. Correct. So um yeah there's my actually going to connection shouldn't be as much assistance within the audit next year. That is good news. Thank you Mr. President. Uh no let's rephrase that. We will not need it. So could you just could you just put that in notes and also in notes where you have wages and salaries 6% increase contractual?

Yeah. Okay. So, I will make a motion that we approve total expenses for finance and assessor in the amount of 3,430,614. No, I don't believe that's correct. For 3429574 and this takes into consideration the revenue. So it's 3,833 800. Yeah. 3,833. No. No. 3,429,575.

He's telling me it's this number, but you're telling me it's this number. Well, I believe we're approving expenses. So I Yeah, it shouldn't be the bottom line. That's the total expenses and revenue. Should be 3827 804. Yes. Yeah. I'll second that motion. Oh, yeah. So, when we put in the revenue, it'll be decreased in that. Yeah. Okay, that makes sense. All in favor? I I Okay, you're going to get it by little. How do we go to page five? I hate change. Is that where we're at? Yep. after that that service

or else that why don't we stay with we don't yeah so debt service normally we run through all the department and clear that out yeah debt service is kind of a back page for this we already talked about debt service yeah so normally normally we go through all the departments go wherever you want that I was going to do in the beginning okay going to go right down the left column but then everybody seemed to want to go to um the Next one. I think the next one is going to be the town clerks. Yes. On the 56 that we have for the handouts. Joe, I'm using this one. This is the order I'm getting it from. I don't know if it lines up the same. So, I'm actually on page six now. Yeah. Yeah. So, we're actually here.

Okay. All right. Okay. There we go. Well, now we go. So when we look at the expenses for the clerks, we come up with $42 452,528. Okay, I see the big jumps are because the 100% jumps in the percentages is because of the election coming up. So we're going to have to have more workers and stuff. Everything else is um

either a 3% or a zero. And then we do have the wages and salary union which is the 6%. And so for the whole total expenses were up 8% over last year. Am I reading that correctly over here? I believe so. Yes. Yeah. Okay. And a lot of that is because of the 200% for the election year. Okay. So Gary, if you could just plug in under wages and salaries contractual, that's the only thing that went above. So we're looking for a motion for 452528 and that'll be the clerks. I'll make a motion to approve the total expenses for the town clerk at $452,528. Second.

All in favor? Okay. So, am I correct to say page seven? I believe so. Correct. All right. Chief, you want to talk about anything or point anything out? Question.

Yeah. Um, you got a 32% uh increase than the medical director was. Yeah, it's just uh he's been it's so it's our doctor in order for us to have a rescue service provided for the town and he's just way under comparables of other towns just trying to get them a little closer to where uh um other medical directors are paid and he's even at that rate he's still way under. So it's just it's a local person and he ends up going we don't have enough there to get somebody else. So Gary just put current under par. I think that would explain it. Chief, do you know what Barington Bristol pay theirs?

Uh Bristol's six 66 6,600 I believe. Um Tivan I found was close to where I have that 8,000. Barington it's hidden in their budget. It was not visible. Tiv was 8,000. Bristol was 6,600. Those are the only ones I could find that actually had it listed in their budget. So it's a onetime payment of 5,000. It's we spread it out over the years. Just his fee for being our medical director to be able to run the ambulance. It hasn't changed in the past three years. Correct. I never realized that we had the Yeah, he's involved in the operations and all the decisions on the uh ambulance. All right. Anything else?

Yeah, Gary, under um wages and salaries, if you could just plug in contractual over there. Uh Chief, on apparatus repair, that's a 10% increase. Um I I think it's a reasonable, you know, to have that in case we need repairs and especially with inflation and the cost of things. That's all it comes down to is what we've actually spent to date and uh the amount of cost of repairs and just never know unfortunately. Yeah. All right. Thank you.

I got a couple of things highlighted. Can I just ask the chief god? So, so Gary has plugged in electricity, heat, oil, water, and phone, internet, and the numbers are like at 28%. Do you monitor those those costs? And I'm just wondering because it doesn't look like it's being paid. Is there a format for paying these bills? Those might be This is This is uh I'm sorry. No, go ahead. Those might be a little understated um because originally I set up the budget through December 31st. those numbers I had to actually go in and pull out of the actual accounts. So there's like two months missing on those numbers.

Okay. So So we're just plugging in last year, so we should be good to go. Correct. That's correct. He's Okay. We took it out of the other account to add it to those new lines. Um and again, and that's for fuel and diesel. That's the same situation. Yes. Okay. Um that looks pretty consistent over the past couple budget cycles. So the uh vehicle equipment we're going up 7% we're at 60% year to date. Uh when I do an average I come up to 50,200. Um is there a reason why? And again I know a lot of the things that that's fire equipment vehicle. I know a lot of the things you end up spending at at the end of the year. Is that

Yeah, a lot of contract obligations for repairs, maintenance service contracts and stuff always seems to go up. So just trying to cover that a little bit. That's okay. If you could just put your in purchase. I have one more thing I just noticed. Um, great ad on firefighter gear. Last year we we made a investment in this. I believe this was a good investment, but it seems to be not much utilized this year. This is the time of year we start using it. We evaluate the the use. Um, the gear gets anything that's over 10 years old. You know, kind of wait for this time of year we finish our recruit classes, order the gear for them. You're going to see that start dropping.

Okay. Very good. Thank you. I believe our recruiters deserve good equipment. So, it's perfectly fine. Good. Joe, can I continue? Under rescue stipens. And I know this one's a little tricky because um like I think July for some reason we don't have a number and I so I I average it over seven months and I came out to uh if you do an average it should be around $670,000. Uh, you plugged in 707. Um, little bit of a discrepancy. Is there a reason why? Is there a reason why it's low this year?

Uh, I think we're right on track for what we projected. Um, the 707 is just a 3% increase just to try to give them a little increase in their stipen, keep us not in the same situation we were in last year to make a large jump. Um, I had requested four, film manager went to three. So, we we'll make that work. Um, I'm not sure I answered your question yet. I'm not sure what numbers you're seeing. Uh, I'm showing 238,519 left in that account after the February payment went out. Well, we see our numbers are a little different. Our numbers are what you used up to date. And it's just so an explanation. I'm good with it. I'm not Okay. The other thing on that number, too, is um it's a month in the rears, right?

We pay them at the beginning of the month. So, that's why there's no payment. when you when you see your monthly report, there's no payment in July because that gets booked back to June and then there'll be two payments in in June of this year. This year. Yeah. So, it's it's off by one month. And then and then my the last one was the firefighter gear, but I think you just talked about that. You usually take care of that at the end of the year, correct? Yeah. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve in the amount of 1,365, 734. Second. All in favor? I. Thank you.

I have one question though. Like year to date, $3,700 for the phone and internet plugged in 12. Where you seeing that? Uh phone and internet. So that's new line items for this budget. I don't currently take out of the current operating budget with those line items. So like Gary said, he's plugging that numbers from what bills are paid. So I really don't have an explanation for that breakdown right now. Is that those for all the stations? So I mean I mean $2,000 a station for phone and internet.

So I I took in all the data from the prior years and the that's where that 12 came from. The last we looked at 24 and 25. From what I was able to to take out of their actual um account, that's the amount that was being charged. So, it looks like it's coming in lower this year, but I'm not sure why. But well, Mr. President, if that is just the stations I will look into, I agree that would be high. But all three ambulances have cell phones on them and a mobile router for communications to the hospital. I I wasn't even thinking about individual cell phone plans. Yeah, cell phones would be or stuff. So the rescues have a uh I was old school in that mobile system monitor.

Yeah, the hot monitor talks to the hospital right from the Yeah. All right. I mean it makes better sense. So if that's in that that's definitely and if we've spent it in the past then changed. Okay. You have your approval on expenses. Now we're going to go to I'm guessing PG. Yep. Correct. All right. I'm getting this. Chief, you want to come up and talk or do you want to stay over there casually? Your call.

Good evening. Good evening. Lewis, why don't you go right ahead?

Yeah. Yeah. I got a bunch of things here again, Chief. What I did is when I'm looking at these numbers, I looked at the prior two years and then I do a year to date. And uh for overtime, for overtime, we've done 196,000 year to date. You plugged in 218, but when I did my calculation, I came at 295. Are you good with 218? Actually, you put 271 and Ryan did 218. That's quite a bit of a discrepancy. I think it' be a challenge

in the in the previous two years in in 2024 we did 290,000 2025 we did 306 and actual year to date 196 or 7 uh 75,000 again if you have an explanation that's fine and again these numbers don't have to be perfect but there should be a some sort of reasoning yeah I mean I can't predict the overtime I mean people take vacation people get sick currently in starting in mid June I have two officers who are on maternity leave. So that's June, July. So you know, people get married, people go on vacation, people get hurt. Uh yeah. So it is a low to 218. It is low compared to the last three years that we've had.

Brian, was there a reason why you went to to 218? Yeah. So if you see the the note there, it's a uh so uh we uh Rhode Island gives the survivors overtime money for for seat belt enforcement speed. We will take that money. Uh that's over time. They can't hear you in the back. I must have turned it off. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I apologize. I I thought I turned it on. I turned it off. Um so that Nitsa uh money is is uh money for that comes from the federal government through the state. It's used for uh paying for seat belt enforcement, over uh DUI enforcement, and that's overtime money. Um so that money will come in and we'll supplement the uh the the overtime account with that money that we get from the state. So that so that number does not include the Nitsa reimbursement. No, that no does not include the Nitsa reimbursement. The other question I have is how is this is it a consistent payment? Are we going to, you know, does this, are we sure we're going to get this next year? Are we filling a hole with a one-time payment? Because that's not good.

So, what I'm saying, the Nitsa, is it consistent every year? No. Okay. So, that that's we could be set. It depends what we applied for. This year, we applied for a lot more than previous years. Um, but the the fiscal year, it goes from um October 1st to to September 30th. Okay. So, it's kind of fall in the middle of two fiscal years there. Sorry. Um, but no, depending on how much sometimes we run out of money and so we do call the agency and say, "Hey, look, can we have another month or two months left? Can we have more money?" And in the past they said yes. So they have been Okay. Because I I always get concerned when we when we fill a a budget hole with a one-time payment because next year it's not there. Absolutely. But Brian, you're comfortable with it? Well, I am.

Okay. I'm good with it. The So the traffic highway safety money is sitting in a fund. So as it comes in, it goes into a fund. So he has a balance in there. So that's what we're assuming he won't vote. So we don't it's not predicated on us receiving money. That's the special revenue funds, correct? You know how much is in there right now for that? More or less? I don't know off hand now, but it should be enough to cover it and that's where you get the Okay, I'm I'm good with it. Could we get that number for the next meeting though? I would like to take Yeah, actually you're going to be looking at the the special next time. Okay, thank you. Uh the um the uh holiday pay we have an increase of 8%. Was there a reason for that?

That's um a difference in holidays. It's the voting year. So they get um oh actually dead so they get one more holiday every other every four year. So you want to just put an explanation the extra holiday pay. Yep. Which that's a bit interesting because back in 24 that there wasn't uh or it doesn't appear to be a similar bump for that. Is that just a it wasn't back then or No, it should have been. Yeah, it also could have been over. We didn't have we weren't up to staff but we didn't have the extra cost of the extra officer for the holiday. Could have been could be a reason.

Okay. I'm just trying to square the circle. Thank you, Joe. Can I go back? You can go right ahead. Um the police differential. Um you're at 33%. We budgeted 24,000 last year. Uh we used in 24 we used 13,000 and then we budgeted 24,000 to 25. We used 21,000. Uh we budgeted 24, we've used 33%. I come up with if you did an average 11,800. And again, I'm just looking for an explanation. Is that

I don't have an explanation. I don't know how to do differential. It's something that we to determine. Sometimes you have more guys, less guys. We have command differential. You know, if there's no sergeant, then the OIC gets just not an exact science. Yeah, it's not exact. Okay. So, and then yeah, this year we're going to have plenty of money left over. And then general office expense. Um, we're at 52%. We budgeted 28,000. uh you budgeted 28,000 this year and uh 25 we only use 16,000. So um is there a reason why so much higher?

Yeah. Expenses uh you know oil changes, brakes, cruises break. I mean everything's so much expens the the the uh the uh police cars come under general. Well this year we did break it up. Yeah. Um, we did break it up though. Okay. Then I have a question about the statements. Wait a minute. Go ahead. Our general office fund is where we do oil changes for the cruisers. No, you see, if you look down the red one, and motor vehicle service and repairs, I think that's a new line item this year. Previous to that. Previous to this year, it was in that line item before. It was. Yes. So that's why. Thank you.

Okay. Um again utilities internet and again so be phone internet is the same along the same line as the other ones right Gary? Yes. Yes. Um computer services. I think we we have a new program out and that's why the computer ser Yes. And uh we paid uh the new computer system we came we paid 17,000 in January which is a a six months and then in July 1st it's going to go to 34. So that's why that's the increase. And we plugged in 51,000 last year. Remember there was something special and there was the reason and that's why we're down to 48,000 this year. Right.

Yes. Um, just a sort of big picture, the work that's being done right now over at the dispatch in the in the police station, is there any tangible come out of that? I know it was a long-term investment, so I'm probably maybe not. I'm just curious. No. Okay, good to know. Chief, just the restructuring. Yep. Chief, on the fuel and the diesel, we've only spent 44%. Is there a re reason why? Is it because we don't pay it on time? We don't gauge it on time. What is the reason for that? That's finance does that. I don't have any control. I don't the bill doesn't come to me.

So, so I would think that we need to change that format. People that are responsible should know those things because you're the one using the cars, not him. If we don't know if there's something wrong, if the people using it don't know. Are you good with the 55,000? Uh, yeah. We're up to what? 244 right now. So when we budget 55 so to be close but yes and again that's a tough one to do uh an average because if I did an average it would bring it down to 36,000 but if it's not getting recorded or paid on time then then that throws everything off. But we also didn't factor in a war in Iran. Yes.

Yes. That's absolutely um service repairs. Okay, here's a big one. Training. Training. We've only used 36%. We budgeted 60,000 and we're only at We've only spent 21,000. You got 60,000 in there again. Is there is that something that you do at the end of the year? And that's like I have four trainings coming up before Jo uh June 30th. I have one on Thursday.

Uh we have u taser certification um active shooter uh training. So yes, we will be using waits right to the end. What? Yes. Hey, I'm sorry. We're going to go back up to um if you don't mind, we're going to go back up to communication service maintenance contract. We went up 8%. What was the reason for the 8%. Um I I actually took some money, some accounts that were in the general office and moved them in here. Um but we had uh most of them are contract agreements and some of the vendors increase their um so vendor vendor fee increase.

Yes. Gary, can you put that down? Well, I know that was the communication service maintenance contract like we went to uh a different vendor called Tales Tails explanation again vendor contract and then we have the in incentives for education act went up 8%. I We're at 72%. So I have more officers taking college courses. More officers taking courses, Gary.

Uh then you have the dispatch's wages salary. It's at 6% that. So that would be contractual, Gary. Yeah, for sure. And then we have the holiday pay of 15%. Is that extra days also? Yes. So their contract uh actually calls I think Christmas, Thanksgiving, three holidays where they if they work they get um 16 hours to work in the holiday. So that's like an additional sounds good. Thank you. All right, that takes us Could we go back to it? Absolutely. IT services. IT services.

So I know I get 65 and I asked for the increase. Um, my IT person sometimes, uh, helps the town hall with services, helps the fire department with services. Currently, this year, I have left I have $12,000 for the remainder of the year. So, there be sometimes where that she will not be able to come in for that. So, that's why I'm asking for the increase because we share her with we share her with the whole town. She was actually part of putting cameras at the uh transfer station. Um, so she it doesn't she doesn't just work for me. That IT staff the IT staff flying and you want to 4%.

Yeah, you requested 676 and that's what the manager forwarded. Oh, I thought he I thought it was I saw that. You got to stop talking to the manager more often. I guess I have to. I thought it went back to 65. No. 676. Okay. Am I making I will make a motion that we approve the total expenses for police department in the amount of 3,589,014. Second. All in favor?

I want to go on a limb. 89. Got it. Okay. shared services. Lewis Medicare. What's up with Medicare? Who Who is going to speak on shared services? You. No. Well, I I'm not the one that Is that Sandy? Is that department? Is that Brian? Brian, you would be in charge. I I believe it's it's a mixture of of uh individuals have information on shared services.

So, I just want to say something on shared services. I think as we go forward and we have a new system, I think that we need to be splitting this up a little bit better. Um, I don't think it's as transparent as it should be, but that's my opinion. I think that we'll work on that, right, Gary? Yes. So, uh, so that's safe to say that 6% is just a medical cost increase. Yeah. Well, some of that's going to be your contract settlement, too. Again, paid more soon. It's on a percentage based. Medicare, isn't that for uh retirees? No, that's the tops cost like and

so the social security and Medicare tax that line item is is that's Yeah, that's payroll tax. Payroll. Okay. Yeah, it's our portion, right? Yeah, must be. It's an expense.

Copy your expense. Okay, you have an explanation there. I'm good with that. Um so uh 19% on our website 30% above that our computers are coming in. Shouldn't computers be like a a separate area? I mean I understand shared is hence the term shared but I mean at the point we're at now have its own uh don't

you think own it's it's a good idea you know as we as you know more and more u technology is coming into play the the IT which is everywhere we have the computers which are everywhere there should be one I don't know I'm not the expert here and I'm leaving Lewis what do you A question uh question on employee benefits. Uh is this part of Blue Cross? Does that include Bluec Cross? No, that should be a separate line item. Yeah. Employee benefits is your medical, dental, life insurance.

So, I can't do a year to date because we know we're going to have a 14 and a half% increase on that. So, when you when you're plugging in 19%, you're not too far off. Fair to say. Fair. Fair to say. Okay. We'll leave that one alone. But uh

so Mr. Mr. President, um when we received the information from um Lucra, I mean I'm sorry, from uh uh the trust concerning our cost of uh what we pay for healthcare and what uh is coming out what there was a there was a variance of uh uh 141 we paid we we we took out 41% more money than we put in uh to the pool for the trust. So, we had an increase this year of our health care costs of uh 14.3%. Um, when Gary and I got that information, uh, we then looked at this line item, uh, and we discovered that, uh, we past practice somehow the the employee has to pay a co-share that goes comes out of their pay. Uh, for some reason, we were not calculating that when we figured out what the cost of our healthcare was supposed to be. Uh Gary figured that out and the cost of our health care and that line item has come down by $325,000.

And which line is that? Employee benefits. Employee benefits. Okay. We don't have an op we don't have an opposite line on uh revenue is where that gets. So what what was happening is when when we took it out of the out of payroll, it was getting put into a receivable account which is a GL account out of budget account. Okay. So it's it was sitting in there and it wasn't getting moved to employee benefits to offset the cost. So the number we're seeing is is the number minus what is offset by the employees. What is that new number G? So the new number the new budget amount for that that line item will be uh 1 uh 1 million 943411

which is um a 4% decrease. I would like make a motion to change that line item to1,943,411. Second. And that just generated us how much money? 325. 325,000 we just found. We didn't find it. Gary found it. So for the Thank you, Gary. For the total expense. All right, good to know. I'm trying to read it off of that screen over there.

So, there's a motion to second. All in favor? I I Is the total now 3054508?

Total expenses for shared services. We're still working on shared services. 6 million 510 65. Okay. No, I was just looking for it. I wanted to see what the new number was up here for. Can't be 6 million. We were at 5 million before. That's a good question. Maybe less. Do you know what the percentage is? Nope. That's um it's that's where the U million dollars needs to be plugged in. It is. It went from 6991 to 6510. You know what it is? I got from last year I highlighted my when I first got it, so I'm not going to keep changing these things.

Just for clarification, sorry. just so last year's budgeted FY26 figure was 6,5715454 and if we approved I don't know if there are other changes forthcoming but if we approved 6,510,654 that would represent an act actually a decrease of about 60,000 so I would say a guess of aboutgative 1.01% 01% perhaps 1%. Yes, negative 1%. Um 651654.

All right. All right. So, hold on a sec. We got to plug in the the lawsuit, right? Million dollars. Or was that Did you plug it in that other sheet? The million? No, it's here. Lawsuit settlement. It's threequarters of the way down. Yeah. But in your sheet, it's plugged in, right, Gary? Okay. Um, again, utilities was a question, but I think we've discussed that one already. Um, government center utilities. Um, okay. Okay, I'm good with that.

I'm I'm looking at the the bottom numbers over here. 12% increase. That's the biggest of any of the other expenses we've gone over yet, but most of them hovered right around 4%. Looking at it, looks like most a lot of that is contractual. Did we pull anything out of a different part of the budget and put it on on shared services where it wasn't last year? No. that I'm aware of.

Uh was the we I recalled earlier this year we had a little accident with relating to a flooded toilet and some damaged computers. Is that reflected in this budget at all? That was that was covered by the insurance. Okay. And there was no like 33. Was there any like anything that was done though to like sort of prevent that like any investments made in like security? I was reading I know that's a silly thing but um I should have been looking at this. It says 6% 12% as the overall was there any costs that any significance here? We we covered that for this year's budget.

So it was it was minimal. So the upgrades whatever they were were minimal. Thank you. Yes. I need to unless there are additional questions. No, that was it for me. Thank you. Is there a motion? Yeah, I'm good. I'll make a motion we approve $6,510,654. Is that the correct number? Yes. For total total expenses for shared services. Mr. Charlie second. All in favor?

Okay. I'm guessing page 10. animal control. I don't think we have anyone here from animal control. We have the police department here and the manager. Not sure if there'd be any reason for them to be here. No, I'm a little confused. That's what I thought. I'm a little confused. I'm seeing 185% increase, but I'm not seeing that in the numbers from the previous years to this year. on the top of a animal control officer. That's because they were out, remember, but it was still budgeted last year.

Yeah. Right. Isn't that percentage over the previous budget? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's 185%. But I'm looking at 58 and we approved 54. We budgeted 54 for last year. So that's not 185%. Gary, is that is that a mistake? That budgeted amount of money. Assuming what happened was that if you look at the prior years, they were at $54,000. Yeah. I'm assuming we took money out of that line item, that budget line item to plug something else.

Okay. Well, that's very deceiving, that's very confusing because I'm looking at that percentage usually tells me what we're increasing or decreasing from last year's budget. So when I see 185% under any type of a salary it's like oh what happened here? I think chief can explain but hence that's why the nose is so important when somebody looks at this two years. I'm not I'm just I'm just explaining why it shouldn't be explained 85%. It should be let's let the chief $4,000 difference. I'm not questioning the the amount that's there the 58. I'm questioning the percentage. Yeah. And he's going to Here he comes. It's not 185%. It's a something with the program. you're not increasing that line item by talking about this this fiscal year.

Yes. So, what happened was is because he's been deployed and we had to hire a part-timer. So, we took his salary because we she's working part-time. So, we took his salary to pay her. Right. That's not and then we hired weekend. Uh that's that's not what my question is. I'm not questioning the dollar amount. I'm questioning where when I look in the percentage, which normally to me means the percentage above or below last year's budget and that number 185% popped up, but you're only going up by $4,000. It's not 185%. It's the It's the number. It's not what you're asking for. It's the Senate number. Why that why that popped up 185?

Is it an error? I don't know. It's not really an error. It's because that's what budget changed to. So, so last year we So that percentage that I'm reading is not the difference between last year's budget and what we're what that number represents on this year's budget. It it is so because last year was last year we we decreased it to 20,000. No, last year we approved 52 54,646 25. Go to the next one. 26 we approved 20.

Okay. So we only approved 20. Okay. So you approved probably around 55,000 but during but he made the change. If you look at two lines down the um the part-time we we increased it to 41. So we just moved money around on the budget which you would have approved that. So last year we only approved $20,000 for the animal control officer in the budget. No, you would have approved probably 55,000. Okay. But then dur because um he wasn't there and we needed money in the part-time line item. So they shifted the money.

Right. But but you my whole point that you're that everybody seems to be missing is when I see that percentage number I use that to gauge the previous budget to this year's budget what that's going to be. And I'm looking at the number and and and actually looking at the FY2026 that column's wrong. If we approved 55,000, that number should say 55,000. What we approved, not what we spent or not how we moved it around. It's what the actual budget was, not what the budget ended up being. In other words, what we approved versus what we're going to approve this year, that's what that percentage should

Let me say that. And that is a flaw in the system because when we move money around and going forward hopefully we can have what we actually budgeted but when we move money around they'll take it up because if they're short like they were short in the uh part-time and the part-time officer and and they took it out of that and they put $41,000 in part-time where part-time used to be 12,540. I agree. But that should not be showing up in the FY uh FY2026 budget. That's what was approved, not what was spent, not what was moved.

Again, I think it's a fault. It's just the way the system when you shift money when you're short here and you put it over there. I I agree and I hopefully we can figure out a way of changing. This isn't 185%. Wouldn't that be like $150,000? If we was based on the 20,546, but we approved about 55,000. So this where it's saying in the budget over here, this number is wrong. That is not what we approved for. I don't disagree. 185% would be 100% which is of of the of 20,000. It's 185%. But that's not what we approved. So we're not increasing our budget line by 185%. All right. So should we put a footnote there? Yeah. Um so I put that money was moved from move to pot.

Explain the same explanation for two lines down. So that one is going from 41,000 and we're dropping it down to 19. Right. That the minus 54%. I can see where they're making out now. But I I always look at that number compared to approved budget of the previous year, not actual because you got the actual right next to it. When we move budget money around, that changes the budget. But when I pull in the report, it's pulling off of that lower number. It changes the budget, but does it doesn't change the number we approved last year. That's the key number to me. Yeah. Because that's how I base my increases. We're going to politely move on. That's what he had to work with. But going forward,

John's right too. And I think Gary's on the same page as you are. Next, I uh I'll make a motion to approve if there are no other questions. I don't think there are. I'll make a motion to approve total expenses for the animal control in the amount of 86,155. Second. All in favor? I. And again, I let's make just make sure that there's a footnote there for the 18% increase. 180. Yeah. And well, we have the 185%, but also the end is the 18. So, I think they're all related. Actually, from two years ago, it's a slight decrease. So,

from from FY25 to 27 is a slight it's basically stable, so to speak. Yeah, you're right. And it's all because of the internal movement around but to the outside eye. All right. Now we're on page 11. ABA master we have uh

not much yet. Oh, let me ask question. Not at all. So, Joe, uh, the assistant wages, you've only used 26,10 is because someone's been out, right? Yeah. Two people out. So, so we budgeted last year 11,107. Why is there a 17% increase? Look, I I think the reason why that what we've expended is so low is because this fiscal year goes till July. So, we're going to have May, June, and July.

June and July, we're going to burn it up. In July, June, we do a lot of training. I'll have hopefully two more staff members coming in. And again, last year I covered basically all of the shifts except for Saturdays. And we don't, you know, we don't really have it out on water in J in January. So, okay. So, what do we put for a footnote there? The 17%. Well, is that 17? Is it 17? It's not really 17%. Is it because what we actually approved? Is that number that I'm looking at? 24427. Is that what we approved or is that what we moved stuff around to come up with? That's versus what we spent today, isn't it?

No. No. I'm I'm looking at FY is the 24427 what we approved last year. If it's not, then that's why that uh excuse me the 11,17. If that's not what we approved last year, that number is all messed up because then the percentage is going to be what we approved. So the prior years 24 was I think I don't think we've done any budget adjustments in Okay. Yeah, we approved 11107. He's asking for 12980. Okay. Okay. I'm okay with 12. Tell me why. Why the the increase though? I'm still on the 17% was a 4% increase. We're going from 11 from the budgeted amount. This is versus what we spent. Okay.

Oh, no. It's it's virt based on the budgeted amount last year. Last year we budgeted $11,17. Is it because you're adding someone? I'm I'm sorry, I misspoke. There there was a budget adjustment in that line, right? We moved money to So yeah, we took money um and put it into dock repair. Okay. So it's not actually going up by 17% what we approved,

right? And that's hopefully we can change that for next year. So could you just put budget adjustment on there so we know why the 17%. And then the second thing under the dock maintenance, you had asked for 10, Brian had brought it down to five. I know that there's some liability issues. So, I'm going to make a motion to bring that back up to 10. So, would that be 75 615? Yeah. Uh, no, it would be just another another 5,000 on top of that bottom number. So, 70. It'd be 7615. Yeah. Is there a second on that request? What was the liability issue? That must be tripping.

Somebody gets hurt. and I asked for the increase. Docs would actually due to be replaced this year. That obviously couldn't happen. The docks are getting old and we're seeing a lot of damage, storm damage more and more every year. That's why I had to get into the payroll budget to complete dock repairs. We still get a good bit of the spring is typically a tough time on the docks. Yeah, I don't have a problem with that. I I think it's better to do it than No, I I hear your concern. Where's the money going to come from if we do have damage? You have something back. I'll second the motion.

Yeah, all in favor we finish talking. Sure. I think it's I'm kind of torn because I went back to the front page and I'm looking at 4.9 7% increase. This is only adding 5,000. I'm talking about the whole the front page, the whole overview. Yeah, but that doesn't take into account the 300,000 plus the dead service. We we clean up 49,000 dead service. So that that front page is so we got room. The 300,000 takes us under 4%. We can if there's a problem we can always come back to these things. Nothing said page. Yeah. Has been changed. Okay. Or should be changed.

But Joe, the only thing I ask is is when we allocate the funds, make sure you use those. I can't make brakes. It's just for repair. Let's repair them. All right. So, I didn't want to rush people along on that one. I was just um moving that moving the question on the additional 5,000. All in favor? I. Now you guys can deal with the additional uh bottom line. Making a motion to approve 70,615. Second. All in favor? I. All right. Page 12.

Hi. Hi. What do you got?

So, the first thing I want to uh do is address the park supervisor salary request. So, in here I had 100,800, but after a conversation with Mr. Ego and uh the manager, I think 88,000 bringing it down to 88,000 will um cover the expenses for the summer staff. um the original amount is when is it fully funded? Um but looking at previous years, we have not had kids come to work every day. So I think we're safe to bring it down to 88,000.

So that's a decrease of what? 12,000 12,800. And that's in the form of a motion. So move. All in favor? Okay. And then the second uh area. Did you get that? Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. So, the rest is your questions. Huh? So, your questions. Which ones? Any I don't have any. Okay. I like that. But I'm sure Mr. Rego does. So, well, so the next I guess the first one is on the director's wages, we got a 40% increase.

Yes. So the um so since 2020 I have had a national recreation and parks association youth mentor grant uh which gave me an additional 624 hours annually for this position. That grant runs out May 1st. So currently my actual workload has been 1,500 hours per year. Um what the town has budgeted is 8 75 hours. So the grant has taken up an additional 624. So what are the dollars versus the hours where So the the dollar

line item um so the current salary is 35,000 that is 875 hours. I'm not seeing 35,000 is what we approved last year. Last year. All right. Go ahead. I got you. Bumping up to 49.

So, um the Oh, sorry, lost my train of thought. So, 35,000 is 875 hours. Uh the what I'm asking for is a reduction in the number of hours that I'm currently working with the grant. Um and it would be 1,2 hour. Uh, and that's what the 49,000 is. I don't think anybody understood what you just said. Okay. So, and again, all right, let's start again. I tried. We are We went through this already. Yeah, I'm bad at

It's so hard to take advantage of these grants when they have a cut off date. So, we we received it twice. So, we had it for six years, right? Um, so that was the good piece. Um, but it allowed us to have an additional 624 hours a year for the parks and recreation department. So, it it through our program and it allowed us to have more services to the community, right?

Um, and so now we're losing those 624 hours. And I'm just asking not for the whole 624 hours. Uh, I'm asking for um a portion of it. But it's a 40% increase. Yeah. What's confusing to me is with the I mean wouldn't the wages have been established in the budget and the grant would have supplemented the wages? No. Because there's no item the grant

is there another item in the in the budget that says $14,000 goes to the recreation director. She probably was that going into a special revenue fund or being paid out of special revenue. Yeah. Okay. All right. Because I'm just trying to figure out where that was before. I mean, what kind of services are these that will be cutting just your labor hours in the office?

Correct. So, to put it into perspective, the summer camp hours um are 480 hours. So, summer itself is 480 hours. So, if we were to stick with the 875 hours, I would only have 395 hours for the rest of the year, which would be about 10 hours a week. Maybe this would it would simplify it for me. So, let's average it. So, you you work most of your hours in the summer, but let's do on if you did it average through the year, how many hours would it be per week if we did it that way?

Um, I don't know. I would have to Okay. Well, take out my calculator. And then that the U and then the mentor manager, that would be an additional 5,000, right? Mentor manager. Yeah, the line right under it, there's um a line item for 5,000. It wasn't in there before. Well, we lost a grant is what it says. So, so I did ask you, so I asked for um a stipen for or a salary for the the person who was my assistant currently.

So, Tara, if I if I'm understanding you correctly, the difference basically your salary is made up of two components. First is the salary you received from us in the budget and then also the federal or wherever this grant funding came from uh from this program and that represented 624 hours and if you multiplied that hours by your annual by your hourly salary let's just say $25 I don't know what exactly it is that would come up to about 156,000 which is why the difference is about I think that's 14,000. So I I did quick math, but I think that's what you're saying. Essentially, in order to keep working the same level of hours that you have last year, there needs to be an additional allocation of funding from the town side because the grant has expired.

Correct. Thank you. It's almost 17 hours a week if you divide it, Louie, of 52 weeks. Do you think you could do your job as can is it easy for you to cut those hours out? So if I go without impacting your overall job?

Well, no it so no. If I were to go if I am your decision is to stay at the 875 hours then it will significantly decrease the services that are offered to the community. I would we we would just have summer camp. It would go back to it would go back to years when we just really offered summer camp.

Can I can I just ask a question? I think I may have asked you this before. So So we're going to give you an additional $14,042 and then $5,000 for the mentor manager. Could we just make it $19,42 for the mentoring program? Is that okay or does that change things? I that would be a I don't What What was the question again, Mr. Rico? Because that's the salary question. So So she added uh $14,000 to her pro to her salary and it's because of the mentoring program. My question is, no, it's because of the grant loss. The mentoring program is separate. The five that 5,000 is going to go to the assistant director,

right? Yeah. But again, that's and the reason why they need 5,000 is because they no longer have and and those funds could come back, right? Mentoring funds, it's possible. Anything's possible, right? I mean, so all I'm just saying is that we have a line item for me for the mentoring program that would cover the the the uh mentor manager and um Tara. Uh, so instead of 5,000 there, put it $19,00042 and just keep the uh the director's wage at the 35,000. And then we're gonna Would that would that be a problem? And then we're going to have Why don't we le I'm asking a question. I'm not going to be a problem. Let me let me introduce a different idea. Go ahead.

We cut the 5,000. We get rid of the mentoring manager. We increase her request. No, decrease her request to 10,000 and we move on. I'm not comfortable with that. You don't want to. You want to increase her salary? Yes. Well, if she she'd be making the same amount. It's just

we'd be paying more money. So, what I'm trying to do is give her a slight increase so that the town can have additional services that they've come accustomed to, but not all the way up. I have other ways that I want to spend the money. I don't really want to spend all of the money just because we have it. I understand you may have a desire, Mr. Tromley, but my goal is not to increase everything. Neither is mine.

I'm looking at, and again, like I don't know if these percentages are right, but I'm looking when I see a 23% increase in one department's expenses, that's a big red flag to me. 23%. I mean, you've got a 40% increase just in that salary line. What would be lost in terms of programming and services? Um, so if it were to be at the which for which scenario, the 10,000 or for the 35? Okay. So 35 you stay uh with a reduction and basically you said you have some

program and so I mean there would still be a reduction because I'm going to be losing uh I was already losing 300 hours and so this would be on top of that. Um I don't I wouldn't be able to answer that right now. Probably programming um it would probably just be a summer program, concerts, movies. Uh we'd probably just offer this the summer platform. So I was trying to meet you more than halfway. Yeah. No. Although a reduction in that

because because all of that is a lot also because I have to raise all the money for the summer concerts and the movies because the town doesn't support that financially anymore. So you know my planning starts in January for summer. So I think that would fortunately though the good news is we have great departments now department heads. So it has alleviated a lot of the hours that I need to, you know, finances are much better, the DPW director, the planner. So um I I have to do a lot of grant reporting. Um I've done a lot of grant writing in the last couple of years, which financial reconciliation. So hopefully that will be taken off my plate. Um, but it still takes a lot of planning from January to the end of August to run the summer.

So, but we'll make it work. I'm sure you will. We'll just But there will be losses of programs and on paper it's a raise. So, it's um, you know, you're going 35,000 50,000 49 uh 49,000 increase in PET. Not that you're not working. You are. But that's what this represents. So, anybody else want to uh I guess not bite at what I threw out there. You repeat what you would Yeah, I was kind of confused too what you just said.

I think we should get rid of the mentor manager and I think we should use that money towards what Tara is asking and give it another 5,000. So, she would get a $10,000 increase to uh it's not the 15 she's asking for, it's 10. And half of it's coming from getting rid of that mentor manager. So, that would increase the whole by 5,000. Correct. That whole instead of by 15,000 or 19,000 when Mr. Rego was gone. So, basically change the the recreation director just to 45,000 and eliminate and get rid of the mentor manager. Does that work?

Whatever you guys think, that's what we'll do. It's day one of the budget process. So, I'm thinking we ease in until everybody's given us what they want and hope for and then next time we can always change things. But I remember last year we discussed this too. I don't remember any discussion of grants offsetting this salary. Well, no, now all of a sudden they disappeared.

It was the in the It was in the special revenue account. So, we actually didn't see it here, but that money was offsetting her hours. All the more reason special revenue funds, we got to look at it on a monthly basis and know where we're at. Yeah. So, that I think that's so important. But and I don't disagree with taking advantage of grant money at the time, but grant money for salary leaves you wallet leaves us with that sunset though. Balance budget. That was heavy thud, man. Payday.

Yeah, I um I understand where you guys are coming from. My my only concern is that I think we have a really good parks and recreation department here in Warren and a really good parks and recck director and I think we've seen just how in comparison to what parks and rec directors of similar communities of similar sizes are compensated a lot more. And I just it seems to me like this would be a you know in terms of I understand the percentages but it's 14,000 in a in a budget that consists of millions. And I think you know we want to try to compensate folks for the value that they bring in terms of not just the parks and recck department but also the grants. Yeah, admittedly some of them are drying up now, but I still think it it would be worth it to to do as the as both the director and the manager recommended in the budget for her for her uh request. So, but I defer to the will of the council. Mr. Can we just ask another question? Of

course you can. The um maintenance $10,300. Uh we didn't do anything in 24 and 25. Is that a new position that you created? Yeah, that was uh because prior to uh the financial situation we got into, those were capital lines. So mulch, playground equipment being uh you know, maintenance of playground equipment. uh each year the town allocated money towards those and it was perpetual. This was to put it into the budget. So it was there. They just it was just Yeah.

When they when they ran into that financial crisis, they took it out. Okay. Right. So this is for mulch and any um maintenance that needs to take place. So just for perspective to uh again give a thumbs up on your effort. No one takes that away. 24 you had $23,000 salary. So 25 um 23 is the actual actual spend was 25

25 was approved 23,000. So you know when you look at what you've done you've had a very good lobbying job. you've lobbied very well for yourself. You've shown the uh results, but by no means do I feel that you're undervalued and you do a very good job at continuing your opportunity for advancement in salary. Uh that being said, keep it up. But I always think that you're doing what you're supposed to do. You ask for more money every year and God bless you. Uh, I don't think um I don't think anyone coming after you would uh have a difficult time saying the same thing for them except they're not in a position that allows them the opportunity to come in and have such an advancement that you've given us and yourself because every year we've given you a raise much higher than anyone else. I appreciate your effort. That being said, I don't think we should give you an additional on top of it all. I think again you're doing well, but it's up to the council, of course.

So, based on what Joe had said, is that a a compromise that you could make work in in and keep the mentoring program? Uh, probably no. No, no. It there will be there will definitely be significant not significant. There'll be changes. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to do what I used to do. So, and I don't receive any benefits. So, everybody else gets benefits, right?

So, all I'm asking for is, you know, just to be paid what I should be paid what I do. It's not terra. I know if if you had $75,000, you would document the hours and be in the office. No, no, but I I am just I'm not disagree. I will go with whatever you guys decide, but there but there will be changes. I don't disagree. And again, it's not fair to say that you're asking for more. You're just asking to replace what you're no longer getting from a brand

and also asking to be comparable to other communities. Warren is one of the only part-time communities in the state of Rhode Island, which is perfectly fine. We're a small community, but even all the part-time communities are making 50 to $60,000. Again, completely understand Warren's financial situation. I I am living it. I understand it. But I think I offer you guys a lot for what you get.

I don't think that my That's my only thing. I don't think that what I'm trying to give you is a is in any way a uh reduction in the appreciation of your services. I always look at you as a reduction in hours and it's been difficult for you because you give 110%. I'm looking at this and like I said the the front page when we get there when we get through all of this and we see the front page it may change but that's my focus.

Correct. And I think by bumping up a 23% in one department, it's not going to help us with that 4.97, which is lower because of the other money. I understand it, but we're not there yet. We got a whole bunch of other pages to go. So, I'm actually going to make a motion to go with what Joe said to increase the recreation director wages to $40,000 even and to remove the line to remove the $5,000 for the mentor manager. I think it was 45.

It was It was 45. It's a $10,000 increase I'm giving her. I'm taking five from the mentor manager. So, the motion could be, if someone wanted to, a motion to remove $5,000 from the mentor manager. I would do it one at a time. Motion to remove the mentor manager for $5,000. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? I just had some discussion on discussion on the motion.

We haven't really talked about it, but the mentor manager, what do you envision that their role would be? So we continue up the process that we we have taken on all of the uh community service now in town for the youth and even for some adults and then um we are also working with Mount Hope High School with their career tech program and then just mentoring uh setting up children with mentors. So that's what they would be coordinating. Thank you. So that's just so I'm clear that's what we're cutting. Thank you. Okay. But I also thought that that was going to go to the assistant director. No, the assistant director is only summer camp.

I thought you said that's the person that was doing the mentor managing. That's what I thought I heard. No, there's a separate person. That's the Yeah, that that's also part of that was part of the grant as well. But um that no, those are two separate positions. Well, if it was part of the grant, I unfortunately say that the sunset with that uh it doesn't take on my uh financial support. So, Mr. uh Hanley made a motion. L Mr. Rego second it. Discussion. Mr. Tromley. Uh any further discussion? Okay. All in favor? I.

No. Now we should look at increasing by 10,000 her request for additional hours. So that would be from 35,000 to 45,000. Is that a motion? If you want it to be. So moved. Is there a second? Second discussion hearing. None. All in favor?

I go. So, it's a five uh four to one. Mr. Tromley is in the nay on both. So, that is a $5,000 increase. Where'd you go? Oh, $5,000 increase. And um you $10,000 increase. I mean, a actual So, we we moved five. Oh, yeah. And uh where I was going with that is I thought she was still here, but so Mr. Dibido, that brings you closer to your original request and I I know you'll make it happen positively and I appreciate it. So Mr. President, just on the Mr. Trombly park supervisor salary, did we do a motion and everything on that one or was that do we need a motion on that one?

You mean the bottom line of it? No. No. Uh well, I suppose both. But did we do one for the park supervisor salary? Yes. 100 to 88. No, on that one I voted yay. That was to reduce it from 10,08 to 88,000. Yeah. 100,800 to 88,000. Oh, yeah. That one we did. Yeah, we did that. That one. So, they've all been separate. Yep. Okay. The 10,000 the the 88,000 has been uh that was earlier. That was our first one. And then the uh mentor manager, then the uh salary. Is there anything else on here we'd like to discuss before we come up with a

I'm trying to little bit. Yeah, but it may not now that you've walked up here, you probably don't have to be here. Uh maybe more steps. So the total is going to be is the new total. Am I reading that right? 249887. No, it's going to be different. It's going to be 2285 045 245 22 228045 Oh. Oh, okay. I didn't Which is $21,842 less than Is there a Where is it on that sheet?

It's right there. 228045 bottom 228045. Okay. So, is there a second? Second. Second. All in favor? I Mr. Hanley. Thank you. Even though we couldn't see it. And what does the change do we see what the change of the percentages? Percentages. It's not going to be a true reflection percentage. Yeah. All the percentages are all right. Page uh 13. Public works. Hello M Mr. Rego, go right ahead.

The up question for you get under wages and salaries. It was a 4% increase. Why did not that one not reflect a 6% increase like the rest of the departments or unions? We can check on that. over time. Looking at it quickly, it looks like the increase there were people out. So that that may have taken up some slack and that that would have changed the number.

Well, it looked like the budget changed from 24 to 25 where in Right. because it was three years contract, right? This is the last year of the contract. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think in the other departments a lot of sting changed

and for the foreman also you it didn't uh yeah it only came out to 4% that would have been a union. Yeah. See if you look at town clerks the 24 to 25 budget stayed the same for some reason in in u public works it it's not the same. It went up. So that's what's alleviating that 2%. Yeah. Uh Mary, under the um general office expense, you've only you've used up 98%. Correct. And what was the reason for that?

I think the reason for that in the in the bit of forensic digging that I've done is uh we've had some items just incorrectly coded is is my guess there. Uh I think we've had some vehicle expenses that landed there. Um I kind of went back historically to sort of investigate why we've landed where we've landed there and we've landed so under in some of the other I know uh protective equipment is quite low but there was a huge purchase of protective equipment looked like in November or December that should have landed in that category that was put under general. So there's going to have to be a little bit more digging which I can do and Gary and I are going to get together and review a lot of that

class that stuff. Yeah, because I think a lot of that is is just a matter of reclassing. 24 you utilize 86,000 and 25 was 105,000 and then year to date you're at 98% at 65,000 if we average this out right. But again, you can't really average anything right because we don't know if these numbers are correct. Right. So, should we wait till next week to uh to look at this number again? I have a I have a question of the snow removal. It's a new line item is that that's basically just like the supplies like the sand and the salt. That's doesn't correct. That's not the labor, the overtime. It's just it's the materials. So, what you're looking at uh sand and salt and that's not counting the the big storm. Correct. What can

What includes general and office expense for 100,000? I What do you guys How much paper are you going through? That's a good question. So, so that you question. So, that line item in almost all the departments contains a lot of things like and um in the police department it contains repairing cruisers. Um it's it's deceiving because it's general general it doesn't seem smart. No, it it should be broken out and that's what I I I it even included electricity and and water and all that stuff. So, that I'm trying to break that stuff out as separate line items. Um we we have evidently it's not easy to do this.

We have we have a line item for equipment and vehicles. It's a little confusing there too. But I think what happened there is equipment and vehicles is way under. And what I've been able to determine so far is that a lot of expenses that should have landed there were classed improperly into general and office. So we're going to have to go back audit all of those transactions and reclass them into the correct. So this isn't easy from your perspective is it? Um or else it would have been done. Yeah. Yeah. No. Well, so it takes the department head's collaboration to figure out right

what being drawn out of that as long as along with the manager. So, I think this should be a major a major push for obviously not next week, but it's, you know, we're trying to sharpen these pencils and then you have a line item for general office expense for $100,000. It just makes it difficult to track what we're spending money on. Should we wait till next week to to look at this again? because I really don't think that Yeah, we can. Yeah, I think it would be a wise idea, Mary, to do

and I have and I mean my apologies. I have no historical context cuz I'm two months in. Uh so I I dug through it as best I could to sort of determine that that's probably the situation. All right, let's continue. I want to have a question on the Yeah, let's we're not going to get rid of it all together. We're just going to look at that line of maybe for next time on the field maintenance after last uh months couple weeks ago the council meeting you saw how bad the the fields were in. Are you still comfortable with that $7,000

for the field? Hard to say. Uh we're gonna Hara and I are going to have a conversation with the little league as well and see what they have in terms of funds. uh parks and wreck has that 10,000 for things uh related, but not exclusively for the fields. That's also mulch for the playgrounds and playground equipment repair and that kind of thing. Um we just did a parks walkthrough this week. Tara and I did a walkthrough of all the parks together to kind of get a feel for what they're going to need budgetarily speaking. Um, so it's when you figure budgetarily, are we talking about you're buying seeds or we're not talking about labor? We're talking about just not labor, materials,

just materials, right? No equipment, no do we I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but do we have a sense of understanding on why we're closer last year at 65,000 for budget office expenses? really. Do we know if one big thing got pulled? Well, it looks like if it is something we're only we're only up to 65. We still got more to spend on that. That's only for the year. That's for eight months. 98% we've used. Yeah. So, they're going to go over. I guess the big one for me and is that the tipping fee um we're at 84.

Mr. Hold. We're moving on and I'd like to figure out because as Mr. Hanley points out when we have $7,000 for the ball field and $100,000 in an office fund, figuring out what's in that office fund may help us understand how we put money in the in the field for the fields in fields and equipment is the same thing that that one I know. But that's why I'm trying to again I'm not trying to like the leg of the point. I'm just trying to maybe through a little bit of research by next week possibly. Yes, we can figure out and and just for a point of clarity, so that general office expense account black, yes,

the the two lines under that that I'm breaking out. So that budget, those budget amounts were actually in that budget. So I had to break it out to break out because I broke out the expense so that it was um things. So she has like 61% in electricity um and like 45% spent in in telephone. So those numbers might change a little bit, but um not that much. So last year's budget for that line item was actually $30,000. I'm sorry, $90,000 for the general office. For general office, but 20,000 of it was electricity.

Broke out and then I tried to break out the I broke out the expenses and I I just plugged in um and and reduced the budgets just to make it look like it was originally budgeted that way. Yeah. And snow removal was in that general account as well. Is that right? Um, no. Snow removal that's in the notes. That that's the first year you had um that's the first year you that it was a line item, but those expenses fell under the general office in prior years. Oh, okay. Yeah, prior years. All right. So, I yield the go right ahead. I got I think we need to figure something out better.

I got two of them. This one's unfair to you, but we plugged in $26,000 last year for part-time wages and salaries, and nothing was used. Again, that's not on you. There's Okay, good. That's good answer. Anyways, uh tipping fees, uh we're at 84%. I'm coming out, we plugged in 250. I guess my question is both Mary and Brian, it if we budgeted 250 last year, we're at 84% at 210. I'm averaging it out. We should be at 315, but you kept it at 250. Is there something that you know that I don't know? How did you come up with that picture?

No, I I defer I went with the recommendation of uh Mr. Wheeler who was here at the time when we working on putting this budget together. Again, I'm curious how he came up with his number. 60% left to go for 100%. We have how many months? Well, so yeah, if you look at the the actuals from 24 and 25, we went up about $20,000 from 24 to 25. So if we if if that averaged up another 20, it would be 255. So that 250 is not going to make it. No. No. And again, if you average it out over the seven months or the eight months, you'd be at 315,000. So there's a $65,000 gap there.

It's not a perfect science, but things are going up. They're not going down. and spring cleaning's coming and all of that. So, people are going to be probably sending more trash to the telev uh table this one till next month and let you do some homework and I'll work with you and try to figure out some of these things. That way we, you know, we'll have tighter numbers. I don't think they're going to change that much. Thanks. Thanks. Next week. Yes, Mr. Eagle. Please work with Miss High and Gary and uh the whoever Jim and uh whoever Mr. Core whoever wants to help on this.

I will make a motion that we continue the expenses for the public works department till the second budget hearing next week on the 25th. Second. All in favor? I. And I'm not saying that there's anything, you know, really wrong. the numbers may come out the same, but I think the better identifying those line items will give us a better understanding of where Well, I know it'll give us a better understanding of where the money's going. Yeah. Can I if somebody asks us a question, we should have an answer to those people. Yeah. Especially if it starts with us. Yeah.

I I just wanted to add with similar to what happened with the animal control officer with the fluctuating and moving things around. I know that we have Miss Hunt now and Brian Wheeler is is out of country, but um is there a way to sort of structure next year's budget so that it doesn't look as funky as sort of the animal control officer ended up looking? Well, this is a different issue. This is stuff getting misosted, right? Um so that just tightening it up on on where we're posting stuff. That Thank you. Yeah. Okay. Thank you, Mary.

Uh, one question before you leave. Where are we in the trash contract? Do you know how many Where are we, Mr. Sullivan? I'm sorry. I missed the question. How many years in the trash contract? The, in other words, oh, the contract. Yeah. Is it a threeyear, fiveyear? Where where are we at? Feel like it was I believe that was a 10 year contract. I believe it was a 10ear. You're good. All right. If you could just check in one thing is why are we're only at 50% on a contract. I keep talking about this thing that that number is through December. Yeah. We've paid invoices through December. We haven't paid January and uh as of December um as of February 28th. We hadn't paid January and February. I believe January

those two. Are they always that late? Two months. Um they're usually a little run. I don't know why they're that late. We're paying them too much money. They don't need the money. That's just my thought. We can we can look into that as well. Make sure we hold it and it's there. Let's see. What do we have? Page 14. I wonder what we got here. Mr. Bro, man, I have I have one question. Go right ahead, Mr. The uh Open Gov. I'm 99% sure state reimburses Pucket, but that is completely correct. However, we have to budget for that because that's not a guarantee.

Okay.

So, um you know, the political climate could change at any time in the next year and that may not be guaranteed that we will have to. So, the reason for that increase is because the state um requested that all the town cities and towns go to online zoning and online planning. Um, and also this number is that's all building code compliance, fire. Um, Mary and I are going to be working uh in the next couple of weeks to have our DPW. So hopefully all our uh DPW permitting can be on online uh moving from cash and check to check and credit card up there and a more um

more stable uh way of keeping our data and we help the treasur also it it's going to help everyone. Um it will also help the citizens. I know uh Bristol went to it when it came for their dump permits. So you can just renew online. Uh you can you know we we al and this isn't for you this is pretty much just in general uh inucket dog licenses uh business licenses all of that is through that same software open gov and it's all one great big package just maybe something to look at don't know

so unfortunately when when we went to open gov and we were we were fortunate enough to uh take advantage of the state um funding they paid for us we would have never been able to go to the software if it wasn't for them paying um the clerk's office had had just gone into a new system. So, we were able to I know other communities do and it all works together, but that's um it just right now it wouldn't work on that. But so that's why that that increase uh is there uh because we have to go to uh they had to go to planning and zoning and that's also for state data because now they can track um all our housing all our zoning um and also we will be hopefully with our new uh planner working to go digital for um historic. So that will be on there as well. So this this number it reflects in my budget, but it's pretty much around, you know, goes through the whole um the the the all the departments.

All right, Mr. I'm going to have to hold you there. A little housekeeping. Did we vote on the the DPWs? No, we voted to continue it. Did Did we vote on it? I believe we did. We did. We took a vote. Okay. To continue. Correct. But I wasn't sure if we actually said all in favor. I I don't remember saying either. And then all in favor Thank you. Can I continue? You can. And the 11% increase on my salary is not an 11% increase. It's taking my uh it into the same my zoning stipen which is on my which is in my job description. I have to be the zoning official. Uh so it puts it all under one. Um instead of having a stipen and a salary, it's correct all together. So

yeah, there used to be a separate line item for that and it's been combined. This year we we we did that and I thank you for doing that because it makes it much easier clerical. Anything else? All right. Any other questions? Yeah. So, can we just under building wages salary union put down contractual at 6%. Um the open government that's a software package you just explained that. That was a question I was going to have and I think we're good. Matt, are we doing revenue or no? No. Okay. We're not doing it today. Oh, maybe today, but not not with Not at this moment. Yeah.

I'll make a motion to approve the expenses for the building inspection and the total of $218,693. Second. All in favor? Okay. Next, we have planning and zoning. How are you? I'm good, thank you. How are you? I'm okay. Good evening. Good evening. Oh, uh, how come I don't have any?

You're jumping right in. It's been a a wild vacated uh position and uh ready? Yeah. Okay. What do we have in regard for questions for Miss Polar Caster? I just had a question on the salary. Where is the admin officer salary from previous years? I don't seem to see it in the expenses. I think that's more a question for the

my understanding is that was moved um recently um due to the fact it was a difficult position to fill based on the competitive salary and so they moved that line item up into the director salary to include salary and stipens. It's it's actually on building it's in the building departments. So that was a good question Mr. Charlie, I was going to ask the same all of the stipens after consolidated for the building official as well as the planner because that was always confusing. It was confusing and it was as you know challenging for us to try to advertising advertise with a with a true and accurate reflection of what the salary represent.

So now we have one salary and all the duties. Correct. And the uh to answer Mr. tribal question that the the administrative uh officer's uh stipen was under boards and commissions. What page is that? Just so I can page 16. Ah, thank you. So what's on page 16 now? Social services boards and commissions. What aren't we? That's where that's where the uh that used Okay. So it's not so it's not Yeah, it's moved. It's moved. Okay. Thanks. So doesn't matter where you Thank you very much. Is it question time, Joe? Yes.

So um on the GIS mapping software, um there's a special software. Jenny, are you here? Yeah. What is that software that we need to plan to have? Geosol. What is it? Have you talked to Jenny about that? You talking about geo geosol or full GIS well or the second hang wait what is taking place right now so if there's an actual topic for the whoever's in the audience to address please

please come forward put the questions through us I don't know what what you guys are talking about so are we at an expense a GIS mapping software under the uh software I'm just wondering if it includes something that the uh flood and drainage committee has been looking at uh and again I don't know what it is maybe Mr. But then again, if that is and I was gonna come next week to address this so but I can or you can say it now.

I don't know whether the the third line item for GIS mapping software equipment includes a ArcGIS uh license. They typically for for businesses run around $2,000 a year and I that was last year and I mean all the software licenses I have have gone up 12% in the past year. So it's like um so I don't know whether that I can try and get an answer by Wednesday. I'm still getting hooked up to this town system and so I don't have full technical capabilities yet.

My understanding is we did that the town of Warren did not have an RGI license um uh for the past two or three years. Oh, you do you do have one now? Yeah, exactly. Miss Gamut, can you come up here and Okay. Sorry. We do have a GIS license and I already asked if it's going up this year and it is not. So that's Okay. So is this line yours or is it It's usually in the planner, but I use it the most for uh the different tax

I guess what I I'm sorry. Let me re rephrase my question. Is this what you're talking about that you use? Yes. That's in the planner's budget. Correct. Okay. Thank you. And so where else then? Right. Mr. President, I'm not I'm not sure if the the the GIS uh software package that we have includes what uh Mr. Rigo was looking for, which it it does. I just need an updated Okay. flood map. Whatever. I'm going to send that to them and they can I'm going to make a motion to unless there are any any other questions on the line items. I I had one other question.

Go right ahead Mr. So for planning zoning solicitor I I thought that we paid our solicitor included planning and zoning. Is this a separate fee? This is a separate fee. This is relates to boards and commissions. um but the planning commission, the historic district commission and the zoning board of appeals has an attorney there in the evening for those committee and commission. That is my understanding of what that line item is. It's always been a separate it. So yeah, I think it's because it goes above and beyond the day-to-day duties.

So why does it go up 16%. My guess would be that and I would defer to the finance director on this is that the attorney fees have increased and also um the now that more zoning oversight is under planning there could be additional meetings as well. Also I remember I believe the last two years the solicitor didn't go up in his fees because of the financial situation that talent was in. Okay. So I think he took a hit Oh Mr. Sullivan must have an explanation considering it's his recommendation. What what did

that's correct? This this the request is from the solicitor's office uh when I reached out to them and uh Mr. Hanley is correct that the last couple of years there has not been uh any increase in the fees that the solicitor has charged us. Um and their discussion with me was that, you know, if we were paying by the hour, um that we'd be they would be getting less than $100 an hour the amount of time that they're involved in the town warrant. Are they foreseeing additional with green? And

I did the quick math and I see it's an increase of $4,56. So it's not a major the percentage looks big, but then again, I'm not going to trust those percentages, but I don't know what the hell they're based on. It looks like it's a $4,56 increase from Is it a increase in workload or is it just an increase in salary? Are they predicting maybe more work than usual? That may be a possibility as well. I mean, that's always a possibility. So, can I ask how do they do they get a flat fee or do they get paid hourly? I do not know. I thought flat fees. Yeah, it's a flat fee. So if nothing happens, they still get this. And if a lot happens, they still get it over and above, then they'll have this for even more either way. Yes. No, I don't think so.

Well, they did it in the past. They when you when you were having a lawsuit, they had charge an extra 35,000. Yes. No, not for not for the zoning, but for for for a solicitor. Our solicitor gets a flat fee. That's it. I don't there's never I've never two years ago they did, but that's okay. I'm not going to go into it. It was during the lawsuit. We paid him an extra 35,000. I'm not sure what lawsuit we're talking No, I know that line item wasn't for what you were thinking for. I remember that line item, but it wasn't for that particular motion. No, I thought for sure. But anyway, all right. All right, that doesn't matter. I digress. I am going to make a motion.

What is the If uh So, we didn't that that number didn't change because we didn't change anything. Correct. So, I'm going to make a motion we approve the the planner expense in the amount of $123,126. No, that's the one 136126. I have a question though if you ahead. Um, and I apologize. I probably should have thought this sooner, but seeing how you guys do your budgets, I didn't think of it as I was sitting there. Can you create a line item under expenses for the 2026 budget but leave it at null so that I can come back and ask for a budget reallocation? Yes, I think we can put at least a dollar in there. Right. Okay.

I I didn't understand what you said. Sorry.

For instance, like right now 100% of my salary is being covered by general funds. Um the town manager and the finance director myself spoke. We have a significant number of federal grants that fall under my authority. You can do both administrative costs for the municipality as well as hard costs for myself and other staff. What I like to do is come up and work with obviously the town manager and the finance director to come up with a three to four year salary allocation plan. So you understand how much of my costs or potentially other costs could be allocated to different revenue that would then give a line item to move general funds into contingency. So if we need matching funds on a grant or like an engineering consultant then they they exist but I didn't know every town and city is a little different whether or not the item has to be created in the line item at the budget or if it can be a full budget reallocation.

So you're talking about supplementing your salary based on administrative cost in No, I'm taking I'm talking like say that like 100% of me is on general funds. Yeah, in 6 months 40% of me could be on general funds and 60% allocated to grants. That then frees up general funds that can be used for matches on grants and or um consulting fees that would normally exist in a planning budget. But that would be under revenue, not expenditures. Correct.

I've always had it under expenditures because it's a line item that comes out of but because we won't know what that number is going to be for my salary. So like normally I would see my salary and I would say okay like $30,000 is charged off to general funds. 60,000 is charged off to grant funding and then you'd have additional line items under expenses with a dollar amount attached to it. So my goal is by the new fiscal year or the very latest the federal fiscal year is to have a hard number to put into that line item. Gary, so we're not going to we're not receiving bonds. I think that's what you're thinking of. Yeah. Yeah. It's not receiving.

She's just um like reallocating her salary into two different line items, right? There's no additional funds that you would do so that she can claim those. We have and we have funding already secured that just needs to be done a budget um justification on. So, so there could be grants that subsidize some of your pay. Is that what you're saying? That's correct. That's what I said. Yeah. It's not going to increase your pay. It's just going to take it out of the administrative cost can be taken out of grants. Well, hard cost, too. Okay. So, there's a it's we're not in disagreement. So, what do you call that? I was I would say it's what a contingency line item. I'm sure you can call whatever like I was just that gives us a little I don't think you'd need a budget for it or anything. So, it could just be a line item. So, you just want to fill it in over there.

Take the budget. Do we need a motion to that? Yes. I'll make a motion to add a line item under planning and zoning entitled contingency. And we'll put nothing We'll put nothing in it for now though. In the expense. In the expense. Yes. Second. All in favor? I How come I can't find the solicitor's? Thank you very much. No. Well, I got to make a motion for the correct dollar amount. Okay. Isn't there a solution for your planner expenses? You didn't submit any paper in the amount of $136,126? Second. All in favor? I. All right. So, for Mr. Sullivan, our solicitor does get a flat rate.

You get a flat rate. Yes. Yes. Correct. So I I'm not I don't remember what you guys are referring. No, there was a $35,000 line item either last year or two years ago, but it wasn't for additional work. I'm trying to remember what it was. It was for this lawsuit. I I think No, I think that's when we added that to the zoning. That's when we added the zoning solicitor. We didn't have one for that. So rather than bump up the that line there, we added a new line item just for the zoning solicitor. That's what it was. That's where that line item. I I don't think you're wrong, Mr. Riggo. I think maybe Mr. Sullivan can shed light on this. I I don't I don't I believe that actually we're gonna get an answer from the fire chief.

I believe we had to pay trust the trust. we had to pay the trust uh a fee for the um the the lawsuit that I just don't want too many misconceptions to be out there that I know that the solicitor's office charges us what they charge us for either an hour or $100,000 it doesn't Yeah it's a flat it doesn't go up I'm 99% sure that $35,000 was added as a line item rather than increase the entire solicitor's line item that 35 was added for the additional work that zoning and planning was causing and now with the line item

and that became a line item instead of just adding on to just the the big round item. 99% sure that's what it was for. I mean it's a different topic but it's similar. I just wanted to make sure that for the record we know that stated and then we can research that u what you just said. Are we on page 16 or did I lose track? No, you're right. Health services. Okay, Miss Roy is still here. I thought we gave you a party and everything. Yeah, a bonus. Oh, well, there's always a chance for that.

Oh boy. I did. I thought you retired. I did. I did. I have to let go. This is what retirement looks like. Yeah, this is what we really don't get it. Me either yet. All right. So, I guess we'll hear from you. Uh, any questions for this non-emp employee?

Anyone? I have a question. Okay. We have been advertising for my position for over six months. Nobody wants my position. So, I was I was serious that you did retire and leave, but you're not going to vacate in NPC and leave us. Half of my position is gone. Carrie Souza has taken over the prevention part of my position. Okay.

Well, she actually she took Maria's position and Maria took mine. So that is all settled. The social service part of my position is not taken over. And there is a Rhode Island state law that says every city in town in the state of Rhode Island is rec required to have a director of public welfare. Huh. Do you know which state law by chance? It's on my phone. Probably the same one that said we had to have a planner, but we didn't have one of those for 19 months. So what are we to do? So I I am leaving and replacing someone like you is not easy. You know

it. You won't find another sucker. But I am leaving in a few more weeks. Um, who asked me for this? Mr. Traley is looking for the general law number or name or Okay. So, you are still doing the duties of your previous role. I am. I told Are you being paid?

I serious. Yes. I told Mr. Sullivan that um we had a um learn 365 grant. So we're doing a math um program at KMS for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders helping the students with math. And I told him that I would do that grant and finish that grant. Um and it was supposed to end the end end of March. Well, they gave me more money to extend the grant and it's not going to end until the end of April. Um, so I am here until the end of April. Um, and once that is gone, I'm done.

Do you know if Miss Reid knows about her uh advertisement in that position? Yes. U we've met with uh Kristen Reed and uh nothing coming out of EPCAP or any EPAP um told us the same thing that the money that that was allocated for this was not enough to for them to be interested in filling that position. Yeah, we we had a couple of people that were interested but they looked at the salary and they said no thank you. And about how many what was the hours per week? about well theyif they say 15 in real in reality

15 and where does our salary rank in the rest of the cities and towns? Is it that we're way low or is it just this is not the type of this is not work that people are looking to do? No, you're low. You're very low. And then and then you have to look at the fact that there's no benefits. There's nothing. There's nothing. It's what? $17,000 15 hours a week with nothing. Did you say 50 or 15? 15. Okay. Mr. Travy, do you see that law that she showed you? Yes. Are you familiar with it? I am not. I'm going to do some research for you next meeting. Um she can have the phone back, of course. Um to take that from her.

Miss Roy. Yes. I'm going to tell you that the responsibility to fill that position is not on your shoulders. And I need you to realize that if you're truly going to retire, I am and I appreciate the, you know, warrant effort, but this responsibility falls on us. It's been a tough winter.

I understand you. Whatever your logic is, I'm fine with me. I just need you to know that uh you do have the abil the right to leave if if you don't want to do this anymore. Um regardless of the law, I felt like you were saying that by law it needs to be filled and you weren't going to vacate your post, which is noble, but I'm trying to get somebody to take it. I understand that. But I'm also trying to just let you know that if that is what's keeping you here, we will deal with the violation, not you. Okay, Mr. Two questions. The first one is uh St. Mary's Bay, they do so so much. Is there anybody there? Have you spoken anyone there?

Yeah, we we we have. Okay. Yeah. No. Okay. Uh I think that's something we have to work on, but since we're on the budget, can I just ask you a quick question? Mhm. Uh the social social service expenses and this just keeping in line we're just putting something down. We went up to 6% is just increased cost. Yes. Yes. And we've had a foot increase. Mr. Traley. Uh yes. So you you had proposed 30,000 as uh compensation for for this position. My my question is what was that number based off of? Was that based off of review of other communities? Was that um sort of what you Oh, okay.

Yeah. C can I ask are you set? Yep. That was my question. Is this a position that should be combined with another community? No. Okay. In my opinion, no. And I've only had 36 years and seven months experience. 37 I would have. No, it's a question again part time. So you're you're simply think you're your solution is to increase salary. Yes. That's what you're thinking would be the the simplest approach to this. Yes. At least at least $5,000. Well, the request is 12,000.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, you can only get so much blood out of But I mean, even even when you look at it overall, it's a negative 7%. The whole Am I reading this right? Well, that's for the boards and commissions and grants. All right. I'm sorry. I think for her, but just the top. Yeah, I think the top would be didn't make sense to me. So, what would it be? A 9% increase? I don't think the six and the three or am I not right? I think we'd hold off on that. I think it would probably be around 4% would be my guess. There we go. What are we going to gain by holding off? We want to see that page. Yeah, I think we should hold off and and see what we can do before we

Yeah. Marie, what do you know what the what Bristol and Baron can pay there? I don't know what Bristol and Bristol um the gentleman that does it in Bristol has um full benefits. Is it a it's a full-time position? No, it's not. So, Mr. There we go. Where I'm coming from now is I wouldn't mind plugging it in works out today just so we know where we are on the front page and the percentages and if it needs to be taken out fine. I

I think this is not I think this has to be uh sort of like a stipen job tied in with some other position. Again I don't agree there's enough hours but it is enough to give someone a stipen that's doing something else. And I think that's where we need to look. I mean, at $20 an hour, that's What other position in the I mean, what are you going to add it to? Town could you add it to? I don't know. It would have to be another part position. You're only looking at 20 an hour as an increase. I' I'd like to make a motion if that's all right.

Of course you can. I'll make a motion to increase social services wages and salaries non-UN from 18778 to 23,000 which would be about actually excuse me 24,000 which would be about a $5,000 raise to that salary to be more competitive so that we can try to find someone to succeed succeed Miss Roy I also have a donation account yes that I have some funding Right. But if we pull from that, it's a one time it I'd rather

apply that to a one-time event than a one then uh so Mr. Charlie made a motion. I think that if we're going to um and again I you hear me argue against the recck department, but now you're going to hear me apply the opposite logic. If we've advertised for this position for seven months and nobody's even looking at it, I think we should they look at it. I mean, you know, nobody looks at it and comes in. I don't see where the 23,000 If you're talking about 15 hours a week,

I'm thinking that at least $20 an hour is what somebody's going to uh get up and put their pants on for. I don't think that you're, you know, less than noble, but uh I'm just trying to be realistic and I'm also looking at um trying to fill that position, right? Not necessarily give somebody a raise. We've had to make these major adjustments through all of our departments, right? Decrease. I'd be happy to withdraw my emotions. Oh, you do 300 times 52, you come up to 15,600. $20 an hour at 15 hours a week at $20 an hour. Isn't that uh I don't know. Maybe

$29 an hour. Oh, no. I I increased it up to Derek's number. What's $20 an hour at 15 hours a week? 15 cents. 300. That's 300. And then what's the with Derek's number? I believe I came up with like about $440 $44 per week and it came up to about $29 an hour at $15 an at 15 hours per week. Really? At Derek's number at 23. Yeah. Oh, good. Then all right, then let's change it to that and advertise. Yeah. would I thought it was lower. I'm sorry. No, no, no. That's fine. Um I I think I'm still seeking a second. Um but

I have no problem admitting my math might have been wrong. I'm trying to get at least $20 an hour associated to the Out of curiosity though, procedurally once we've decided on a figure for that position, we can change that. If a applicant comes forward and says, "I'll do the job, but only for X amount," we can sort of amend that. we can pull it out of another line item. So, we can't Yes, we can't we can't increase that line item once this final budget is passed. Thank you for the education. I appreciate that. So, but also at the end of the year if it's under, we can then take it from the general fund. That's true. That's true.

And they can be up here next year and ask you for the Well, we'll see. We'll see who's here next year. No, won't be me. If that's the case, I I think we maybe we and again my personal feeling is these type of jobs are people that love what they do. It's not about the money. You're a perfect example. If you're looking for someone that's just looking for the money, I don't know if that's the perfect place. Now, that's not to say that we may have that person and they they may say, "Hey, that's not a lot. We can always bump it up." You know what I'm saying? That's my feeling. I do. But that's what I'm that's what I'm trying to do right now. I'm trying to bump it up. I'm using your logic. What was your number again?

So, I did um I was thinking I was increasing it to 23, but it was actually 24. So, it's a little over a 5, um 5,222 uh increase. 24,000 even would be the number. 24,000 even. That was just my suggestion or my motion. With that a motion, I'll second that motion. All in favor? Hi. I'm hoping that an energetic retiree looks at it. Oh, somebody you need somebody younger possibly, but I also think are getting heavier and and you know, I don't know. I'm whatever. That's what my idea was somebody who's finding themselves kicking around the house. Maybe uh

little little younger. Little younger. I had a bad idea. Next page. Same page, right? Yes. Moving down to boards and commissions. You're welcome. Thank you. The only question I have is the again it's this percentage thing is the harbor commission. Did you get is jumping up? It said 136%. Did we We're not doing boards and commissions, are we?

Okay. When is boards and commissioners? Next week. Next week. Okay. And that'll take care of the grants and contributions. So, page 17. I made a mistake. Next page. I said same page. Next page. Okay. So,

good evening. Good evening. Uh, Mr. Rego, feel free to start right off. It's easier that way. Computer services. Again, these are small amounts, so like minimum wage. Um, the maintenance, we know what that's all about. That's 39%. Um, yeah, I'm good. I I can Well, that's revenue. No, I'm good. Yeah, we're going to do expenses, not revenue. Yeah. Okay. So, the site the meal site manager, that's an increase due to the minimum wage increase. Didn't increase that much. So, I don't know if you're looking at the percentage. Is that what you're looking at? I think

I'm looking at the dollar amount. 1,927 to 3200. So, the meal site manager um makes minimum wage at the center and that per year is definitely not 1,927. Um the majority of her salary comes from a separate grant. So, this is kind of the overage of what I can't compensate from the grant. And so, due to the minimum wage increase at the beginning of this year, I had to increase what I'm asking. Yeah. Right. But so that the increase is 66%. That's the reason 1, it's about 1,300 bucks. Minimum wage wouldn't have increased her pay by 1,300 bucks, would it? I think I think it would increase about 7%.

It only went up like a what they call a dollar or two an hour. I think it's a dollar an hour. So she works 1300 hours. So you're including the money that you get from your special revenue funds in that amount? Uh, no. I'm I'm including what's the what isn't covered by that for her. However, I'll tell you this year we did um Sorry, you want to maybe the manager has some shed some light on this. You have something to add. I was just asking uh I was ask asking uh the finance director. I believe there was an issue with FIRE FICO. We weren't paying FER from the town. I believe that's the other aspect of this.

He has it here on notes. Minimum wage and FIRE. So, is this a catch-up? So, it's probably it's an increase in the minimum wage, but we got to stop paying FIA. Yes. But we shouldn't have wouldn't that fall into a different category, the FICA? I think it wouldn't because it's all related to the salary. So, it's still like the same line item, so to speak. Yeah. Is that Yeah. Okay. Does any of the special revenue funds offset any of these numbers now that you have?

So, what I'm paying the um what I'm paying uh the kitchen manager from is not the special revenue, it's the uh the grant money that I get from the state. So, um the special revenue we had two lines. Yeah. Yeah. So, so she has a a a special revenue house. Not really special revenue. It's more similar to like the sewer fund where that's where she runs her um her day-to-day operations pays her um when when she pays um a vendor or something like that comes through the town, it gets paid out of that fund. Right. So it's not

we've also used we've al in the past we've also there was some grant money Joseph Martin trust but that's running dry and I remember when you were here back in 2024 we did ask you to look around because you told us that most of the other communities their their salaries are paid by grant money have you made any progress in that

yeah so um on that front we weren't able to find anything that directly gives the like the director um salary however we have increased inreased our membership by over 100. So um our revenue from that source has increased. Um we've been doing various things throughout the year sort of increased revenue and I believe when we looked at it um the senior center had brought in at least over 15k the last two years which would have more than compensated for it. Anyway, have you met with um our new planner Miss Paula Castro yet? I haven't had the privilege yet but I'd love to. Well, please make an appointment. Yeah, sure.

Uh and probably a site visit would be nice, too. They have a great facility. Uh and uh hopefully that'll prove to be uh But again, those special revenue funds are not for the operation of the senior center. It's more for the operation of what they do their functions. Okay. Yeah. All right. Any other questions? I'll make a motion to approve senior center in the amount of $72,312. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Page 18. I'm surprised Mr. uh Kamiga is not here. The commission is here. He's not. Yes, he is. Right there in front of you. He's the commission.

I know, but I'm surprised he's not here. Um, so he's the commissioner. What do you got to say for yourself? The uh well, the the costs of operating the the sewer plant are pretty steady. uh we we uh have a a increased you see there's an 11% increase for sewer plant operations but it's uh if you recall uh we did the contract negotiation with our uh sewer operator H2O H2O services

services and there was a there was a clause in the contract that um they e oversaw or they neglected to see or we neglected to or and either the way it ignored it, but it was about testing of of the uh affluent and other items that needed to be testing by DEM and they were paying for it uh when it should the town should have been paying for it. So that increase reflects uh the estimate of about $40,000 to increase uh to cover the cost of the test to the uh sewer plant operations. Yes, that's added to sewer plan testing lab fees.

Yes. Can I go right ahead, Mr. U? So, Brian, when I'm looking at sewer plan operations and you added the testing, you went from 379 to 419, but if I do a year to date, we're already at 97%. So, if I average it out, it should be about 552,000. So, there's quite a bit of discrepancy. Now with that said, now he has backed out with utilities. Uh so maybe that's the answer to the question. Utilities was part of that number, right? Um yes.

And I'm assuming these things are getting paid on a regular basis and we're at 45%. So we're way under on what we would have paid for electricity. So it's probably averaging out now. Again, that's those numbers are um approved December 31st. So, okay. It's not going to make Yeah. So, it should be at 50%. So, it's not as All right. Shortages. Who knows our sewer usage rate? 46. 468. 668. Yeah. Where is it? Says it here. No, it's not. Okay.

Yeah. So, is our equation correct? Our formula, remember, we found ourselves short. Yes. We increased our sewer usage fee. Yeah. We're looking at the sewer budget. Are we uh where we want to be? Yes. So, if you notice, there's a a new capital improvements line. Yep. So, that 432 is is the extra bank you're collecting. we figured we could put towards capital. So that brings us whole was what you're saying. Well, that was to keep you at that 468 reading. Remember we were in the hole.

When I'm looking at these numbers, I think what we added, we should have came up with an additional $415,000 if everything stays the same. Out of that $415, uh I think 171 is to pay back the town. What was those? And the difference would be sort of like a fund balance for the we were hoping for just a boost into the general fund and based on the numbers put back because we use the general fund to cover it was to recover it back into the general fund. Correct. But I'm trying to figure out now mathematically did our increase work and are we where we wanted to be?

I believe so. But I believe so. Again to these percentages I can't. It's saying negative. It says no, but the main one it says we're 21% above. So, it's telling me that we All right. I guess I sound like I'm asking a dumb question. I I think I understand it, but it's serious. My understanding is that last year we increased our sewer use fee to cover the money that we were spending out of our general funds, the deficit. The deficit. And this budget repays that deficit, which is why you see the negative 21% of the 200,000. And then the 21% in the um lower column. Is that correct, Mr. Finance Director? Yes. Yes.

That's what I'm I'm trying to figure out. The 21% is the change in the in the u the sludge from from last year. Yeah. The change in the sludge. Yeah. That's what All right. So again, so because you're plugging in you're plugging in that 432 and the capital. We doubled the sewer usage fee. I don't think we doubled it. No. Yeah. How much? It went up $150,000 more. So, do we know?

I guess what I'm asking is that it might be for next week, which is fine. I just want to make sure that the adjustment that we made is truly covering the cost of running the sewer treatment facility. Because as you remember the previous year, we had a deficit. So then we guesstimated, we brought up our expenses, we made tried to make where we would want to be and now I just want to make sure that we are based on what I'm seeing. I think we're in better shape than we thought. And I think that that extra that we're going to make, we'll be able to cover the capital items that they're requesting for next year.

I that that's what I would hope. And and I think that if we continue on what we have now, I I think we're going to be in good shape because our my goal for the leaving I'm John Kerry and I I'm sure are all thinking about the hope of leaving the sewer treatment facility and better than we found it as well as applying the sewer usage fee in the appropriate manner to make cost sustain. Yeah. So, you'd be wrong on that part because you three voted for $20 million bond. We still inherited that $20 million. So, that's most of our debt service. So, but I think we're in good shape. I had to leave you with something.

Yeah. Okay. That being said, is there a motion to accept and then we'll have a fivem minute recess? I make a motion to accept facility for the sewer usage fees. Let me see if I can get the right column this time. 2,4573282 82 $82 second

I think searched and searched and I feel like it was in I wasn't here. Yeah, they are. Hang on.

Where do we find capital? I believe that's the in the book. Last page. Yeah, should be the last last page in the book or the last page of this of of this. But the breakdowns are more detailed in the book. Correct. I just wasn't sure if there was a something that I don't know about because I don't know a lot. 19. One thing I know is I don't know a lot. Oh crap. I can't read these. I know they're so small. I already complaining. Okay. So everybody here

if you want that's better. It's page uh 19 of 19. So it's that very back page.

Is everybody there? Page 19 of 19. Last page starts off with DPW infrastructure. We have a request for $100,000 in paving. That was from 2627. So, we're starting right off with nothing. Always good. So, should we go to page one and see what the number is based on that reduction of the numbers? Yeah,

I know. But we're looking at capital and we don't even know what our front page would that program give us the running percentage of the change we made if we went back to page one. Yeah. If I go back to Yeah. And it would include that $300,000 difference with any of the changes. Yes. And the $300,000. What I'm most interested in is that that's um that's your expenses. 3.65. Nope. You're go down the bottom. It was still a 497. 497. Yeah, that didn't move. But that shouldn't be. I thought we No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. We minus the 300.

Yeah. So, you're at 33 versus he was um the manager's budget was at 30,000 11157. You're at 33. Revenue. You were out revenue. Yeah. And how much of revenue tax revenue is is 33. So what would the percent what would the tax raise what would the percentage be of the tax increase where we stand right now with the reduction we so the tax the tax rate would be 1343 right but the 4.97 is that that's the number that I tend to focus on. Yeah that's not the right number. No the 4.97 is the manager's budget.

Right. So, there's no way for me to know right now what that $300,000 decrease. No, I was looking to see what Can we do capital real quick? Yeah, but in other words, I'm looking at capital where we have zero for paving. Can I put 100? Can I put 100,000 in paving? We have nothing. Can I put 40,000 to get rid of the bleaches at the beach? We have nothing. Vote for that. 250 to fix them. So I I think that we can I think we can talk about capital based on what we have here. I don't think anything

but we can't add that 100k. But we first of all if you look at the the uh the groundwater the 42,000 we're good with that. the wastewater. Uh even though the town manager didn't put anything in, we can plug in a $100,000 for the primary pumpy building roof deck and for the $44,000 for the cooling system because that's going to come out of the sewer fund. It's not going to come out of our um general fund, but it's still going to affect that percentage. That's the one. If we're over 4%, we're going to petition the general assembly again, right? for to for an old Well, your

your capital items come out don't come out of the budget. Yeah. So, that's not they come out of your bud budget. Those come out of your reserves. If if I could go back real quick just to go right ahead to the road paving. Is that the matching funds that we use for the state grant or the state program? I'm sorry, what was the question? Sorry. The the the request for H 100,000 for the road paving is that for the program? Yes. Yes, it would be applied. Could also be for stuff that's not matched. Well,

right now what match is 33 38% of what we spend. So if we spend 100,000, it's 138,000. If we spend 200,000, it would be 66,000 or have 74. Yes, you're correct. Yes. Um, can I make a suggestion on on that portion? It's a percentage. Yes, you're going to stand still. On that portion of it, I think we should talk to Mary that next week when she looks at her budget and and make maybe make a recommendation. See, I think we should pencil it in because we can always take out later if we don't think it's financially feasible. We can always add too. We can always add. True. But

well, Mr. Uh Marshall makes a good point that this uh comes out of the general fund and we're not borrowing for capital. Correct. No, we haven't looked at any other opportunities, did we? But did they all come out? Not really in our best interest. Correct.

And this wastewater agreement. Um I think the funds are there now. Even if we wanted to buy it now, but I think it's a good idea to put in uh next year. We will have those. On that note, would it be I I'm not sure exactly how much we have in there, but would it be better to try to put that money towards the roof replacement before we do the cooling system and roof deck just because of how important it is? Um, to answer your question, I I feel very comfortable that we'll have 144,000, but 40 425,000 might be tight and that's why I'm making that suggestion.

Okay. And hopefully with our new um maybe we can save up over a few years potentially to to to expend on that. I have a lot of confidence that we're not even going to need any money. He's going to get all that money. I I I just want to clarify something because it's capital. It's not like we just take it out of the general fund. It goes into this year's budget. It affects the percentage of our tax life. Does it not? No, it does.

You're you're funding you normally you fund capital from your um reserves doesn't affect the budget or we used to go out to bond which would affect the budget when we when we did debt service come back that way. So this doesn't come back this does not affect tax rate tax rate it affects how much we have in the bank. Yeah. That's why taking 40,000 out for bleaches. No problem. Good. You guys, we got to get rid of the bleaches.

So, the so these um the list of uh wastewater treatment uh capital items are not in uh prioritized order. They're just in alphabetical order. And uh so the idea of picking and choosing is based on what we can afford, not what's most needed.

Uh let me say this. I I went to the sewer plane and I know for sure that that police uh is very very important. You've seen it as far as between the other two. Um, again, it makes sense to do what we we can afford to do now and the primary pumpkin building roof debt to make a lot of sense. Brian, would you disagree? I

I would not. I would say that, you know, that the main roof at the the sewer treatment plant has been an issue for several years, if not, you know, five or six years. Um, but I I think that the cost to do that, I don't believe that the money that we would have in reserve would cover the cost of that that roof. Is it possible we can get grants for that roof?

I'll tell you what's possible is we need to go back to my original questioning of how much money we generated based on the increase in the fee. These numbers need to be added up and the cost of these projects need to come out of an increase to the sewer usage fee, not the general fund. Right. That's exactly what's going to happen, Jeff.

Okay. But but that's what we need to do because that also keeps us outside of the 4% cap. Sue usage fee could be 12%. Increase. It's not governed by the 4% cap. I'm very comfortable. So these projects need to be looked at in cost and association to the sewer usage. I'm very comfortable by the end of the year that we're going to have enough to pay the what what we borrow from our fund balance which is $171,000 and we're going to have at least 20 maybe 25 250 uh of a surplus.

Good. because the difficult task is going to come from juggling that money up in the air when those balls are up in the air until we get the money to the payback from the usage fee. So that's going to be the important aspect. So so don't forget that next year based on what we're charging uh we should end up with another 415,000 on top because we don't have to pay back. So we're going to be good. Okay. Just remember it's always going to be a living thing with the increase in utilities, the contract, all of these things are factored in and it should be a divisible of that sewer usage fee. We aired for several years and Brian flipping up on that

and Brian has put together a good spreadsheet for us to monitor it on a monthly basis and and it's and that's how it has to go from now on in. So, do you anticipate that there might be grant monies or is that a So, I'm let me explain this as simply as I can because this is not an easy straightforward answer. Um, you have to look at each project separately but also as a whole. Yeah.

So, there are certain grants that may cover certain things and then there are grants there are no grants to cover other things. Municipal buildings like if something needed to be done at city hall, town hall, no. Police, no. Fire maybe. libraries maybe uh senior centers. Yes. Um so if I looked at this like I'm gonna pick one I don't know what the town warf bulkhead project is or the radio but if you could link it to public safety and or economic development then they're both are eligible under different federal and state agencies. You could potentially go to the state community development block grants and ask for road paving in your economic zone.

Yes. So like your main street, your water street, your market street, uh the groundwater request for 42,000, we need that to test the water at monitoring the landfill before we can move on to what's called EPA stag money, state and tribal. Um, right. I can't I'm sorry. Like I know what they mean in my head, but there are going to be some things that are never going to be funded under grants unless there's a special circumstance, right?

So sewers it's I would have to look at this more if it was controlled by the municipality andor a nonprofit potentially um as it relates it is. Okay. Is yours 100? We have a we have it's only Brian. We have a we have an agency that runs but it's all right. So potentially it could be and I say that because you have to make a case and a criteria as it relates to water quality um public hazards. So for instance I know from the chiefs that they were very concerned the generator would fail during the snowstorm. that happened and you had sewer everywhere that becomes a public health hazard. It becomes an issue for your waterhed

pumping station. Yes. So some of those it I have to make a case. I have to look at each thing case by case. But the thing is when you start one they're going to want to make sure you have the funding to do the others unless that particular fix will just be that one fix. We were just throwing you into the general conversation. uh you'll be involved but more importantly we're looking at funding this through the su usage fee to the project that loses but my question is and then whatever you can do of course if let's say we put in those three projects and we don't do them and just because we put them in it's not going to affect us financially no

but if we don't put them in then it affect us that we're not able to go get funding so we better put them in correct that is correct they're going to want to see is it in your comprehensive plan is it in your budget have you been doing the due diligence, the preliminary work, things of that nature. Okay. Okay. And grant money, just so you know, we're looking at fiscal year 2728 right now for funding. Let me just say one last thing. And matching funds are important, too. Let me say one last thing. If we did put it in by the by next year, I think we would have enough funding to do all those projects by the end of next year. So, I think by putting them in, we have enough. Well, town manager didn't put him in. So, it's up to us.

The town manager was in a different predicament last week than he is today. What I'm saying is it's up to us. If that's how you feel, make the motions. Let's move on. With me? Yes. Thank you. Well, yes. On which topic? This. The sewers. Uh the total uh capital. We're on the sewing sewer right now. We're just looking at DPW and Yeah, I guess. Well, it's it's kind of a go ahead a large picture idea. Tell us what you're thinking.

Um 4% is what is the rule of thumb for capital expenditures of whatever your budget is, whatever you're trying to to keep running. 4% of your total budget is what you should be thinking about putting into capital every year. Otherwise, you end up way behind the ball. So 4% of the budget roughly of where we are right now is $815,000. Yeah, we don't have a ball. Well, but you know, 4% of the the town budget on I know the number. Yes, you're right. So, I'm just I'm putting that out there as as a placeholder as a way to think about how much you could be spending and not get way behind on maintenance. That would hold. Jenny, we don't we don't have

I know. So, your your your formula is correct. It's just that also we have to have the money in the fund to float these other expenditures that happen because every month it's an up and down up and down and and I was on the planning board in in Bington and every year a 4% budget and every year the town manager cut it down to 2%. And then they got into role but if we were successful in grants you also need potentially contributions which also come out of the general fund. So I just I was there was a frame of reference. So Jenny, here's the problem.

When you look at our debt service right now and our budget is made up of the schools in the town, but all our debt service is on the town side. So I only look at the town side. We're at 18% service and pay lies the problem. We just had the conversation sewer. Our debt service is really really high. That's what's killing us and that's where the capital budget is going right So if it was at maybe eight or 9% that could hold true but not at 18%. So thank you. You're correct. We can't apply. Thank you Jenny. All right. What do you want to do? I don't want to waste time.

Make a motion to to plug in these three numbers. Um the $425,000 for the low replacement. um 100,675 for the primary building roof deck and 44,800 for the MCR pooling unit in debt service. Okay. Wastewater treatment. Put that. So, there's a motion. Is there a second? I'll second. All in favor? All right. The um

I'd like to make a motion to put road paving in 100,000. Okay. It's uh you know you're up at the top up at the top DPW infrastructure. I I'll second it. I mean let's see where we come out at the end. I I don't have a problem after we talk to Mary Mary can give us a better sight of what we should should Yeah. 300,000 500,000 is what we should do. Our roads are a mess. So is there a motion and a second? Yes. All in favor? Hi. All right. Um, what about the groundwater monitoring? I think that's Do we have to make a motion on that? That's already there.

That's already in there. So, it's only So, that's going to be on a final vote. Um, yeah, that mean it we're approving that. You can move it over, Lewis, if you want. I was I was putting everything in the in the empty town manager's request and I was carrying that over. Um, so public works are looking for another truck. The Bobcat bucket truck. I guess we could say they can get by. The police, they have something to say. They're looking for a You I want to go back to that bucket truck.

Oh, please. Well, no. How much did we pay a year to rent one that we can actually 12,000? All right. So, that's 12,000. We can buy one for 40. So, I'm going to make a motion we put the buck the correct size bucket truck small bucket to move that over to uh to the to the capital side of approved. Yeah. So, can I say this? So, in equipment that we had $170,000 last year, they've only used 66,000. So, there may be funding there. I don't know. So, I would I would have a look at it.

All right. I want to move it over there to we're we're only so technically we're only spending 26 grand cuz we're going to pay 12 grand to put the Christmas lights. We already spent 12 this budget, right? And we're going to spend 12 next budget every year, right? So if we buy one for $40,000 a we can actually use instead we bought one for 100. We can sell the other one for whatever. I just want the record to reflect the last time we had the discussion and I voted against you voted both voted for it. You both were wrong. Go ahead. What do you mean? What are you talking about? The last bucket truck you guys ordered, the one 20 years ago. Imagine it. That's the problem. Yeah, you bought it with us. But the worst thing we did was give you a ruler. All right. Can I ask a quick question?

Yes, you can. Um, is the 40,000 an estimate or do you have like a quote uh for for a bucket truck? Bucket truck item was a Wheeler Brian Wheeler added item. I I believe that's an estimate and it may be it may be um a used one. Yeah. My Yeah. My hunch is for a new bucket truck that's very Would it be possible to get some rough quotes? Sure. For the next meeting that way if if it was like let's just say inflation and such increases it to 50 then we can put 50. You know, something like that.

I'll research it. That was one of my items. And so I'm I'm making that motion to move the bucket truck uh to this year's capital budget in the amount of $40,000 and we can always wait and see what it comes in after. I'll second that. All in favor? You're not measure. No, that's a definite. All right, you guys. I'm serious. We need to take down the bleaches and then DPW can grade it and all that. That quote for 40,000 gets us in the right direction. And then the planner is pretty confident that beautifification money is out there with water management. They've already been I know they're iconic to you.

Is that in there? I'm No, I'm adding it. I'm public. Public parks and recreation. Oh, sure. Public works. I don't know where you want to add it, but it's capital. Where are we at when it's not on there? It's not on there. I'm trying to The those bleachers shouldn't take precedence over the beach wall. The beach wall is collapsing. It's got a big hole in it. We should be putting If you're going to priority should be the beach wall, not the wall, not the bleachers. So, the beach wall isn't even budgeted. No. No. It's on there.

It is, but it was not. Dubai. It was not budgeted because we don't have capital money. Last one. Last one. But um but if you a pri if you're going to do a priority for parks and recreation, my request would be the beach wall, not the stone bleachers. I thought we my mistake. I thought you had like we were working on the beach wall. Yes, it is in the budget, but we it did not pre like this budget. So we didn't put money from last year on the beach wall. We had we have not came up after the budget. I thought that when like when you and I had spoken and you told me a company was coming on. I thought

No, no. We had evaluations done. It was part of last year's it was declared this year also. Yeah. No, no, it's I have no problem. We don't know the money but I thought it had been dealt with. So sure if you're going to choose priorities 32,000 for that and I want to get our trust has come and tagged the bleachers said retaining no the cement bleachers not bleachers are retainable all right I'm confused now they're calling them you call you call them bleaches they need to meet the building code you call them a retaining wall they you call them a landscape feature they do not okay They are landscape. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. To disrepair.

I would rather spend the money to fix them. $250,000. Spend the money to fix them than take it down. Sorry, Peter. The company came out and they said that the seaw walls in bad shape. Yeah, we're talking about two different things. Okay. Thank you. The seaw wall has a very large hole in it. A piece of cement fell out. I presented it to you guys. I remember in the fall, I believe. It's like under the life. It's to the left of the life guys. Um that is a priority more so than the bleachers or whatever we're calling them. Understood. Oh, the than the retaining one. But as far as the total that you presented here, was that from a quote from one of the people that

that was a quote from a a person who has done work on uh those kinds of projects. And if we don't obviously see wall collapses, lots of problems. Mhm. It and as Joe has just said, the price probably has gone up because that quote was from the fall or from the summer. Uh was fall. Yeah. We'd have to look at it again. But anyway, that I just wanted to put my two cents in. I'll make a motion to include the seaw wall at the total of 32,500. Okay. Second. All in favor? I.

Now on to these bleachers retain vaults. I think we should go with the $40,000 to get rid of them. Then have DPW grade them and then I've spoken with the planner. There's a possibility for uh beautifification connecting the bike path uh to the to our new facility and all of that. I think they should come down was $40,000 quote and I feel confident with that. I'll make a motion to put 40,000 in to remove the bleachers. You mean? No, the people taking them down are bleaches. People saving them. So, if I if I recall correctly, I'll second it, but I just have a question. Go right ahead.

And I know the solicitor is not here, but was it part of his judgment or the League of Cities and Towns judgment, these things had to come down because of the sort of the liability repair or the trust were called there to look at them. And no one raised a concern about it until they were called there and physically instead of things every pointed at them so they could see it. Okay. It was brought in as a tactic to make the walls unsafe. So we have to take them down in my opinion. Okay. Well, the that that's not really true. They said they have to either be repaired or taken down. Repaired, replaced, or removed.

Yeah. I I guess again for me it's a it's a history thing. I've been there for years and I've heard there's so many people like when there's something going on down there, it's great for the people to sit on. If there's a food truck there, they sit down. They have their they eat their food on the stairs. It'll be all new benches. It's iconic. New new memorial benches. It's not. Oh, yeah. Memorial. The memorial benches go. I'm going to tell you, I think the next administration here on the council is going to make those things beautiful. I I would hope they would. Well, I'd like to see him go. We have a motion and a second. Is there uh all in favor of putting the 40,000? I I oppose. Opposed. Okay. You got three eyes.

There you go. We're going to make it better for Warren. It's a good thing. Well, I don't know. It's a good thing, Derek. It is. We're gonna wipe out this go. Okay. So, we need to make a motion to adjust the um none of

this is even that capital line. It's all about money and none of this is even going to happen. Um, so police department. I mean, the good thing is the 570 is is uh going to be from the Sue usage fees. That's the one good thing. Hello, Chief. Boy, before you stop, the big thing or quick, the little things you get for half mile, just so you know.

Is uh the ballistic vest the most important thing? Yes. Well, it's it's contractual. So, I'd say yes. But my question on this, Ryan, mention it to Brian. Why can't we take out I already did some already. I I I already bought uh using some of the money from the forfeite money, I already bought um 18 vests. So um which which encompasses the detective division. That's how we got away with using that money for that reason. Nice. So um this is why I'm asking the 16 is for the remainder of the officers.

But you still have money in the special revenue fund. Yes. looking to I I did a um I'm looking to buy a drone and an unmarked car with those with those funds as well. Correct. Nice. Maybe for next week we can have the special revenue account uh listing or do you have it? Yeah, we have. Good. Okay. Uh I would like to talk about maybe getting one cruiser next year. Um as you can see uh I have did the agriculture did they what was that program?

It didn't it's not it's not available anymore. USDA the USDA that was always good. I don't do a lot of USDA work. Yes. I don't think it's they had there was a grant that for some reason they were supplying us with a cruiser. Correct. It was the USDA grant. I don't we don't believe that's out there anymore. Yeah. I uh the last time that we looked into that it was uh the USDA did not have enough funds to to supply any of that funding to Rhode Island.

Get inventory of all the vehicles for the fire department and the police department. We we have the fire department. The the chief sent that to uh to us this week. We'll have that for you next week. Yes.

Oh, fiveus. I believe I did. I mean, I have It's in the budget. Why? Because that's going to be all the cruises. I have the mileage, the years. Uh I just updated the Yep, it's in there. Um, as far as the grants, what we did is we also put I mean we can go back to the vests. We did apply for a uh a grant for the whole department for the vests. So if that comes in, we would put towards this, but it's not guaranteed. So that's why I put it the remainder of the vest I need, I put it in the budget.

All right. So Miss Cronin just brought to my attention that we're at 870. If we minus the five if we minus the 570, we're at uh 270500. So, you know, we can continue to do this or accept that we should look at it next week when we're uh closer to reality. Um I I don't have a problem. I mean, I I of course we're going to go with we're going to go with the best over anything else. Um you know, in that order, of course, health and safety But all of these other wishful uh attempts that I'll make a motion to approve this.

Is there a second? Second. All in favor? I It's already in there. Well, we do. Yeah, we have to take it from the manager to the council. All right. But the the cruisers, what I did this year is I added the fourth detail car. As you can see, looking at the uh budget here, we grossed 150,000 130,000 in revenue on detailed cruises. People renting the car. People renting the car the car. And it would have been more because I don't put my frontline cars on details. So, I had three. So, I added a fourth car. So, I have one one of the cars out there has 108,000 miles on it.

It's not bad. Not good. Well, we used to have them at 350. Well, they don't make them like they don't make them like that. You were driving them at 350. And I have a frontline car with 95,000 miles and one with 82. Oh, those are front line. The 95 what you used on the details. The 108 is Roy. I have to discuss. You have three of them and you use three of them on a regular basis, right? And I I put a fourth one in there this this Okay. A fourth one. Yes. And so I generated 128,000.

So So one thing I have for was I guess when we bought it and how much mileage. So I guess based on information I have I should be able to figure that out. So you need how much how many miles we put on that you get? Is it 20 on each car? I that I can't tell you top of my mind. I don't know. But I think next week when we talk about fees and fines and you know you talk about the detail I think that you know probably a good time to discuss you know what I'm saying I think you have that info and I'll talk to you but yeah you have that info in the reports you give us the mileage the mileage I know you do

yes oh no every month we'll discuss it next week yeah we can bring the I think I think it's the the I mean I don't mind doing this but the most realistic of of actualities are going to be next week. I gota be on anything. If somebody has an argument I'm okay with it. I just like to see an argument. I just don't like to just dish out. I don't have a problem arguing with you. Yeah. I mean it's increased mileage, increase age, increase wear and tear. All right. So what do we got? Fire chief. you want to tell us what you need?

And actually, Miss Thibido, although you came up when you did because of me, uh you still have the opportunity to address us on your capital concerns. We didn't we didn't um we didn't shoot over you, although we did. It wasn't it wasn't this wasn't by design. All right. Uh I'll set Mr. President.

Yeah. Go ahead. Mr. Be two items under my capital request. Um I'd like I had asked uh the third to be added. Um don't I know it won't be just to continue asking for the fire and police station that we've been asking for the past few years. I just want to see it on the record that it's still being requested every year. So if that's okay with the council just to have that added as a line. Let me just say this. It's going to be our next agenda. We do need a fiveyear capital plan. So, you should have that. It's on there, but this has been requested for many years prior and I didn't want to stop not having the request again this year. That's all. We are in a situation, but it's not on here.

I know. And that's just that's my mistake. So, that's what you're saying. Yes.

So, I understand that one, but so let me explain the other two items. Coincidentally, they're both the same price. Uh the first one is a communication upgrade from the Ridgeway. So, you remember the tower was put on Ridgeway. Yeah. Drive that Rhode Island EMA put up. Uh they did put it up. It is in operation for the 800 megahertz radio. And part of the agreement when they put that up, they put some components, antennas on that tower and a rack inside of the shed at the base of the tower for police and fire communications. What what we were hoping to do is a uh remote receiver that would boost our signal from around town. Namely, the low end of Twist. We get down at C View Avenue, the end of Maple Road, Twist Point. You can't the dispatch can't hear us on our portables. Sometimes we have to go back to our vehicle just to get an emergency transmission out. So, having this tower up on Ridgeway, a high point of town, would help get that signal from that portable uh boost it bring it to dispatch. So that quote there was a series of equipment in that shed to attach to that antenna that's already in place um and bringing a communication from there to here by fiber uh network instead of wireless line of sight. And that's this quote did include uh police and fire components to get that communication up and running from that remote uh facility.

So this sounds public safety. So maybe take plan came on. This has been discussed and you know we are hopeful that something can come out of that but again it's a request. Yep. So that was that request for the um communication tower. Now if you want to sit on it and wait for this grant opportunity if it's coming out of cap general anyway could it be request throughout the year? I don't know if that's an option. Well they won't allow a reimbursement. If the grant doesn't come through, I'm saying right, you'd be into next year. Okay.

And when you budget things, does it hurt you to get grants or is it help you if you you budget for it? Because I know with the special revenue funds because it's linked to public safety, I would leave it in the capital improvement budget. I would just put it lower in priority until we hear. So the grants that went in are congressional direct spending grants. I did the same two applications to both Senator Reid, Senator White House and to Congressman. What happened last year though was due to issues in the House, any ear mark was wiped out at the House level. There were one or two that each senator was able to fight for and get moved forward. So, but they were much smaller than we previously seen. I rank this as the town's number one. It also includes about 1.45 four or five million in um vehicles, interoper communications that would benefit pretty much all the directors here, but we won't really know if it's going to move forward. We'll know before they go into recess if it's going to move forward. We don't know until they vote on the budget as a whole and they have negotiations whether or not they're going to actually move any of the ear marks forward. So, my hope is that between the three we get at least in one category. So, the advice on putting this as a placeholder,

I would put as a placeholder. I would leave it there. Um, that way if there's additional grants that come out through the federal department of justice or, you know, FEMA or EMA, we have it there and we can look for funding because they may want matching funds on it as well. We don't have any special revenue funds though with I don't think so. The two I have are meds and fire prevention. Can I ask Have you looked at all our special revenue funds to see?

No, I haven't. No, because I don't even have access yet to the one drive. So, I need to do that. Um Carrie and I have talking about spending a lot of time together. Um looking at your capital improvement plan using as a budget tool to balance like five years out to identify projects before they come before you which potentially could have grant funding and would have no grant funding at all. But that takes time. All right. Uh, is there a motion to make a motion we move $55,000 over for the communication upgrade on the Bridgeway tower? I'll second. Second. All in favor? I. All right.

Thank you. And the second item that you see before you was a replacement of the outboard engines on our marine unit, our main marine is Marine 3 that stays in the Warren River year round. We did pull it this year due to weather conditions deteriorating. Uh so this past summer we did lose one of the outboard engines due to corrosion from the inside out on the cooling system and it was uh recommended to be replaced not fixable. Fortunately we were able to find a used engine during the year to get that uh up and running and made it through the rest of the season. It was a recommendation of the uh place of facility to uh replace both engines with caper light. So, that was the request for the 55,000. Again, it is running currently, but who knows for how long.

I mean, that could possibly be another uh grant, right? Uh the engines for the engines for a marine unit.

It's a fire boat. It's a marine marine rescue boat. I'm sure there have been there have been grants in the past for the full marine boat itself. It's not that old. Is that the one years old? That's a That's a boat. Was it the boat that we Okay. I'll make a motion to put in 55,000 for the end motor for Marine 3. Second. Yeah. Discussion. I don't have a problem, but I don't want to be forced into spending this money. knowing where we're at financially. We don't have the money to spend. No, I just wanted to be known that I'm okay with

I know I'm going through the grants. It becomes investment versus a cost. I'm I'm helping you prepare your answer for the 26 27 budget that I won't be here for. All of this is we're already up to a million dollars. So we're this is really truly a placeholder as she say

it's a per state law statewide planning is required every municipality every so many years is required to do a capital improvement plan. I'm not sure where the town of Warren stands yet and it sounds to me very briefly on conversations is that this serves as your capital improvement plan. So it does it doesn't mean that you are going to fund it, but this is the plan that you're presenting as part of your budget. And unless you have a separate ordinance where your capital improvement plan separately comes before the town council and you vote on it, then I would say this takes the place of that until we come up with a better system. And so I would say that use them as a placeholder. So you need to stay requirement of the capital improvement plan. That makes sense.

So we do have an audience that says that we need a fiveyear plan. That's actually part of the charter. But it does immediately have to fund it if we don't have correct. You still should have an idea where you stand. You're correct. Nothing every two to three years. So I need to check with that. Probably had we haven't had a plan in a while. Thanks, Chief. Yeah, this I I understand your consider we will not go out and just buy them. If it gets approved, we will work to look for grant opportunities or if they actually get us through half the season, that would be great. Is this I want to go back to the radio. Is that the same company that promised they were going to take this thing down, put that one over there? They promised everything.

Part of that to ever happen is a big part of what I'm proposing, having that fiber connection to the new tower. Those guys, if there's ever any chance of that, they would put this up. They said they would actually put that up and take this one down. So, we're going to um have to actually uh I think speak to Mr. Disto before the finaliz of this budget to make sure that uh legally what we're doing meets uh what Miss uh what is it? Poly Polaro

PolyCastro uh well I go by the last names Poly Castro uh mentioned because if we are making a you know capital plan fine if we're funding something then it's not the same I have no problem with the wish list we just have to make sure that what we're doing is sound legally because we're already over a million dollars. All right. Um, Miss Tibido, you can come back up. Are you sure? Yeah. Sewer treatment is 570 alone.

Treatment. I understand that. But until until all of this happens, um, clerk, town clerk, you're on here. You're not on this on something. You're in the book. You're in the book. Yeah, I'm gonna use the technology. Okay, cool. Um, public works. We kind of dealt with you without even Mr. uh, Silva. this way.

We're looking at your uh 750. Then you got some granite right away markers. Don't we already own granite markers? The first thing the Where am I? Go ahead. Start with your first thing. Radio. Yeah, the 800 radio. We have one that's going to be a handheld and I guess it's out being programmed right now. Um, I'm still looking to get one that mounts on the boat, stays with the boat full time. It's kind of difficult to keep passing out a handheld to everybody, but that's $10,000. That's what they tell me.

Wow. I haven't personally priced it, but that's fairly accurate. We had one on a fire, of course. Do we use a fire every day? No. Again, I know we get to the promises, but do you use your home every day? In the summer, we're not out in the winter. But the thing is, they respond to they're the respond. We're a first responder. We happen to be on the water. Accidents happen when traffic is the highest. The bulk of them. That's when

that's when we're out there. They have to have it because they're part of the Marine Task Force. I can't be part of the Marine Task Force without it. Um, which So, this isn't a just a VHF radio. No, it's 800. This isn't 800. It's It's specific to the Marine Task Force.

And so, if there's an accident, I'm I can't speak to the other boats, but we've had a deal where the fireboat will relay information if we happen to be out there. But again, we're really only a first responder. We hand it off to the fire department. They're the experts. They're trained for it. But again, I can communicate with them through our fire radio. But if another town is involved, I can't hear what they're saying because they're going to be on the 800. I guess I'm just shocked at a $10,000 price. I don't build them. I understand. It's sell them. I understand that, too. Yeah. Can you buy used?

So, we have uh obtained some used portable radios from town of Lincoln. Um they got a grant and obtained uh 800 megahertz radios. I think the grant was close to a million dollars. And the radios, the new radios do cost between5 and $10,000 depending on on the uh features of the radios. Um, we're going to try and have uh EMA uh reprogram uh at least the portable radio so that the the hover master would will have that ability to communicate. So that that's that's what we have right now. Um but again, these are used radios. When they were purchased, they were used radios. So, you know, the they're they're not brand new. So, they they there's some wear and tear on them. So

maybe we can get a grant for radios too. Of course. To meet with each individual department head. Yeah. To get a sense of what they need, what they've applied for previously. Um what priorities I break. I know every department. They tell me their department is the most important. Um get a sense of what the use is. And then why don't we do you guys do workshop work sessions here with council? Not really but we can on the agenda discussion. We can talk about potential ask you can ask questions. I'll be a little better prepared.

We can have a meeting in that workshop. Absolutely. They're a candidate for a grant for for radio public. Yeah. So I don't have a problem putting it in. And again Joe if we you're not funding it. I understand but at the same time I don't want to be forced to buy something because we put it in there if it's a financial situation which I don't think 10,000 and we still have to come back to us right to approve exactly the second thing I had is

Mr. President just on that you mentioned about a grant. I believe the planner has put in an interoperability uh grant and that would be in that would be one of the agencies that would be covered by police, fire, uh DPW uh harbor master uh would be covered by that grant if we were uh fortunate to get the money for those radios and it's it is for 800 meghertz radios.

All right. One of the things I need to find out because I think it's very uh apparent to me is everything here if we're looking at a placeholder or a fiveyear plan or whatever. It's it's everything. There's no reason for us to be picking and choosing. If it comes down to actually applying the funds and doing these things, then it turns into the next phase. I don't know if they agree with that, but I got if we actually allocate we put this in capital and allocated

that's all going to you know to so it's may not affect the percentage but if we petition the state to go over the 5% and they looked at we're spending $2 million on capital even though we didn't spend it. It's in our budget and we put it in our budget. It's like they have the intent of spending, but this doesn't affect our tax rate. No, but when the state's looking at it saying, "Why does Warren need to exceed the 4% cap?" What the heck's this? They got $1.5 million in capital expenditures. But from what I've heard, but what I've heard is when we finish the budget process, we're going to be we're going to be under big budget, John. We're going to be under 4%.

Well, when I close it mystical number. Okay, but that's why I go back to what I'm trying to figure out. Are we creating a placeholder or are we actually saying we're going to spend this money? I'm not comfortable with the more and more and more. We never ever in the past have added something and we didn't buy without having the intention of actually buying. That's what I'm saying to buy.

So, I'm starting to feel like I need to have a discussion with the solicitor or a forensic. you know, Michael or have these guys reach out to somebody, you know, in the auditor general's office what our actual process is or is it like what Miss Palisent said where we create a capital oh what is it policy plan it's totally different than a capital budget and another thing a capital budget if we have that on the capital. It's going to be paper and we need to bond something. They're going to look at what's on our capital sheet. So, we need

which is going to hurt us in the bond. All right. So, we need when we put all this stuff on it, it's like, oh, we just put it on there, but we're not going to spend it. There are certain department there certain agencies that are going to look at it and they're not going to think that. They're going to say, "You are way overexpended. We're not going to buy for you." We need to figure out the language. But tell me where exactly. Yeah, we're way overextended on this list. Thank you. 570 for the sewer plant. You're saying it's going to be paid for, but it's not on the capital sheet. It's there. All right, let me John, it's going to be paid for by that, but it's on the capital. John, can I can I try to wrap this?

I think we need to have a capital plan versus capital budgeted items. They're two separate things. the Chief 16,000 for the vest. That's an actual budgeted. We're going to spend that 16,000 when we look at replacing a an outboard engine. That's in the plan. Right. So, I really think we need to readjust what we're doing here and figure out what we're going to spend and what's going to go into the plan because they're two totally different things.

I guess the question is, is it okay to put it on there? Because I think the intention we just had in conversation is this would be an investment in order to get a I think it's okay if it's in the plan, not the budget. Mr. Traumaly keeps trying to say something.

Yeah. So for me um I I for me all of these things have definitely merit to to then all these requests have been put in. My thinking of having voted on them and putting them into the budget for now is if we can't afford it. Those are the things of immediate priority that I'd like to move ahead on. Uh if we have the money in the budget. If we don't have the money in the budget, we can certainly take them out the next meeting. I'm fully in, you know, in favor of doing that and putting them in some sort of five-year plan, separate type of document. But for me, because of how important it is to have our road and because of how important it is to make sure that the Marine 3 has an engine and and and everything, I think those things should be separated in some way from the other capital expenses right now so that we can make a decision sort of like a semi-final and then a final is next week, so to speak. That's my that was my thinking on why I voted for that.

I would have a problem with that because if you're saying do or die in not knowing what's going to happen down the road, I have a problem with that. But if we put it in there with the understanding being it would have to come back to council anyway to vote on any of this. All right. Actually, correct. So I want to have a tally. Who's kept track of where we are? I stopped when we over Mr. Marshall, did you it? We added 570 something for the sewer. 075 475 for the sewer. No, we added 570475 for the sewer.

Yeah, I'm off. I think I don't I must tell you 92. We have $100,000 for paving. Yep. 42. And that includes 42,000 for the groundwater.

Yeah. So the total DPW is 142,000. Har masters we've added nothing. Wastewater treatment was 570475. Parks and recreation was 32,500 for the seaw wall. All right. So, I'm at a million a million 116 and 40,000 for the bleachers.

Yeah, I have that. Public works was 40,000 for the bucket truck. Police was 16,000 for the vests. I giggle because we're in the millions. Um, then we were at uh the fire chief for uh $55,000 for a tower and then another 55 for the an engine. All right. Two engines, the engines. So, we're at a grand total of 1,116975.

All right. Never going to happen. So, we need to put that, I believe, in a five-year plan. And then, not for tonight, for next week, we have to figure out with the entirety of the budget what we're going to spend money on. Question needs to be asked if we put it on, are we committing? And if we don't put it on, are we lose? I believe if we put it in the budget, we're committed. It has to be a plan. capital plan is different than the budget. The budget is gonna show up on the gonna be in the paper. It's gonna be posted funding agencies. It's gonna be what we're spending money on. Spending the money.

Correct. So, I've done this as well. You have also long enough. Uh that's that's what will happen. So, we're not there. We know what we would like to spend if we could. Uh now, we need to figure out uh the rest of the budget process next week. Um, I hope everybody's happy with what we've done. I don't think we spun our wheels. It always kind of feels like we did a little on the first meeting, but you want to get that nap waiting. Correct. I don't want to go past 10:00. Mr. Stanley will kill me. I'm past my bedtime. So, is there a Good work. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Motion to go hanging.

Oh, well, we're not spending anything. We didn't leave you hanging. We didn't leave you hanging. The answer is no. We're working on those secondhand radios and we'll figure out what we can do. Yeah. Motion to adjurnn.