North Kingstown Town Council Budget Workshop and Preliminary FY24 Budget Adoption - March 20, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
North Kingstown Town Council Meeting – Budget Workshop & Preliminary FY2024 Budget Adoption – March 20, 2023
The Town Council met on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. to conduct budget workshops with the School Department, Police/Animal Control/Harbormaster, and Town Clerk/Board of Canvassers/Municipal Court. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the preliminary FY2024 budget, which will be subject to a public hearing on April 19, 2023.
Public Comments
- Lisa Garcia (math teacher, NK High School, 2022 RI Teacher of the Year) spoke in favor of the school budget, particularly requesting funding for school psychologists. She noted that current psychologists and social workers are overburdened and students cannot receive adequate services. She also highlighted the need for late buses to support student extracurricular participation and after-school academic support, as well as the importance of mental health services for teacher retention and recruitment.
- Jordan Albernaz (teacher at NK High School) expressed support for the school budget, stating it was thoughtfully prepared.
Discussion Items
School Department Budget (FY2024)
- Interim Superintendent Frank Pilata presented the school committee’s approved budget of $59,526,442, representing a 3.934% increase over FY23 (town appropriation increase of $2,252,907). The budget adds 4.2 FTE positions: two school psychologists, one PE/health teacher, and one LEA coordinator (resource teacher for IEPs) – all aimed at student mental health and social-emotional support.
- Enrollment is projected to decrease by 41 students, with minimal staffing impact. Approximately 78.7% of the budget is salary and benefits; 97% is considered fixed costs.
- Town Manager’s preliminary budget had proposed $180,566 less than the school committee’s approved amount. School Committee Chair Aaron Earl stated the reduction would force cuts elsewhere; the two additional psychologists are considered essential.
- The two psychologists funded through ESSER (federal pandemic relief) are one-year positions; recruitment challenges for short-term roles were acknowledged.
- Council members questioned class size ratios, teacher/TA vacancies (primarily TAs), teacher contract negotiations (current contract expires June 30, 2023), and the competitiveness of NK salaries.
- Councilman Mandel noted large reductions in line items (e.g., technology software -$40K, hardware -$80K, textbooks -$165K, general supplies -$140K). Chief Operating Officer Michael Waterman explained these were reclassifications (e.g., moving from purchased supplies to contracted services) and not actual cuts.
Police Department Budget
- Chief presented a budget that includes funding for two new patrol officer positions (zero-based budgeting; currently two officers are on military leave, so salary line does not show a large increase). Retirements (4) occurred after budget drafting.
- Vehicle replacement: The department proposes switching from Ford to Dodge Durangos (four vehicles) due to lower purchase price ($10K less per Ford) and better maintenance records. The lease program continues with annual appropriations.
- Flock cameras (automatic license plate readers) requested for $17,100 for 6 cameras, to track vehicle descriptions. No facial recognition; data retained for a limited time. Council member Anderson asked about privacy concerns; Chief noted it would aid in criminal investigations, amber/silver alerts.
- Other increases: school resource officer (+13.54% due to top-step pay), firearms (+25% for replacement of aging patrol rifles), personal equipment (+152% due to vest replacement cycle every 5 years), contract services (+169% for Flock cameras and 3D imaging Matterport).
- Mental health clinician (from Providence Center) currently rides with officers part-time; she can be called in for emergency certifications, reducing wait times from 2-3 hours to ~45 minutes. The department chose not to hire her full-time to prioritize patrol staffing, but she remains on call.
- Council asked about grant opportunities for police equipment; Chief said limited grants are available and most are not applicable.
Animal Control & Harbormaster
- Animal Control: Contract services increase due to reliance on a local foundation (“Friends of…”); foundation fundraising has decreased.
- Harbormaster: Request for a new pickup truck (lease, 4 years). Fuel line up 30% attributed to more boat usage with two part-time assistant harbormasters hired. Council member Mancini questioned the alignment of fuel increase with usage; staff will reexamine.
Town Clerk, Board of Canvassers, Municipal Court
- Town Clerk budget mostly statutory, small increase in health insurance. Board of Canvassers budget is down (off-election year) but includes funding for possible special election, presidential preference primary (2024), and a budget referendum. Poll worker training funded at $25 per worker. Municipal Court is an enterprise fund, self-sufficient from traffic ticket fees.
Key Outcomes
- The Town Council unanimously approved the preliminary FY2024 budget as presented by the Town Manager (which includes the original school department proposal of $59,345,856 and $11,557,376 state aid). However, after discussion, the council voted to adopt the school committee’s amended budget of $59,526,442 (town appropriation) and $11,557,376 state aid, increasing the total general fund appropriation. The votes were as follows:
- General Fund budget: $39,370,562 – passed unanimously.
- Debt Service Fund: $5,365,110 – passed unanimously.
- Allen Harbor Enterprise Fund: $442,058 – passed unanimously.
- Golf Course Enterprise Fund: $1,968,137 – passed unanimously.
- Water Fund Enterprise: $5,784,736 – passed unanimously.
- Municipal Court Enterprise: $198,921 – passed unanimously.
- Sewer Enterprise: $2,568,684 – passed unanimously.
- Transfer Fund: $1,354,673 – passed unanimously.
- Library Fund: $1,697,267 – passed unanimously.
- Town Appropriation to Schools (state aid): $11,557,376 – passed unanimously.
- School Department appropriation (town share): $59,526,442 – passed unanimously.
- Total all funds: $129,833,966 – passed unanimously.
- The estimated residential tax rate increase is approximately 2.2%, which could be reduced to 2.1% based on improved assessment figures. Adding the school’s amended request would bring the increase to about 2.35%.
- The next step: Public Hearing on April 19, 2023 (6:30 p.m. municipal, 7:00 p.m. school), followed by final budget adoption on April 24, 2023 (tentatively).
Meeting Transcript
Did you check to see if we're streaming at uh Madam Clark? Okay. And I have six o'clock. Do you have six o'clock? I have six o'clock. Great. Uh is Monday, March 20th, and I'd like to call this meeting to order. Uh I must say that last time we're here, I think this council felt like the Maytag repair man with re owns here, and now we've got a full house almost. So anyways, uh pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws 42-46-6C. Notice of this meeting's been posted on the Secretary of State's website. And I would ask everyone to join us with a salute to the flag. Pledge elections to the flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice. Thank you. Okay. Uh tonight uh we are going to continue our budget workshops. Uh and through those workshops, we see each department come before us, make their um a presentation to us, and uh we go through all the line items and questions where we want to have questions, where we think there are questions rather. Uh and we'll do that for the school department, the police department, and the town clerk tonight. Thereafter, uh we will hold public comment, and uh we will adopt a preliminary budget tonight. In the past, um I think in four of the five years I've done this, I think we have adopted the budget as is, and then we go to public comment. We have a public hearing, which will be April 19th at 6:30. We'll hear further public comment, and then uh we will thereafter adopt a final budget probably on the 24th. Is that right? The 24th is the right date, right? Thank you. So just for those who are here, that is the process. Uh with that, uh, I invite representatives of the school department to come before us and present their budget. Uh I don't know, is that just gonna be you, Frank? Okay. So we have received your uh uh spreadsheet, and uh we have received your presentation. And if you want to make introduce yourself and make any opening comments, uh the time to do so is now, so thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh members of the council, my name is Frank Pilata. It's not on, Frank, so it's it's gonna be green. So I want to start again because we're streaming this uh for whoever watched it at home. So thank you. Thank you, Mr. President, members of the council. My name is Frank Pallotta, interim superintendent. Um I've been uh in the system approximately seven weeks. We worked hard over the last several weeks to try to put together a budget, which we think we can present to you. Uh that is reasonable. So with uh Mr. Marlison members of the North Province Town Council. North Kingstown. North Kingstown Town Council. No worries. North Providence. Sorry, no worries.
openpublica.com