Town Council Budget Work Session & Adoption of Preliminary Budget – March 12, 2024
Town Council Budget Work Session & Adoption of Preliminary Budget – March 12, 2024
The North Kingstown Town Council held an all-day budget work session on March 12, 2024, to review department budgets and adopt the preliminary FY2024/2025 budget. The council heard presentations from all municipal departments, approved the preliminary budget in separate fund votes, and endorsed a plan for remaining ARPA funds. The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 3, 2024.
Consent Calendar
- The council unanimously adopted the preliminary budget for each fund after presentations: General Fund ($40,640,868), Debt Service Fund ($5,258,038), Allen Harbor Fund ($437,657), Golf Course Fund ($2,315,109), Water Fund ($6,900,474), Municipal Court Fund ($202,096), Sewer Fund ($2,419,412), Transfer Station Fund ($1,390,103), Library Fund (town appropriation $1,431,325 plus state aid $260,615 for total $1,691,940), School Fund (town appropriation $61,359,855 plus state aid $13,313,799 for total $74,673,654). Total town budget for FY2024/2025: $135,929,351.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public were present to offer comment. The council noted that the official public hearing would be held on April 3, 2024.
Discussion Items
- Town Manager's Opening Remarks: Ralph outlined scheduling adjustments for lunch and announced that the public safety complex bond can be placed on the November ballot by ordinance, eliminating the need for enabling legislation.
- Code Enforcement (Don Peck): Budget is level-funded; zoning housing official increase due to step increase. Peck noted construction activity has slowed from COVID peaks, with bigger projects pending.
- Assessor (Deb): Statistical reevaluation underway; residential values expected to rise faster than commercial, requiring tiered tax rates. Council discussed potential senior tax deferment programs and agreed to explore options at future meetings.
- Personnel/HR (Haley): Budget reflects step increases; retirement costs decreased; health insurance rates set through trust with other municipalities.
- Water (Tim): Enterprise fund with three capital projects: Saunderstown Village water main replacement ($500,000), tubeloid service line replacement ($875,000), and new Saunderstown well ($1.4 million). PFAS lawsuit proceeds expected to cover well costs. Council commended department for modernization and communication.
- IT (Mike): Original request of $1.5M reduced to $727,035 after cuts and deferrals; $141,900 vulnerability management program deferred. Council member Mandel expressed concern about ongoing vulnerability scanning vs. annual, requesting reassessment before final adoption.
- Library (Susan): Library is on stable footing after paying off $300,000 deficit. Susan reported capital improvements, surplus used for infrastructure. Council praised Susan’s service and discussed succession planning for new director.
- Police/Animal Control/Harbormaster (Chief Urban): Council discussed clinician services (currently two days a week) and support for expanding to full-time through regional grant. Traffic unit planned; flock cameras awaiting RIDOT permits. Council congratulated Chief Urban on appointment.
- Senior Center (Marie): Center is growing; space constraints noted. Council considered options for annex.
- Planning (Nicole): Budget includes grant match fund. Nicole discussed housing legislation, affordable housing mandates, and town’s growth management.
- Recreation/Golf Course/Allen Harbor (Chelsea): Golf course surplus helps pay down $1.2M recreation deficit; Allen Harbor dredging needed ($1.7M) with $700K in dredging fund. Council supported using fund balance with repayment plan.
- Public Works/Transfer Station/Sewer (Adam): Transfer station budget shows $113,000 deficit; council discussed potential to revert to general fund. Sewer fund also under pressure due to appeals and need for rate study.
- Finance/Debt Service/Utilities (Deb): Utilities budget reflects net metering credits; debt cliff explained as opportunity to borrow without significant tax impact. Council requested debt comparison metrics.
Key Outcomes
- The council adopted the preliminary budget for each fund as listed above (all votes unanimous).
- The council approved the ARPA fund recommendations (motion approved unanimously) totaling $2.9 million for items including Yorktown Park improvements, Wickford waterfront projects, and facility upgrades, with the understanding that contracts must be awarded by December 31, 2024.
- Council directed the Town Manager to bring back additional information on the IT vulnerability scanning issue for further discussion before final budget adoption on April 25, 2024.
- Council agreed to place an item on the March 25, 2024 agenda to consider setting aside excess state school aid in a restricted fund.
- The public hearing on the budget will be held April 3, 2024 (municipal budget at 6:30 p.m., school budget at 7:00 p.m.).
Meeting Transcript
Yes, I have a lot of people do that to me around my household. Me too, right? Okay. Um I'd like to call this meeting to order for Tuesday, um, March 12th, 2024. Um second day of uh our budget workshops by department. Um Madam Clerk, at the end, are you gonna have public comment? Oh, yes, yes it is, okay, perfect. So a public comment at the end of the workshop if there is any. Um pursuant to our island general laws, uh 42-46-6C notice of this meetings will post on the Secretary of State's website. Um Matt McCoy informed me a couple of minutes ago that a former town counselor Ronald Corey has passed away, so I would like to salute the flag and give a moment of signs to Mr. Corey. Do you uh have any questions? Do you look like you had a question, Madam Clerk? I just want to make sure your microphone is on mine instead. So I can hear mine, so we all set all these just to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God to individual liberty. Thank you, everybody. No, I know. George is here, we can begin. So I um Mr. Town Manager, I am gonna turn over the po the uh microphone to you. Thank you, Mr. President. A couple of quick things before we turn it over to um Don to begin our budget hearings. Um council person Mandel had asked about the hour and fifteen lunch, hour and fifty minute lunch, and we normally do that just in case we're running late, but he brought up a good point that maybe we could, if we're not running late, switch things around. So I just wanted to offer the fact that if things are going on time, so I think a 45-minute lunch is more than enough, but Jeanette and I do this just in case we're running late. So but the way we've established it or designed it worked out well because if we're running on time, we have finance debt service and utilities at 3 30, and dev will already be here. So if we are running on time, we can move that up to 11 30, 1145 and break for lunch around 1215. That would move us up schedule-wise. Realizing that you know, you still have to approve all bids. So even if you just said the opera recommendation that we proposed is fine. Um go to you on April for a bid for so-and-so, you can easily change your mind and say, you know, I I think we have a better project than that. So you're not tying yourself in, you're just giving us direction for bid. And then finally, just another house cleaning just so that you are aware. I know we all talked about the uh enabling legislation for the public safety complex. Jeanette and I have been talking with our bond council, and that the council can put a question on the November ballot for the public safety complex by ordinance. We do not have to go for an able legislation. So that's only good news because we're not in a real time crunch. Um we still need a first read, a second read. You only have one meeting a month in the summer, so it's a s somewhat of a time crunch, but at least we're not worried about getting to the General Assembly before April. Um so that's you know, that that's a that's good news as far as I'm concerned. So my way of saying you were right and Jeanette and I were wrong. No, we were both Jeanette and I were both right. No, no, not at all. We're a team here. So that's one for Ralph. Uh not that I'm counting. I told her I know better because it just took tomorrow that'll all change and she'll be right and I'll need her support. So that's not the case here. And he promised not to tell my husband that I wouldn't. Sorry, but I didn't promise.
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