Town counts on unions to approve pay freeze again

SCITUATE - The keystone to the budget passed by the Town Council Thursday, March 11, is the expectation that union employees will again agree to wage and benefit freezes, Town Treasurer Theodore Przybyla told the panel.

Przybyla reported successful meetings with the executive boards of the unions that represent school teachers and school employees, Teamsters that represent highway department workers, and the president of the police union.

"The Executive Committee (for the teachers union) feels confident presenting it to their membership," the treasurer said. "We had a good, positive meeting with the Teamsters and they are presenting it to their membership with a vote coming. The president of the police union needs to get the approval of his people."

Przybyla reminded the council of the importance of the Teamsters to the town's efforts last year that resulted in a freeze for all employees.

"I'm thanking the Teamsters. They led the way the last time," he said.

Summarizing the union talks, Przybyla said, "We don't have a signature on the line, but we are heading in that direction."

The council is sending a $32.147 million operating budget for municipal departments and the school district to Financial Town Meeting voters, who will be called to order in the auditorium at Scituate High School April 6. The budget reflects an increase in keeping with the state cap of 4.5 percent over the current fiscal year that concludes March 31. This year's budget totals $31,754,860.

The impact by the proposed budget on the tax rate for fiscal 2011 has not been determined, said Karen Beattie, tax assessor. Przybyla, however, cautioned that by the time of the town meeting tax bills reflecting last year's revaluation will have arrived in mailboxes and might generate debate.

The proposed budget is divided between municipal operations, $1,949,164, and school district expenditures, $21,080,786, which is the same amount appropriated last year.

The council and School Committee have taken conservative approaches to the upcoming budget because of the uncertainty of the economy, which has reduced revenues, and the likely prospect that state aid will be cut drastically for revenue sharing and aid to education.

Within the budget the taxpayers will be asked to increase spending for debt service for the principal on bonds and notes ($2 million) and the interest on bonds and notes ($699,442). The $2.7 million total is up $411,791 over this year's payment in part as result of bonds approved in 2008 to build an addition to the middle school and to settle the Providence Water Supply Board lawsuit.

The council plans to mail the budget to Scituate's eligible 8,242 voters on March 29, although only a few hundred voters have attended the last several town meetings.

In other business, the council:

* Witnessed the swearing-in of new patrol officer Francis R. Rambone.

* Learned that National Grid will conduct a gas leakage survey from April until December in homes and businesses to detect gas leakage.

* Heard Kristen Dexter, owner of The Village Bean Café in North Scituate Village, request a liquor license that would permit her to serve beer and wine to diners on Friday and Saturday nights when the restaurant is open as Kristen's Italian Bistro. She suggested in the alternative that she operate the bistro only as a BYOB establishment. Town Solicitor David D'Agostino will research the requests and report to the council at a later meeting.

* Approved Przybyla's request to issue $3 million in Tax Anticipation Notes if needed.

* Approved drafting an ordinance to implement the Community Septic Loan Program, which provides money to homeowners who need to either replace or repair a failed septic system. The loans are low interest at 2 percent. And would be made by the town through the federal Clean Water Fund. The town would get a line of credit - as much as $300,000 - through the fund and residents could borrow to an amount limit set by the town to make the repairs. The loan must be repaid within 10 years. The limit loaned can be no greater than $15,000. Rhode Island Housing would collect the loan from the borrower. The program has been in operation in other Rhode Island communities for several years. Conservation Commission Chairman Tom Angel asserted that no one through last fall had defaulted. If someone did default the town would be held to repay the loan. Solicitor D'Agostino suggested the town could issue the loans as a second mortgage, which give the town a prime place to collect should the homeowner file bankruptcy.

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