Lincoln budget OK’d at Financial Town Meeting

Town residents can look forward to number of improvements; nearly $1M increase for schools

LINCOLN — It was a relatively quiet and uncontroversial Financial Town Meeting at Lincoln High School on Monday night, and residents can look forward to a number of capital improvements around town, from the renovated Youth Center to Sam Moore Field to the Animal Shelter.

Unlike last year, the Budget Board recommended the same figure for the school budget that the School Committee approved, meaning the School Department and School Committee won’t need to make budget reductions to meet a reduced figure this year.

Out of about 16,000 registered voters in town, 139 showed up for the 122nd annual Financial Town Meeting (FTM), down from more than 200 last year.

The Budget Board on Monday night passed a $80,116,739 budget, an increase of $2,294,385 over last year’s budget. This includes $53,723,742 for the schools, a $976,881 increase.

The only change that occurred at the FTM was a $44,637 decrease to the salaries line item for Public Works – Central Services and a consequent decrease to the Social Security line.

Budget Board Chair Carl Brunetti explained that it came to his attention on Monday that a certain position was included in last year’s totals elsewhere in the budget and was not additional personnel, as originally believed.

The topic that had the most discussion during the meeting was the resolution allowing the town to purchase the Lonsdale Fire Station for up to $325,000, which ultimately passed.

This comes as the General Assembly works to pass a bill allowing a special election for Lonsdale and Saylesville residents to approve the surrender of the Lonsdale Fire District’s charter to Saylesville Fire District. This is a result of the Lonsdale Fire District’s insolvency.

On April 25, the state House of Representatives passed Rep. Jeremiah O’Grady’s legislation allowing for such an election. It now moves on to the Senate.

Michael Babbitt, chair of the board of fire wardens for the Lonsdale Fire District, explained that there is an outstanding loan of $314,000 on the fire station but its estimated value is $325,000, so the purchase would be a good deal for the town.

“The purchase of that station is so that we can continue to house the rescue that has been in existence there for many years,” said Babbitt, who is also a Budget Board member. “This by no means has to be a permanent solution for the rescue.”

The building needs to be sold to the town before the Saylesville Fire District absorbs Lonsdale’s charter, he said, or else it could be sold to another buyer and there would be no place for the rescue.

“When Lonsdale closes, if we are not housing that building, we will have to find a new facility” for rescue, Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond said.

Former Lincoln Town Council member Dean Lees objected on the basis that the rescue should be relocated because Lime Rock is not adequately serviced.

“Growing up my whole life in Lime Rock I can tell you I’ve seen more and more Providence rescues coming into Lime Rock than I have Lincoln,” he said.

Others expressed a desire to keep the rescue in its current location.

“The service that we’ve had has been excellent,” said Franklin Sherman, who lives on Woodward Road – nearly five miles from the closest rescue – and has had rescue trucks come for people he knows. “I do realize that moments can make a difference and it’s nice to have something close, but the service we’ve had so far has been excellent.”

Lincoln has rescues at 224 Front St., the site of the Lonsdale Fire Department, and at 115 Main St., Albion.

Town Council member Bruce Ogni said of the rescue at 224 Front St., “I couldn’t think of a better place to put it, especially with [Lincoln Manor] behind there, and to get up to CCRI might take three minutes.”

The purchase of the Lonsdale Fire Station was one of several spending resolutions that came up at the FTM, and all went through as proposed.

Another resolution was for $287,000 for renovations to the Lincoln Animal Shelter. The town is in talks with Cumberland to consolidate the two towns’ respective shelters into Lincoln’s shelter.

Almond said that four or five years ago, Lincoln explored the possibility of purchasing services from Pawtucket, but found there would be no savings.

Speaking after the FTM, he also spoke to the importance of the $41,500 approved for improvements to Sam Moore Field.

“Sam Moore Field is the original Lincoln Little League field, and then we built the new one nine years ago, so Sam Moore got put off as just a secondary use, but it’s in pretty dire need now,” Almond said.

Another resolution is for $225,000 to upgrade the police and rescue radio system.

Lincoln Police Chief Brian Sullivan explained that police are looking to upgrade to the 800-megahertz radio system, used by a lot of agencies throughout the state. There are some spots in Lincoln where communications are difficult, he said, and this upgrade will help.

The other approved resolutions are in regards to:

15,000 for continuing the restoration of the Hot Potato School

45,000 to upgrade utilities at the Chase Farm Visitor Center and Hot Potato School

20,000 to replace the roof at Hannaway Blacksmith Shop

35,000 for operating system upgrades to the town’s computer system

848,310 for capital improvements in the schools, including roof replacement at Saylesville Elementary, door replacement at Lonsdale Elementary, replacement of emergency lighting at Lincoln Middle School, HVAC upgrades at Northern Elementary and a new dump truck

At the beginning of the FTM, William McManus and Rhonda Lacombe were reelected to the Budget Board, and Robert Turner was reappointed as town moderator. All were unopposed.

Out of the 16,000 or so registered voters in town, “You guys represent the best of them, because you’re doing the town’s work tonight,” Turner told the people gathered. “Some people just don’t understand how important this is.”