[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6084260,"mediaKeyId","2919065-5f77e7b523c227fff53d977f0fd7c425","parentId",2919065,"title","Council hears staffing pressure in planning and parks; building department budgets add remediation fund after housing court cases","audioSeconds",1085,"startMs",3198225,"endMs",4283280,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919065-5f77e7b523c227fff53d977f0fd7c425&start=3198&end=4283","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919065-5f77e7b523c227fff53d977f0fd7c425/thumbnail_3198225.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084260/Rhode-Island/Council-hears-staffing-pressure-in-planning-and-parks-building-department-budgets-add-remediation-fund-after-housing-court-cases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084260-b4f304b32ab7335365aad6afcc3d3377/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035468&Signature=X8GyNCNapkHhQjGeAGFIxs5bpi2yZgyKO210w3JVg-NiZE0Lqd1-M7H6K2yvBYb4DspPjH4pL7dNuxzpcZjLvYEsderMWvcmokucIXCQ5CsaJfNL7biOOP0ZDjhZG5q6pYc3MjEfZvbPcR8RGB9fKzH2CRdg3ivu-ZUOBQspNITLbemM0jO8K8HW-bbF6fnQBnat~6QkQnSBYX2N0KsXCLUYm50~l6kpv4c49HyN7nPdNTPKuBlLQNpTrnsFDRzhx6Y8RytWXCRz-cYJ4CtipLJKDdsuNz7k16EVNhcH9elC34qBX5jyUB39SasqIO4NmvE~i2qzuaJuPV2Bgwe7CA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","South Kingstown","date","2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","article","Planning Director Jamie Gorman told the council the planning department remains lean and is handling a large workload: staff attend roughly 50 evening meetings per year and the department supports numerous boards and commissions. Gorman said commissioners and staff have discussed adding another planning generalist but the town manager asked the department to hold that request until next year because of the current budget and the town’s capital demands.

Gorman and Town Manager Jim Manny described options for reducing reliance on outside consultants if the department can add staffing over time; Gorman said the department cut consulting expenses by about $10,000 this request and will continue to balance in-house work with targeted consultants for specialized tasks.

On parks and recreation, Director Terry Murphy and the parks team told the council they again struggled to recruit seasonal labor and lifeguards last year despite raising wages and instituting a retention bonus program for lifeguards. Murphy said the department increased seasonal wages to $24 an hour in a bid to be competitive but still faced hiring shortfalls and therefore requested an additional full-time parks maintenance FTE. The packet shows park maintenance moving from 9 to 10 full-time positions in the proposed budget; Murphy said the town hired two seasonal staff last year but that filling the full roster remains a challenge.

The building and zoning presentation included a new $25,000 appropriation the department intends to hold as a housing remediation account to cover emergency board-ups and property cleanups when properties are ordered remediated by the municipal housing court. Building Official Jamie (last name on file) said recent remediation and board-up work cost roughly $10,000 each and the account will let the town act quickly; the town files liens on properties for recovery but said reimbursement timing is uncertain.

Why it matters: Planning capacity affects how quickly development and housing projects move through town review; parks staffing and lifeguard shortages affect summer services and public safety; the remediation fund follows the creation of a municipal housing court and provides the town with a near-term funding source to abate public-health and safety hazards.

What’s next: The manager said he will revisit planning FTE requests next year and the council asked staff to return with recommended operational changes to boards and commissions to ease evening meeting demands; building staff will proceed with the remediation fund as proposed and will continue using liens to seek reimbursement when properties are released.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","South Kingstown March 3, 2025 Budget Session #1","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff and parks directors described heavy meeting schedules, staffing shortages and trouble filling seasonal positions; building and zoning asked for a new $25,000 remediation account to fund emergency board-ups and property cleanups tied to the municipal housing court.","taxTitle","South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island","taxId",79771,"location","Rhode Island","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6084265,"South Kingstown plans new EMS station and hires as billing revenue grows; community paramedicine awaits state guidance",1879,713275,2593160,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919065-5f77e7b523c227fff53d977f0fd7c425&start=713&end=2593","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919065-5f77e7b523c227fff53d977f0fd7c425/thumbnail_713275.jpg","/articles/6084265/Rhode-Island/South-Kingstown-plans-new-EMS-station-and-hires-as-billing-revenue-grows-community-paramedicine-awaits-state-guidance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084265-06d352d7d800880590e4bd77605577b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035468&Signature=nvM3UqthSyLbpjJa8wVm7TNjyHDBs5hkGOjDHzZdcokzk50Wax76x6bJOE6UEx4cPG6XvKmFFI94hZXl0O9ourwI648ogGQHeDecYP~LrnyZU~Xke46H-Ixs~2boKnn56WqqQSnOArrN07eabLDcUsuSga9TEas-dqCXvf0x0lDC24c~TNVlzSGmm3MQHbR0aZKMX~9aqtIJC9saPdue~XHPv5RJcPja2ewQhEBEv9mhcsnT3SE0ywMGgRXbClIUTnrHDbRoj8jecpk9BYQ9bTeuQvM6qCYzBGGaJ0jr9KCwug0KW3MYlNT-tKyIl1oIGFj5d1ru4l0gwfhBLRC7WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town Manager Jim Manny and EMS Chief Craig Stanley told the council the FY25–26 municipal budget includes requests to add up to eight full-time emergency medical services positions in stages tied to the construction and opening of a new EMS station in Perryville.

Chief Craig Stanley said two EMS hires were made last year and the department proposes hiring two more this year and four the following year so the new station can operate 24/7 without an excessive overtime bill. “For every one full-time employee hired in EMS, we would save 50% in overtime,” Stanley said.

Stanley and Manny said increased EMS billing revenue underwrites part of the personnel request. The packet shows EMS billing revenue rising in the proposal from roughly $1,000,000 in the current year to $1,100,000 in FY25–26; Stanley testified that more optimistic projections have reached $1.5 million in internal forecasts tied to operational changes. The FY25–26 proposed budget lists $100,000 of additional EMS billing revenue that would effectively fund 1 of the 2 requested positions.

Chief Stanley described operational plans for the new station: the department expects to put a vehicle in the Perryville location within roughly a year and to staff peak hours initially while hiring continues. He said peak call times generally run roughly 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and that the town is working to stagger hires so the staffing ramp is manageable.

On the community paramedic program, Stanley said the town currently performs non-transport follow-up care for some high-utilizer patients and that a state bill under consideration would clarify reimbursement for that work. “There's one bill that's pending right now, which has to deal with raising the other bill that we're trying to get going of the community paramedics,” Stanley said. He said the town is waiting for legal guidance before asking the council to adopt a formal local resolution to establish the program more broadly; he told councilors the program uses a Department of Health electronic health record system and that program records are kept within that system.

Why it matters: EMS staffing and operations affect response times, overtime costs and municipal operating budgets. The town’s plan ties hiring to anticipated billing revenue and new station openings; a change in state reimbursement policy for community paramedicine could change the town’s ability to sustain those services.

What’s next: The council will consider the EMS position requests during budget deliberations; staff said they will report back as hiring progresses and as the state bill and legal guidance on community paramedicine become available.","Town officials proposed hiring additional EMS personnel tied to a new Perryville station and said higher billing revenue will offset much of the first-year personnel cost; the town is monitoring a pending state bill that would affect reimbursement for community paramedicine work.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6084269,"South Kingstown managers propose FY25–26 budget with $9.04 tax rate; new high school debt drives levy increase",392,74015,466909,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919065-5f77e7b523c227fff53d977f0fd7c425&start=74&end=466","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919065-5f77e7b523c227fff53d977f0fd7c425/thumbnail_74015.jpg","/articles/6084269/Rhode-Island/South-Kingstown-managers-propose-FY2526-budget-with-904-tax-rate-new-high-school-debt-drives-levy-increase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084269-d672489b9d59a173085b99c0304bc62f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035468&Signature=DAvkpOm6hQkhzihE1rBxQx0h-rauNFrzy9iT3C1MzWJDmDtzGZwgIySqiYBS1AXi8hvKU95XpwXEI~pacHOQwJWNh9nhmobHorvo2FLK-S6XAj7VPOG1XIhwsgQOyDACg15Aqyhm8TO0IaRRO-8pke4e9FiAWnjTFvy65OX0pOBH8ykafJXvAbbvU4yloGe9b8dDMUm7RUAwNlSlpYOqcZav6TISsZRA82gxpoVku6b~6DMrNiWotdX4vImkoYb5HuCKVFtELupZmxqNkUq3FrNrGIfP01cEkGDbYvy3hQs41j-D1KswsnleZyuxgs5qNfe4oPY547iV8RrIzwsRVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town Manager Jim Manny and Finance Director Brian Sylvia presented the Town of South Kingstown’s proposed municipal side of the fiscal year 2025–26 budget on March 3, saying the draft would result in a combined town and school tax rate of $9.04 per $1,000 of assessed value if the council adopts the full proposal.

Manny said the townwide proposed tax levy is $79,333,000, an increase of $2,587,000 (3.37 percent) from last year, and Sylvia said the school requirement portion of the levy remains the largest share of the total. Brian Sylvia told the council the town’s estimated net assessed value rose substantially after the most recent revaluation, which is one reason the headline tax rate is lower than recent years even as the levy increases.

The budget packet attributes roughly 45 percent of this year’s levy increase to new debt service for the town’s new high school. Sylvia said debt service overall is projected to increase by about $1.8 million; of that amount roughly $1.1 million will be funded by the tax levy with about $682,000 coming from the debt-service fund balance.

Manny and Sylvia walked the council through the proposed calendar and legal deadlines the town must meet before final adoption, including two public hearings scheduled in April and dates for petition submissions and referendum procedures. Sylvia also noted the town’s fund balance position: the audited 2024 fund balance represented 18.46 percent of operating revenues, and the manager’s projections show a possible year-end surplus that could moderate how much fund balance the town chooses to use in 2026.

On personnel and departmental budgets, Manny and Sylvia highlighted modest FTE changes across departments and singled out debt service, employee wages and benefits, and enterprise fund transfers as key drivers of change. The packet shows the town’s general fund personnel costs rising to about 76.8 percent of the general fund budget, up slightly from the previous year.

The presentation also flagged the legal limit on levy increases: Rhode Island’s 4 percent cap is an option theoretically available to the town; Sylvia said choosing that option would raise an additional $427,000 and push the rate to $9.09.

Why it matters: The town-level budget sets service levels and staffing for municipal departments and determines how much property owners will pay next fiscal year. The high school construction borrowing is shaping debt service obligations and is the single largest driver of the proposed levy increase in the manager’s draft.

What’s next: The council will continue work sessions, hold the required public hearings in April, accept petition challenges per charter deadlines and ultimately adopt a preliminary and final budget before the fiscal year begins July 1.","Town Manager Jim Manny and Finance Director Brian Sylvia presented a proposed municipal budget that would keep the combined tax rate near $9.04 after a large revaluation; new debt for the town's high school accounts for roughly 45% of the levy increase.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council hears staffing pressure in planning and parks; building department budgets add remediation fund after housing court cases

South Kingstown plans new EMS station and hires as billing revenue grows; community paramedicine awaits state guidance

South Kingstown managers propose FY25–26 budget with $9.04 tax rate; new high school debt drives levy increase