Nary a nay at Monday's Lincoln FTM

LINCOLN - Save for the Budget Board's removal of a $34,000 resolution for heart monitoring equipment because of an unavailable grant, the budget remained unchanged at Monday night's Financial Town Meeting, when taxpayers voted to approve a $18 million municipal budget, $48.5 million school budget, and $4.6 million in resolutions for Fiscal Year 2013.

Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond said the meeting "went really well."

"When you get a budget that is completely unchanged, you have to be happy," he said. "This budget truly wasn't changed by a penny. It's a nice affirmation of our work."

The $2.2 million school technology plan that will put wireless technology and media centers throughout the district in the next year was approved unanimously, with no one from the public voicing any comments. The decision was followed by applause.

"This is a smart day for Lincoln," School Committee member Julie Zito said after the meeting.

Supt. Georgia Fortunato said she was thrilled, and that the bidding process will now begin.

The meeting had 205 participants, surpassing the 100 needed for a quorum, and it was completed in just over two hours without the use of any paper ballots, required if an oral vote is too close to call. All questions had seemingly been answered and the meeting was about to adjourn as former Town Council president Dean Lees Jr. stepped to the microphone to discuss the sewer enterprise fund.

Moderator Robert Turner then had to yell to people exiting up the high school auditorium aisles to stay to ensure a quorum was still met.

Lees also questioned whether the $1.1 million resolution for Barney's Pond dam included repairs to Butterfly Pond, voiced his support for the $350,000 resolution to renovate Lime Acres Park, and sought an update on last year's establishment of an Other Post Employment Benefits, or OPEB, trust fund.

He did not, however, make a motion to amend any of the items.

Councilor John Flynn tried to make an amendment to increase the $350,000 resolution for road repairs by 10 percent, saying the allotted amount "doesn't even make a scratch on the surface of the problem," but Turner said that resolutions cannot be amended because they are specific.

A contrary resolution could have been submitted to the Town Clerk 15 days prior to the meeting, Turner said.

Flynn then objected to the $538,180 capital expenditures, and said that the line item for road repairs should be closer to $850,000, which the budget allotted in each of the past two years.

Turner explained that the number came from the town administrator, and Flynn did not make a motion to amend it.

The only amendment came when former Budget Board member and moderator Robert Ericson made a motion to change the $31,300 high school modular classroom demolition resolution to make it read "demolish and/or remove," after Saylesville resident Charles Cox said the Wyatt Detention Center would be interested in possibly taking two of them.

Ericson also inquired about the public safety budgets for police and rescue, asking whether an increase in police training should be sought in response to former Officer Edward Krawetz being convicted of battery after kicking a handcuffed woman at Twin River Casino, and what progress was being made in consolidating fire departments and rescue.

Almond answered both questions. There is a "sufficient amount" of money for service training, he said, and Chief Brian Sullivan "has not made me aware of a need to change the curriculum."

Almond said there is ongoing discussion with the independent fire districts, and talks with other communities to consolidate the rescue to make it more efficient.

The meeting was the last for Budget Board chairwoman Linda Butera Noble, who has been a member for 15 years, and secretary Claudette Lussier, who has been on the board for 12 years.

Turner was re-elected for a one-year term as moderator, Maria Marcello was re-elected to a four-year term for District 3, and William DiBiasio was re-elected to a three-year term for District 5. All ran unopposed.

Turner must now appoint members for five-year terms in Districts 1 and 5, as no one filed to run.

"You don't have to be an accountant. You don't have to have a finance degree," Turner said. "Now that you've seen how painless this is, maybe someone from Saylesville or Manville will step up."