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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-13 Board of Selectmen HandoutDRAFT MOTIONS BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING JANUARY 13, 2015 Arena, West, Ensminzer, Halsey, Sexton LeLacheur Move that the Board of Selectmen appoint Nancy Heffernan to one position on the Contributory Retirement Board with a term expiring December 31, 2017. Move that the Board of Selectmen adjourn the meeting at p.m. WN OFRk tic Town of Reading a . a 16 Lowell Street RECEIVED '639 IN OPQ�RP,�� Reading, MA 01867 -2685 ;� �p �G MASS. FAX: (781) 942 -9071 1014 DEC 31 P 5. 04 Email: townmanager @ci.read1ng.ma.us TOWN MANAGER Website: www. readingma.gov (781) 942 -9043 VOLUNTEER VACANCY TOWN OF READING CONTRIBUTORY RETIREMENT BOARD One vacancy with a term expiring December 31, 2017 exists on the Reading Contributory Retirement Board. The Contributory Retirement Board governs the Reading Retirement System and operates under Chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws. Interested persons may apply at the Town Clerk's office, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, Massachusetts until the position is filled. READING RETIREMENT BOARD Term Three years Appointing Authority Board of Selectmen, Employees and Contributory Retirement Board Number of Members Five Members Meetings Authority Operates under Chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws Purpose Governs the Reading Retirement System and operates under Chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws; Chapter 32 establishes benefits, contribution requirements and an accounting and funds structure for all the Massachusetts public retirement systems OF R Town of Reading y'. r _ e 16 Lowell Street 9:IN URQ0 Reading, MA 0186' CONTRIBUTORY RETIREMENT BOARD Ph: (781) 942 -9007 Fx: (781) 942 -9037 December 23, 2014 r� Members of the Board of Selectmen Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, Massachusetts 01867 a J tJ Dear Members of the Board of Selectmen, Richard Foley is currently the Board of Selectmen's appointment to the Retirement Board, with his term ending December 31, 2014. Richard is not planning to seek a new term. Nancy Heffernan, the Town Treasurer has indicated her interest in applying for the Selectmen's appointment for the vacated seat, with a term from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017. The Retirement Board would like to register its support for Nancy's application. Nancy has been employed with the Town of Reading for 10 years. As the Treasurer for the Town, RMLD and the Retirement Board, Nancy has substantial experience with cash flow planning and investing. Nancy also has 30 years of accounting experience. We feel that Nancy's extensive financial background would be an asset to the Retirement Board. Thank you for your consideration of Nancy's candidacy for the upcoming appointment. We would welcome an opportunity to discuss this at one of your meetings or to answer any questions. Sincerely, Francis P. Driscoll Chairman 9 Schena, Paula From: LeLacheur, Bob Sent: Monday, January 12, 2015 6:34 PM To: Schena, Paula Subject: FW: Article 5 Please print out and include in this week's BOS packet - thx From: David Pinette [d.pinette @verizon.net] Sent: Monday, January 12, 2015 5:57 PM To: Reading - Selectmen Cc: Town Manager Subject: Article 5 During the special Reading town meeting held on January 5th 2015, there certainly was a lot of debate over the petition of Article 5. 1 was not able to speak on the topic at the active town meeting before the question was moved. I feel very strongly to pass my thoughts and feelings along to the Reading Board of Selectmen and the Town Manager. Please appreciate another citizen's perspective. I attended the Reading special town meeting on Monday evening, January 5th, 2015, at the Reading Memorial High School, in opposition to the proposed Article 5 bylaw change before town meeting. Let me first state that I empathize with the petitioners' position. They contend that they have heard gunshots from behind their home in the Timberneck Swamp area. If I truly believed that someone was discharging a firearm close to my home, I would also be very concerned. However, none of the article sponsors, or investigating personnel from Reading Police or the Mass. Environmental Police have discovered ANY evidence of firearms use. No eye witnesses can substantiate discharge of a firearm in the Timberneck Swamp area. The petitioners are on record saying the noises could as well be fireworks. I have used firearms of various types, calibers and gauges for over 40 years. Despite this, I myself can't tell whether a noise is a firework, or a firearm being discharged. The sponsors are not experienced with firearms by their own admission. It is plausible fireworks ARE being used (which are presently illegal to have and discharge in Reading)? Perhaps. IF someone was discharging a firearm in the area surrounding Timberneck Swamp in the darkness of night; it is already illegal. Changing the bylaw to make it doubly or triply illegal will not improve public safety one bit. And changing a bylaw to remove property owner's rights granted by state law will not solve the problem (as admitted by the petitioners). It's not the correct way for our town government to proceed. An observation not lost on one Town Meeting Member who said "We have a non - solution to a problem that does not exist." There is a larger issue here. The discharge of firearms on public and private property for reasons other than defense of life and property, police action, military action or at an established rifle range is ALREADY illegal per Town bylaw 8.9.1. The only exception (granted by state law) is through Mass General Laws Ch. 131 for hunting. An owner or lessee of private property may legally hunt on their property in our town, compliant with other restrictions and regulations in Chapter 131. The owner or lessee of land may also give permission to another to hunt on their property as well. It is important to know the difference between discharge of a firearm during the legal act of hunting, and discharge of a firearm for any other reason. It was clear to the many legal gun owners in the room that most of the town meeting members speaking during the debate did not understand this distinction. It was also clear to me that those town meeting members who spoke either did not listen to responses from the Chief of Police, and /or did not understand the influence his answers had relative to the entire petition, and /or didn't care and simply rambled -on with their own perception of the issue with disregard to the legal information disseminated by the Chief germane to the entire issue. Massachusetts general laws and case law on this issue is well documented, and key points of these were not brought forth, with any definitive clarity, by the town solicitor during the active discussion at town meeting on the 5th. Massachusetts General Law Chapter 436 -Home Rule Procedures, Section 13- Exercise of Powers and Functions by Municipalities. Ch. 43B, Sec. 13 reads in part: "Any city or town may, by the adoption, amendment or repeal of local ordinances or by -laws, exercise any power or function which the general court has power to confer upon it, which is not inconsistent with the constitution or laws enacted by the general court". It also goes on to state in part: "Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit any city or town, by ordinance or by -law, to exercise any power or function which is inconsistent with the general law enacted by the general court". (Please note: the term "general court" in the Massachusetts Constitution and state statutes refers to the Massachusetts state legislature.) Chapter 131 grants State rights to licensed hunters, and the preemption of State powers over local powers granted by Chapter 43B should have rendered the entire Article 5 petition moot as it relates to the discharge of firearms by licensed hunters engaged in the act of hunting on private property. There were many who did not understand the legal ramifications of the subject, or desired to deal with it on an emotional level, to a point of widespread confusion and an uncomfortable decision. If the Reading Town Meeting wants to change the laws and regulations promulgated within Chapter 131, it must be done so at the state legislative level, not the local level. I realize that the subject of the Article 5 petition is an emotionally charged and difficult situation to deal with, especially to come up with a satisfactory solution for all stakeholders. Difficult or not, it doesn't give the governing body of the Town of Reading the right to change state law or abridge the rights granted by state law to any citizen. Reading citizens who own and use firearms must do so legally, knowing that at any time, non - compliance with State and local law means certain confiscation of firearms, issuance of fines and /or imprisonment. More regulations do not prevent an unlawful user from illegal or unsafe use of cars, alcohol, drugs ... or firearms. You may not personally care for hunting or those that hunt. You may not care about firearms ownership in the Town of Reading. You may not regard the proposed bylaw change as a big deal. But you should be extremely concerned that a small but loud group is willing to misrepresent a problem to provide a foundation for a larger political objective. By: David Pinette r 2 (p STANDARD & PDDR'S RATINGS SERVICES WGRAW HILL FINANCIAL • -14 1 -IpTl Summary: Reading, Massachusetts; General Obligation Primary Credit Analyst: Apple Lo, Boston (1) 617- 530 -8316; apple.lo @standardandpoors.com Secondary Contact: Victor M Medeiros, Boston (1) 617 - 530 - 8305; victor .medeiros @standardandpoors.com Table Of Contents .............................................................................. ............................... Rationale Outlook Related Criteria And Research WWW. STANDARDANDPOORS .COM /RATINGSDIRECT JANUARY 12, 2015 1 1378912 1 30229291%' Summary: Reading, Massachusetts; General Obligation Credit Profile US$15.58 mil go muni purp In ser 2015 due 04/15/2027 Long Term Rating AAA /Stable New Reading GO Long Term Rating AAA /Stable Affirmed Reading GO Unenhanced Rating AAA(SPUR) /Stable Affirmed Many issues are enhanced by bond insurance. Rationale Standard & Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'AAk long term rating, with a stable outlook, to the Town of Reading, Mass.' series 2015 general obligation (GO) municipal purpose loan. At the same time, Standard & Poor's affirmed its 'AAA' rating, with a stable outlook, on the town's GO debt outstanding. The town's full- faith - and - credit pledge secures the bonds. We understand that proceeds will be used to refund a portion of the debt outstanding and for capital improvement projects. The rating reflects our opinion of the following factors for Reading: • Ver_, sv t�on� economy, which benefits from participation in the broad and diverse economy of the Boston - Cambridge - Newton metropolitan statistical area (MSA); • Strong budgetary performance and stable revenue, independent of state and federal sources; • Very strong budgetary flexibility with fiscal 2013 audited available reserves of 15.3% of general fund expenditures; ,y Very strong liquidity, providing very strong cash levels to cover both debt service and expenditures; T' Very strong g management conditions, with "strong" financial management policies under our Financial Management \ Assessment (FMA) methodology; and • Very strong debt and contingent liability osition bolstered by a low overall net debt -to- market value ratio and rape amor 1zation; we consider pension and other postemployment benefits (OPEB) liabilities manageable. Very strong economy In our opinion, Reading's local economy is very strong with projected per capita effective buying income of 170% of the national average. Market value is about $156,000 per capita. In our view, residents benefit from participation in the broad and diverse Boston - Cambridge- Newton MSA, which we view as a credit strength. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Middlesex County unemployment was 5.6% in 2013. Based on our forecasts, we expect that employment growth will continue modestly through 2015 and that unemployment will likely remain steady. WWW. STANDARDANDPOORS .COM /RATINGSDIRECT JANUARY 12, 2015 2 1378912 1 302292930 (��/ Summary: Reading, Massachusetts; General Obligation Strong budgetary performance Reading's budgetary performance has been strong overall, in our view, with operating surpluses in both the general fund (1.9 %) and total governmental funds (2.5 %) in the unaudited 2014 financial statements. Management appropriated $1.7 million from the fund balance for fiscal 2015 but year -to -date is projecting to end the year with less- than - budgeted use. Property taxes made up the majority of total governmental revenues at 67 %, followed by intergovernmental aid at 25 %. Very strong budgetary flexibility In our view, budgetary flexibility is very strong with projected available reserve close to 18% of fiscal 2014's general fund expenditures. The town ended fiscal 2013 with available reserves at 15.3% of operating expenditures. We understand officials do not expect the town to draw down reserves materially for nonrecurring uses. Very strong liquidity What we consider very strong liquidity supports Reading's finances, with total government available cash of 38% of total government funds expenditures and 9x debt service. Based on past debt issuance, we believe the issuer has strong access to capital markets for liquidity, if necessary. Very strong management We consider Reading's management conditions very strong with "strong" financial management practices under our FMA methodology, indicating practices are strong, well embedded, and likely sustainable. In our view, Reading maintains best practices deemed critical to supporting credit quality; we recognize these are well embedded in the government's daily operations and practices. Formal policies support many of these activities, adding to the likelihood that they will continue in the future and that they will transcend changes in the operating environment or personnel. In our opinion, assessment strengths include management's: • Strong revenue and expenditure assumptions in the budgeting process; • Strong oversight of monitoring progress compared to the budget during the year; • Long -term financial plan; and • Five -year capital improvement plan. Reading maintains basic debt management and reserve policies, keeping available reserves of at least 5% of general fund revenue. Very strong debt and contingent liability In our opinion, the town's debt and contingent liability profile is very strong, with total governmental fund debt service at 5% of total governmental fund expenditures and with net direct debt at 39% of total governmental fund revenue. Reading's medium -term debt plan is to issue about $6.5 million of GO debt in the next two years. Amortization is above average, with 92% of principal to be retired in 10 years. The debt burden is also low at 0.9% of market value. Reading's pension and OPEB liabilities are manageable in our view. Management has been proactive and has taken steps to mitigate the long -term effects of this exposure on the town. The combined annual pension and OPEB cost is 9% of total government expenditures. Reading has established an OPEB trust fund with a current balance of $3.7 million and minimum annual contribution to the trust at $500,000. WWW. STANDARDANDPOORS .COM /RATINGSDIRECT JANUARY 12, 2015 3 1378912 1 3022929-A Summary: Reading, Massachusetts; General Obligation Strong Institutional Framework We consider the Institutional Framework score for Massachusetts towns strong. Outlook The stable outlook reflects Standard & Poor's opinion that Reading's strong underlying economy, very strong management conditions, and predictable operating profile will likely translate into strong budgetary performance and operating flexibility over the outlook period. In addition, we expect Reading to maintain what we consider a very strong debt and contingent liability profile because there are no sizable long -term capital needs. We believe debt service, pension, and OPEB costs will likely remain a long -term budgeting pressure; however, we note management has been proactively managing those factors. For these reasons, we do not expect to change the rating over the next two years. Related Criteria And Research Related Criteria • Ratings Above The Sovereign: Corporate And Government Ratings — Methodology And Assumptions, Nov. 19, 2013 • USPF Criteria: Local Government GO Ratings Methodology And Assumptions, Sept. 12, 2013 Related Research • S &P Public Finance Local GO Criteria: How We Adjust Data For Analytic Consistency, Sept. 12, 2013 • Institutional Framework Overview: Massachusetts Local Governments Complete ratings information is available to subscribers of RatingsDirect at www.globalcreditportal.com. All ratings affected by this rating action can be found on Standard & Poor's public Web site at www.standardandpoors.com. Use the Ratings search box located in the left column. WWW. STANDARDANDPOORS .COM /RATINGSDIRECT JANUARY 12, 2015 4 1378912 ' 30229292rI 0 J S 2121 Chapter 1 pV T H E C O M M O N W E A L T H O F M A S S A C H U S E T T S In the Year Two Thousand and Fourteen AN ACT FURTHER REGULATING TOWN MEETING NOTICES. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: Chapter 39 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 10 the following section: - Section 10A. (a) Whenever the moderator determines that voters, or in a town having a representative town meeting form of government, the town meeting members, may be unable to attend a town meeting, called pursuant to a warrant issued pursuant to section 10, because of a weather - related or public safety emergency, the moderator shall consult with local public safety officials and members of the board of selectmen and then, upon the moderator's own declaration, the moderator shall recess and continue the town meeting to a time, date and place certain. A discussion to recess and continue a town meeting under this section shall not constitute a "deliberation ", as defined by section 18 of chapter 30A, if the only subject of that discussion is the recess and continuance. If due to the emergency, a new meeting place may be required but cannot be then identified, the moderator may recess and continue the town meeting and the board of selectmen shall within 3 days of the declaration of recess and continuance select a meeting place and the moderator shall declare the meeting location. If due to the emergency no suitable town facility is available for a meeting place in a town that typically holds such meetings within the town limits, the board of selectmen may move the meeting i location to a suitable meeting place in a contiguous municipality. The moderator need not appear at the place of the town meeting to announce a declaration of recess and continuance. The moderator shall k announce the declaration of recess and continuance as far in advance of the i town meeting being continued as is practicable. (b) A notice of the declaration of recess and continuance shall be prepared by the moderator and printed in a legible, easily understandable format and shall contain the date, time and place of the continued meeting, state the reason for the declaration and identify the date and time that the moderator announced the recess and continuance. If the moderator does not identify the location of the continued meeting in the notice, within 3 days of j the announcement of the declaration of recess and continuance the moderator shall issue an amended notice which identifies the meeting place. Notice II shall be filed with the municipal clerk as soon as practicable and then posted in a manner conspicuously visible to the public at all hours in or on the 0 S 2121 municipal building in which the clerk's office is located. As soon as practicable, the notice of declaration of recess and continuance and the amended notice shall be directed to the constables or to some other persons, who shall post the notice in the manner otherwise prescribed by general law, charter or by -laws for the posting of notice of town meetings. One copy of the notice of declaration of recess and continuance or the amended notice shall be posted at the main entrance of the place of the town meeting as soon as is practicable. In addition, the moderator may use any electronic, broadcast or print media convenient to circulate the notice of recess and continuance and any amended notice. Those towns that have a municipal website shall post a copy of the notice of declaration of recess and continuance or amended notice on the town's municipal website as soon as practicable. Towns having a representative town meeting form of government may by by -law establish additional requirements for providing notice to representative town meeting members. (c) A town meeting session recessed by the declaration of recess and continuance pursuant to this act shall be convened by the moderator not later than 30 days following the date and time of the moderator's original announcement of the declaration of recess and continuance. (d) Within 10 days after a declaration to recess and continue a town meeting pursuant to this section, a local public safety official designated by the board of selectmen of the town in which the declaration was made shall submit a report to the attorney general that sets forth the reasons why the declaration was made. House of Representatives, January 3 i 2015. Passed to be enacted, Passed to be enacted, 2015. Approved, or. 2 Acting Speaker. In Senate, January -5 2015. Acting President. S2121 January 7, 2015 Honorable William F. Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth State House — Room 340 Boston, MA 02133 Dear Secretary Galvin: I, Deval L. Patrick, pursuant to the provisions of Article XLVIII of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Referendum II, Emergency Measures, do hereby declare that the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or convenience requires that the attached Act entitled "An Act Further Regulating Town Meeting Notices," should take effect immediately. So that Town Moderators do not have to convene town meetings during a state of emergency, I further declare that, in my opinion, it is in the public interest that this Act take effect immediately Sincerely, SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH Boston, Massachusetts January 8, 2015 I, William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth, hereby certify that the accompanying statement was filed in this office by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at nine o'clock and thirty -four minutes A.M. on the above date, and in accordance with Article Forty -eight of the Amendments to the Constitution said Chapter takes effect forthwith, being Chapter Four Hundred Eighty Seven of the Acts of Two Thousand Fifteen. / r rr William Francis Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth •�N OFI? HEADQUARTERS �a :tae READING FIRE DEPARTMENT Reading ' Massachusetts 01867 16J9 +INCORQ��P� GREGORY J. BURNS, Chief 757 Main Street BUS. Phone: 781- 942 -9181 STA. Phone: 781- 944 -3132 Fax: 781 - 942 -9114 Selectmen's FY 16 Budget Explanation January 13, 2015 Brief Overview of the Department: The Reading Fire Department's budget request for FY 16 is for $4,508,850. The salary request is $4,351,225 and this represents 96.5% of the budget. The expense budget request is for $157,625 and this represents 3.5% of the budget. The FY 16 budget that has been submitted will retain staffing and response at the present budgeted levels and permit the staffing of a second in command position. Our major responsibilities are: ♦ Delivery of Emergency Medical Services ♦ Fire Suppression ♦ Fire Prevention ♦ Emergency Management Emergency Response: In calendar year 2014 the Fire Department responded to 3,190 emergency calls for assistance. Of these calls 2,024 involved some level of emergency medical response. A review of our Massachusetts Fire Incident Report data revealed fire responses have increased over calendar year 2013. In 2014 we responded to 43 fires defined as structure fires, 7 fires in mobile equipment and 17 outside fires in addition to the responses reflected in the graph below. fire Protection System Activation Smoke investigation Otter —� Public Asilstance Elecnkal Equipment Carbon Monoxide J / Hazardous Condition.- Specialised Fire Department Activity 2014 Motor Vehicle Accident Gores In Structures Mutual Aid Vehice Fires Outside fires Explosion (No Fire) Response Total Emergency Responses Calendar Year 2014 ' l �I Selectmen's Budget Explanation January 13, 2015 Page 2 Emergency Medical Response: Total emergency medical responses have increased over calendar year 2013. The most troubling statistic is the response to overdoses (chemical, poly- substance, prescription and substance abuse). Our calendar year 2013 data revealed 12 patients received the medication Narcan. In calendar year 2014 we have seen the number of patients receiving Narcan increase to 32. This is a 266.67% increase over last year. Below is a graph indicating the clinical impression of patients transported in calendar year 2014. Pregnancy OB Delivery i Obvious Death Syncope �r Seizure Poisoning Pediatric ■ Psychological Emergency Overdose Medical Behavioral / Psychological Disorder r� Influenza/Pneumonia �rr■� Respiratory i Trauma Stroke Diabetic Emergency rrr Altered Neurological Status Allergic Reaction Cardiac 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Clinical Impression Calendar Year 2014 Ambulance Revenue: Ambulance revenue collected this fiscal year to date is $426,595. This is trending higher than last fiscal year due to increases in our ambulance fees. In FY 14 we collected $616,839 and in FY 13 ambulance revenues were $626,343. FY 16 Budget Salary Account: • Non -union wages increased per pay and classification plan and Town Manager recommendations. • Union wages increase 1% July 1, 2015 and 1% January 1, 2016 • Holiday pay stipend is now included in the weekly salary to smooth out payments and that line item has been eliminated. • 4 Firefighters advanced a step. • 5 Firefighters achieve increase in longevity pay. • 3 Firefighters have received a degree and will receive additional education pay. • Due to the payroll cycle we need to account for an additional 24 hours pay in the payroll (cost $18,545) .43% of the salary budget. We're Your Friends for Life l Selectmen's Budget Explanation January 13, 2015 Page 3 Expense Account: • The line item for Ambulance Billing Services is recommended to be increased $6,100 due to the increase in ambulance revenues generated by an increase in ambulance fees. The fee for we pay for the ambulance billing service is 4% of our receipts. • Uniform expenses increased due to the projected need to fill vacancies due to retirements $2,900. Overtime: The overtime account recommendation was increased over FY 15 budgeted levels based upon prior fiscal year spending. This fiscal year to date overtime expenditures indicates we are trending 8.4% higher than last fiscal year. The demands on the overtime account are expected to decrease in the next few weeks as we have just hired and trained a new Firefighter and an injured Firefighter will return to duty in two weeks. We're Your Friends for Life CJ9 Police Department FY16 Budget Overview The Reading Police Department level 1 budget request for FY16 is funded at $4,642,400 or +3.1% when compared to FYI 5. Over 95% of this budget is spent on personnel. Staffing (48.5 FTEs; increase of 1.5 positions) Wages ($4,447,300; +3.8 %) In the FY16 level 1 request, the Police Department is budgeted for 43 sworn officers, this is an increase of one Police Officer position that would be utilized as a second School Resource Officer, two civilian office employees, a civilian part-time Animal Control Officer and part-time Parking Enforcement Officer, and three positions from the Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse (RCASA). The RCASA positions that will show in the Police Department budget are fully grant funded positions for FY16 and include an increase of 1 half- time position. The salary lines are meeting all contractual agreements and direction regarding non -union compensation. This would include steps and cola adjustments. The request for an additional officer is to augment the current School Resource Officer. Since its' inception in Reading in 2006 the program has been very successful. The requirements from changes in bullying and harassment legislation, working with education relating to substance issues, and being vigilant with best safety practices have all added to additional demands with this position. The details of the implementation are being examined with the school department. The increase in the Police Detectives line item is associated with this request as well as right sizing that line. The RCASA Community Outreach Coordinator line is actually two positions and as mentioned earlier is grant funded. (note FED Grant Support line offset) Expenses ($195,100; - 10.9 %) The department's expense budget has been decreased by 10.9 %. Of note are the elimination of RCASA expense funding as this is now covered in the federal grant. The reduction in Police Uniforms and Clothing is associated with a contractual agreement. The Police Radar line increase is for service contracts associated with our speed/message boards. Some other adjustments to other categories have been made in an attempt to accurately predict costs. Dispatch FY16 Budget Overview The Reading Dispatch level 1 budget request for FY16 is funded at $536,705, a 19.1% increase compared with FY 15. Almost 95% of this budget is spent on personnel. Staffing (11 FTEs; increase in 2 postions) Wages ($511,855; +21.1 %) Dispatch currently is staffed with eight civilian Telecommunicators and one civilian Head Dispatcher who works several shifts per week as a Telecommunicator and oversees the administration of the Dispatch. center. In addition to Town funding, $50,000 in grant funds are used to offset existing salaries. The salary lines are meeting all contractual agreements and direction regarding non -union compensation. This would include steps and cola adjustments. Each year this field becomes more complex due to changes in technology and in the Emergency Medical Dispatch requirements. The Reading Dispatch Center is in compliance with all requirements. Hiring two additional Telecommunicaters would be ideal in order to achieve a full staffing level on overnight shifts. The demands related to Emergency Medical Dispatch and the State requirements related to certifications in order to manage 911 calls are driving the need for staffing. Expenses ($24,850; - 11.6 %) The expense budget for Dispatch is reduced this year to accommodate contractual agreements as the clothing is no longer provided by the Department.