With Fire District Hearings Over, Town Officials Anticipate Passage

The fat lady hasn't sung yet, but Town Manager Bill Sequino is beginning to prepare for the town's acquisition of the East Greenwich Fire District.

The House Municipal Affairs Committee took up the legislation Wednesday, a week after the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on their bill. Neither panel has voted on the bills yet, which is necessary before they can reach the floor of their respective houses for full votes. Still, Sequino said he is confident the bills will pass. 

"What issues do the legislators have?" he said Thursday. "They only heard from two Fire Commissioners, testifying as individuals," who were against the bill. "Seems to me, on a local bill where almost everyone's in agreement, why wouldn't they pass it?"

The "almost everyone" Sequino was referring to were four of the five town councilors, the fire fighters union, two of the five fire commissioners, as well as two thirds of the voters who cast ballots in November in favor of abolishing the EGFD and establishing a town fire department.

At the hearing Wednesday, much of the testimony echoed what was said at the Senate hearing and other meetings.

Fire Commission Chair Bill Daly beseeched lawmakers to demand more study be done before allowing the bill to pass – in particular, what the change would mean for taxpayers.

Daly and fellow Commissioner Stephen Bartlett have repeatedly emphasized the Fire District's lack of debt from borrowing, pointing to the district's sizeable capital account and impact fee fund. As a town department, there would be no more commercial impact fee collection – something that's brought $1.2 million to the district in the past 10 years. Daly said Wednesday he would support the move if a study showed it made sense.

"We haven't done our homework. We aren't ready," he said. "We have run this fire district for 217 years. I think we can hang on for a few more months."

On the other side, Town Council President Michael Isaacs again argued that the 2-1 vote in November was a mandate from the voters and Town Manager Bill Sequino said the town was ready.

"From the management side to the union side, we're not making any changes. They'd come right over," Sequino said. "The union contract comes right over, the chief comes over, the deputy chief comes over. They don't have a whole lot of administrative staff, but from a management end, that will still be in place. So, tomorrow morning, if you say how would the fire department operate in East Greenwich, it's going to operate the same way it did yesterday, if you pass it and it takes effect."

The only hint that at least one legislator was questioning the wisdom of the legislation came from Rep. Gregory Constantino (D-Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston).

"Hearing the testimony, it seems like they're doing a good job," he said, referencing the district's financial situation.

One new theme that came up at the hearing Wednesday was the suggestion it's time for a professional administrator to oversee fire and rescue duties, in particular in the wake of the failed bid to merge dispatch with Warwick. 

"Right now, the fire chief reports to a political body," said Town Councilman Jeff Cianciolo. "I think in terms of a better management structure, if he reported to a professional town manager who had experience and skills in municipal operations, that would be a benefit as well." 

"On the dispatch [with Warwick] where we spent $250,000 of those impact fees – I think we did a bad job," said Mark Gee, who sits on both the Fire District and the Town Council. "And, as we proceeded through this thing for almost two or three years – and I'm as guilty as anyone – this agreement was there in place, but we never had it signed by Warwick. It just goes to show you, oversight somehow missed that."

Firefighter union head Bill Perry also testified, again, in favor of the legislation. The union and fire commissioners recently reached an impasse in negotiations on a new contract (their contract expires June 30) and they are facing arbitration. 

Town Manager Sequino said Thursday he thinks negotiations between the firefighters and town officials should start as soon as possible. 

"I expect that bill to pass rather quickly," Sequino said. He said there's no reason negotiations can't restart after a call for arbitration.