Letters

Add up the numbers

Posted 12/3/15

To the Editor:

I sometimes host the State of the State cable TV news talk program. During the last election cycle, virtually every candidate I interviewed said they were in favor of consolidation …

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Letters

Add up the numbers

Posted

To the Editor:

I sometimes host the State of the State cable TV news talk program. During the last election cycle, virtually every candidate I interviewed said they were in favor of consolidation of state and municipal services to save taxpayers money and make government more efficient.

Amid much fanfare, Mayor Scott Avedisian and Fire Chief Edmund Armstrong dedicated the new Potowomut Fire Station, which cost $2.6 million to complete. The 9,000-square-foot facility also houses a police substation and community meeting room, although it is not clear how much demand there is in the neighborhood for a meeting room. It is located within 5 miles of the East Greenwich fire headquarters and less than that from the School Street Station in North Kingstown.

The station will be home to Engine 10 with its crew of 12, which was transferred from Station 2. No mention of transferring a rescue squad to Potowomut. I would venture a guess that there are far more calls for a medical emergency or accident than there are for structure fires in the Potowomut section of Warwick. Also left unstated is why Station 2 can spare an engine company (but apparently not a rescue truck).

The mayor justifies the new station by eliminating a decades-old arrangement with East Greenwich to cover Potowomut for fire and rescue services for about $350,000 a year. I assume a rescue unit will be dispatched from Apponaug – assuming one is available – to cover Potowomut. If so, there can be no question that response time will be much greater than when East Greenwich handled the calls.

I suggest it would be interesting for Mayor Avedisian and Chief Armstrong to respond to the following questions:

1. How much are the annula payroll and payroll-related benefits for the 12-person crew at Potowomut? (How will sick days, vacations and time lost to injuries be covered?)

2. What are the projected occupancy costs of the facility, e.g. heat, electricity, snow removal for the station?

3. What are the debt service costs – interest and principal – for the new facilty?

4. Will a police officer and patrol car be assigned to Potowomut and, if so, how much will this cost?

Add up these numbers and compare the total to the $350,000 per year deal Warwick had with East Greenwich and decide for yourself whether the Potowomut Fire Station is simply a giveaway to the firefighters union and something the city councilman who represents Potowomut can take credit for in next year’s election.

Richard J. August

North Kingstown

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  • richardcorrente

    Dear Richard,

    You left out a few line items.

    1. What about the ever-increasing "rent" that East Greenwich was charging. Won't that continue to increase year after year? The $2.6 million is admittedly a lot but that number is finite.

    2.What about the services (fire, rescue etc.) that we can now charge for?

    3. What about the quality-of-service? I'll bet it's higher when it's our people as opposed to an outsourced team.

    Richard, I have looked at this with a careful eye and I have to admit, this is a winner no matter how severe we crunch the numbers. In six and a half years the money saved will equal $2.6 million spent. That is a no-brainer. You and I can "what about" all the smaller issues but the big picture is we save $400,000 a year! In 6 and a half years we save what it cost.

    Many congrats to Fire Chief Armstrong, City Councilman Steve Merolla, and the deserving taxpayers of Potowomut.

    Merry Christmas to all.

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Thursday, December 3, 2015 Report this