Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

KINGSTON – Municipal Administrator Paul Keating updated council on 2010 budget preparations and labor contract negotiations with the DPW and the police at council’s meeting on Wednesday.
The regular November meeting was moved from Monday, which was the day before the general election.
The council intends to pass the 2010 budget at the December regular meeting. It had originally intended to pass the spending plan some time in November, but the council is waiting to allow Keating time to compile what he feels is the most accurate data.
Keating said his main concerns were with the Earned Income Tax and the Emergency Management Services Tax. Kingston is currently $91,000 shy of the total collected for the EIT in 2008.
Additionally, 2009 will be the first year that municipalities are collecting the $52 EMS tax at a rate of $2 per week on yearly wages of at least $12,000. Keating said he wants to collect as much possible data from those two areas of revenue before making his final 2010 budgetary preparations.
Regarding the labor contract negotiations, Keating announced a collective bargaining agreement was reached between the municipality and the Department of Public Works employees. The agreement was described as a standard four-year contract with no significant changes.
“This is a fair deal for both the union and the community,” Keating said.
Keating said the details of the contract will be presented at the council’s work session.
He also said an agreement had been reached with the police union’s negotiation committee. Although there has not yet been an official response from the union, Keating said he is confident the police will approve the agreement this week.
Keating had no further details on the police labor negotiations.He said he expects that both contracts will be voted on at the December regular meeting.
Keating also commented on the municipality’s street cleaning ordinance. In responding to comments brought to the attention of several council members, Keating noted the street cleaning crews are extremely busy with leaf pickups but will continue their work for at least several more weeks.