Weston FinCom defers fire staffing call, banks on new operational study

WESTON — February 11, 2021 — Weston Finance Committee defers fire staffing decision, banks savings from new insurance pact. Fire Chief David Soar told the committee a level-service fiscal 2022 budget would pause the planned eighth firefighter and four lieutenant promotions pending an April study, while requesting a $750,000 pumper and an $80,000 shift commander vehicle. Soar said calls dropped about 400 during COVID but the department remains "400 percent above where we were when the last study was done" in the 1960s. HR Director Lisa Ritano said the renegotiated three-year PEC agreement inside the state Group Insurance Commission cuts the town's HMO premium share by a cumulative 2.5 points and produces roughly $100,000 in first-year savings rising to more than $450,000 by year three; Weston currently pays 85 percent of HMO premiums against a 100-community comparator average of 74 percent. Free cash sits at $4.4 million with $3.78 million proposed for capital draws.