In a special meeting of the Onset Fire District on Monday evening, voters approved pay increases for Water Department employees and voted against borrowing money for a new standpipe.

"This Board of Water Commissioners ... in the worst recession since World War II, is asking you to authorize an eight-and-a-half to a 17.8 percent pay raise for Water Department employees," said resident Mike Besse. "I think that's a bit much."

Board of Water Commissioners Chairman Mark B. Maxim said the board was seeking to fund the third year of a three-year contract, which was approved at the District's annual meeting two years ago. At last April's annual meeting, voters amended an article that set salaries for Water Department personnel pursuant to that contract and removed the pay raises it requested.

An attorney working for the Water Department urged voters to approve the pay raises, explaining that once a legislative body (in this case, the Onset Fire District annual meeting) approves the first year of a contract, it is obligated to fund subsequent years. If not funded, the union could take the matter to court, and courts have historically sided with the union in similar cases.

The article was ultimately approved, and an attempt to reconsider the vote was lost. All Water Department union employees will receive raises, including the office manager, laborer, water operator, and clerk.

Voters decided not to authorize the borrowing of $4 million that would fund the construction of an elevated storage tank and rehabilitate a standpipe, as well as install an electronic device to wells and pumping stations, which would assist the Onset Fire Department and Water Department in monitoring water usage.

Onset Fire Chief Howard Andersen said the computer system would be particularly helpful during serious fires, such as the one at the former Ocean Spray building last spring, which required a lot of water.

Water Commissioners met with the Department of Agriculture last spring regarding the project, and were under the impression that federal stimulus money would be available to fund up to 75 percent of the construction, said Water Commissioner Brian O'Hearne. The stimulus funding has since been depleted, but the commissioners were hoping voters would approve the article in case more funding becomes available when the new federal budget goes into effect.

If more stimulus funding was not available, O'Hearne said the commissioners would rescind the article at the annual District meeting.

"We cannot afford anything more than a $1 million debt," O'Hearne said. "If we don't get 75 percent ... we can't move forward with" the project.

Voters attempted to amend the article and add a requirement that stimulus funding be used to fund 75 percent of the project. (The article as it appeared on the warrant did not mention stimulus funding and, if approved as written, would have given commissioners permission to borrow the full $4 million at the expense of the tax payer.)

In the end, voters decided that more research on the project was required and did not approve the borrowing.

In other business on the six-article warrant, the District voted down the use of $65,000 in surplus money to replace the roof and siding of the District Office Building, after it was determined that surplus money can only be used for new construction, not for maintenance.

An article regarding the use of $10,000 in free cash to renovate the District's 240 Onset Ave. building was skipped, as the Prudential Committee decided to research other options for the building.

The District also approved two routine articles.