FEE INCREASE WILL PAY FOR DRUG TESTING

ORANGE - Two town lifeguards fired for allegedly possessing marijuana on
the job last summer prompted town officials to raise parks department fees
to pay for a random drug testing program.

The Board of Selectmen unanimously supported a 5 percent cost increase on
programs run through the Park and Recreation department in order to pay for
the drug-testing initiative.

"There was previously no drug testing for camp counselors and lifeguards,
and these are the people who watch our children," said First Selectman
Robert Sousa.

The selectmen proposed the random testing and pre-employment screening
earlier this year, in the wake of last year's firing of two lifeguards and
the suspension of their supervisor.

No arrests were made in the incident.

Although most officials agreed the drug prevention program is a good idea,
there's been some debate about how to pay for the safety measures. Last
month, the Park and Recreation Commisson asked the Board of Finance for a
special allocation, but the board said no.

Finance officials said the drug tests should be paid for through revenues
from parks department programs, considering that most of the employees to
be screened are summer workers and not full-time town employees.

"Why should the taxpayers pay for drug tests on workers in programs which
fund themselves?" Finance Director Chiarenzelli asked.

Parks department Director Al Baines approached the Board of Selectman and
asked for the fee increase to pay for the drug tests.

"With these increases, we're looking to take in an additional $6,000 to
$10,000 a year," Baines said.

Each drug test costs $51, and the program would randomly test all camp
counselors and lifeguards.

The department employs more than non-union 150 workers over the summer, and
50 during the rest of the year, town officials said.

In November, two lifeguards at the town pool at High Plains Community
Center allegedly in possession of marijuana were fired, and their
supervisor was suspended for failing to report the incident in a timely
fashion.

"We want lifeguards and other people around our kids to not be on drugs,"
First Selectman Robert Sousa said.

"Everyone who works for the Town of Orange and is in a position in which
they are dealing with our children will be fired if it is discovered they
have used drugs," Sousa said.

Full-time town employees will also be drug-tested in the future to comply
with state rules, Chiarenzelli said.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski