Board of Selectmen Meeting, January 9, 2023
Review of warrant articles. Plumbing problems. Issues with the state park.
Warrant Articles
The board reviewed proposed warrant articles. John Scruton said that if all of the warrant articles were adopted would reflect a 1.6% increase to the property tax rate.
Board-initiated warrant articles:
To appropriate $90k from the town’s building maintenance fund for 2023 maintenance programs. No tax impact. Recommended 5-0.
Raise and appropriate $400k for highway reconstruction and maintenance on Flutter St, Oakridge Rd. and others as needed. Tax impact $0.48 per $1k valuation. Recommended 5-0. John Morin expressed concerns that voters will not understand the need for top coating on these roads (top coating is the primary planned usage) as the roads look fine. It was agreed that the board had a messaging challenge here.
Appropriate $90k from unassigned fund balance for engineering projects including culverts on Kelsey Rd and Cooper Hill Rd and the library parking lot. No tax impact. Recommended 5-0.
Raise and appropriate $6k to make the library entrance ADA-compliant. Tax impact $0.007 per $1k valuation. Recommended 5-0.
Raise and appropriate $100k to the highway truck trust fund. Tax impact $0.12 per $1k valuation. Recommended 5-0.
Raise and appropriate $100k to the fire vehicle fund. Tax impact $0.12 per $1k valuation. Recommended 5-0.
Appropriate $20k from the revaluation fund (for the every 5 year property re-valuation process). No tax impact. Recommended 5-0.
Raise and appropriate $10k to the invasive species fund. Tax impact $0.012 per $1k valuation. Recommended 5-0.
Appropriate $40k from the ambulance fund to run the ambulance. No tax impact. Recommended 5-0.
To establish a police technology trust fund and to raise and appropriate $10k to the fund. Tax impact $0.012 per $1k valuation. Recommended 5-0.
Petitioned Warrant Articles:
Rescind the 4% tax cap enacted as a warrant article last year. Board declined to make a recommendation.
Raise and appropriate $40k for the 2023 calendar year to make repairs to town facilities. Tax impact $0.5 per $1k valuation. Recommended 3-2, Bartlett and Dumas objecting, based on the wording. There was a debate about whether this should be a contractor or employee, and a concern that the wording limited the choice to a “property management firm.” Ben Bartlett argued for an employee. John Morin pointed out the advantages of a contractor under current situation of hiring difficulties, project complexity, and one-year life of the warrant article.
Plumbing Problems
The board approved replacing the water pressure tanks at the town hall and the purchase (using ARPA funds) of a backhoe to be shared by the recycling center and the highway department.
There was a brief discussion about problems with plumbing contractors in which the board was surprised to learn from the interim town administrator that a plumbing contractor working on town hall had mistakenly reversed the hot and cold water.
John Morin inquired about the problem of the drain pipe under town hall. John Scruton said that a plumber had scoped it. The cast iron pipe is deformed and cracked. John Morin expressed concern that news like this was not being presented in the recorded board meetings so that voters could better understand the causes of the maintenance expenses the town is incurring. Ben Bartlett said he wanted more information on the details of the project, as the town had just spent a lot of money refurbishing the kitchen that runs above the broken pipe. Dona Danis also requested more details on what the project entails.
State Park Campground Expansion
Tom Duffy, representing the Pawtuckaway Lake Improvement Association, requested that the board actively support the PLIA’s request that the state hold a public hearing on the expansion of the campground at the state park to ad 36 waterfront campsites for RVs, providing electrical and plumbing hookups. These campsites are to be located in an area of the lake that has been plagued with invasive milfoil. “Active support” would mean something like a call to the commissioner’s office. The campground expansion is part of a $3 million investment in improving the park, paid for with ARPA funds.
Tom added a bit of history about the effectiveness of public hearings. In 1998 the state proposed moving the boat launch from Fundy to a location near the Horse Island bridge. Opposition in the public hearing was so strong that the state abandoned this plan and instead made improvements to the existing boat launch.
Tom says the PLIA’s ultimate aim is to get the state to contribute to the efforts to combat invasive species in the lake. The infestations are particularly bad near the public beach, the campsites, and the campers’ boat launch.
John Morin expressed skepticism that the state will do anything about invasive species because the state has a policy of treating all parks the same. This was why the state didn’t have lifeguards at the state beach last summer, because it was unwilling to pay more here than elsewhere, despite this forcing the state to reduce the number of people allowed into the park, reducing the state’s revenues. John was also concerned that a public hearing would simply devolve into a complaint session.
Tony Dumas expressed concerns that adding campsites would increase the town’s costs for police and rescue, and he expressed anger that the state park has never worked with the town about anything associated with problems that the park causes for the town.
The board agreed that Ben Bartlett would call Commissioner Stuart about this, as Ben is both on the board and in the legislature.
Cutting the Merit Pay Pool
There was a discussion with the Budget Committee regarding the Board’s decision to reduce the merit pay pool by an additional $8k at the Board’s last meeting, reflecting a total $18k cut from the preliminary budget. Data were obtained about the town’s 4% cost of living salary increase last year, which amounted to $60k/yr. Based on this the Budget Committee concurred that this additional cut in the merit pay pool was reasonable.
Watch the video (note mislabeled as “Budget Committee”)