Dublin voters had little issue passing the proposed $2,001,959 operating budget at Saturday’s Town Meeting, while considerable time was spent discussing a warrant article pertaining to the purchase of a new loader for the town’s highway department.
While the $148,615 price tag would not impact residents’ taxes this year, since the bulk of the cost would come out of the heavy highway equipment capital reserve fund, there were questions as to whether a new loader was completely necessary.
The article, which was recommended by the Board of Selectmen but not the budget committee, covered the cost by taking $113,615 from the capital reserve fund, $25,000 from the recycling fund and the remainder to be funded by the trade in of an existing loader.
During Dublin’s pre-town meeting, an annual tradition that allows residents to ask questions about warrant articles prior to Town Meeting held a little more than a week prior to Saturday’s annual gathering at Dublin Consolidated School, budget committee member Steve Baldwin said he was quoted a price of $8,528 for parts to repair the existing loader. After a couple of the issues were already resolved and the cost of labor, the total cost would come in at $10,728, Baldwin said on Saturday.
“The loader can be fixed and it’s a really good piece of equipment,” Baldwin said. “I think we can at least get five years out of it. I just don’t think we’re ready for a new loader.”
“Even if we come to a major issue in a year or two, we’re still ahead of the game,” said Budget Committee Chair Charlie Champagne.
Champagne said the committee did quite a bit of research on the loader and didn’t feel it was in the town’s best interest to purchase a new one this year. Currently, the loader has 10,319 hours of use, and Champagne said the budget committee was told it should last anywhere from 17,000 to 20,000 hours. Baldwin said Hancock finally got rid of its loader at 19,000 hours.
If the article passed, the current highway loader would be passed along to the transfer station, which Tom Kennedy, superintendent of the transfer station, said would make things much easier. The transfer station loader, which the highway department uses for snow removal and in the case of emergency like the floods in the fall, is in dire shape, Kennedy said.
“The highway loader is the perfect fit to replace the loader at the transfer station,” Kennedy said.
Issues with the exhaust, brakes, parking break and a rotted floor would leave a strain if the article failed, Kennedy said.
“We never heard a lot of this stuff,” Champagne said. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t hear this up front.”
Still, resident Edith Tuttle wondered if there was another solution.
“As a taxpayer, with all we’ve had to endure this year, I’d like to see if there’s another way to go about this,” she said.
Road agent Roger Tempe said they were looking at all options when it came to the purchasing of the new loader, including a used demo model.
Budget Committee member Bill Gurney said Peterborough splits one loader between its two departments and reminded voters that a new dump truck was going to be needed in a few years.
Former road agent Brian Barden gave residents a bit of advice.
“The Dublin Highway Department has never really asked you for anything we didn’t really need,” Barden said.
After an amendment asking to add $10,000 to the article failed, the original was passed by a secret ballot, 86 to 63.
It was one of five secret ballots on the day, after a petition to start the meeting asked for ballot votes for four of them.
One of the secret ballots centered around the optional tax exemption for solar energy systems from assessed value. The article asked voters to amend the current exemption to “the amount equal to 100 percent of the assessed value of qualifying systems.” That means that the value of a solar display would not be added to the assessed value of the property.
George Foote, who installed a 20-kilowatt 72-panel ground display at his Dublin home, said he’s not making money off the system and essentially breaks even with his utility costs. Though Frederick MacMillan wondered if the tax exemption should be placed toward a different use.
“We should give a tax break to new homeowners or families with two or more kids and not only something the rich can afford,” he said.
Selectman Dale Gabel said the board would be taking a closer look at the exemption in the coming year, regardless of the vote, which was in favor of the article 91 to 52.
While little money was asked for the Dublin Community Center, it brought up much discussion. The petition article sought $8,000 to fund 44 percent of the center’s program coordinator’s salary.
“We feel strongly that our town should take part in supporting our community center,” said May Clark, a community center board member.
Some questioned why the money was given a specific designation, rather than just to fund the center’s operations.
“It helps to raise funds if people know what the money is going toward,” Clark said.
Mary Jane Mueller moved to Dublin eight months ago and the community center has helped her and he husband greatly.
“The community center has been our gateway to getting to know our community,” Mueller said.
Voters approved the petition by a vote of 77 to 55. A new police cruiser was also approved 113 to 17 by secret ballot.
The only article voted against, 100 to 9, was the final one on the warrant, looking to move the recycling special revenue fund to the town’s general fund.
Also at Town Meeting:
New carpets for the police station and the library were approved in separate articles.
The police station will get a fresh paint job after the $6,000 cost was approved.
$85,000 was approved for the purpose to replace the town hall roof, after an amendment for $45,000 failed, to be withdrawn from the town buildings maintenance capital reserve fund.
$10,000 was raised to purchase a vehicle for the highway department.
$84,710, to come from the fire equipment capital reserve fund, will be used for the purchase of 12 self-contained breathing apparatus.
The post office will be getting a new heating system after approval of $16,700 to come from the town buildings maintenance fund.
Outgoing Selectman Peter “Sturdy” Thomas was honored for his time of service.
Champagne was given the citizen of the year award.
Police chief Tim Suokko was presented with the Patriot Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, after being nominated by part-time officer Daniel Cheshire. The award recognizes supervisors that go above and beyond for employees serving in the National Guard.
For complete voting results, visit ledgertranscript.com/Dublin-Town-Meeting-2019-23499724.