“It’s dangerous,” Nancy Cayford said. “Children are skateboarding at the community center and the church right by the road.”
“The road” is Route 101, and at Monday’s meeting of the Dublin Select Board, she introduced the idea of a skate park being created in town to allow young people to practice their “slides” and “banks” a safe distance from a major thoroughfare.
A former member of the town’s Recreation Committee, Cayford’s children are not of the demographic that would benefit from such a public resource; they are older. This fact prompted board member Susan Peters to say, “You’d think parents of young people who might use it would be coming forward with such a proposal.”
Board Chair Chris Raymond asked, “If the baseball field, which has been suggested as a site for this, isn’t being used, would a skate park in the same place be used?” He also added that the ball field is too small for official Little League play.
Other possible sites in town for a skate park were mentioned – including property behind Dublin Community Church — prompting board member Carole Monroe to note that the presence of wetlands is a constant consideration, and that such a resource could also expose the town to liability for injuries. Raymond also said easements could be an issue.
The board suggested that Cayford should garner support for this idea among families in town whose children would use such a facility, and no further action was taken on the matter.
A town budget is in the early draft process, with warrant articles coming in January. Board members discussed the ongoing matter of repairs to the Town Hall and columns out front. Monroe noted that “Small towns trying to get contractors to respond to warrant articles is a real problem.” Raymond echoed this, saying that they were “struggling to find someone to do it, and do it well.”
Monroe said that preliminary assessment letters have all been sent in town. On average, assessments are up 70%, but board members were quick to add that this does not mean that tax bills will go up that much, and that they will be adjusted accordingly.
In other matters, the board voted 3-0 to approve Sarah Wilcox as the interim town tax collector. She will be filling a vacancy created by a resignation, and an election for the post will be held in March. The residency requirement for certain positions in a town was mentioned as a factor that can make it hard to attract and retain qualified individuals, and this creates vacancies.
Town Administrator Kate Fuller explained some ongoing frustration with the accounting software the town is using. Raymond expressed concern about it as well, adding that “There was a close call regarding some possible fraud a while back.” No action was taken.
The post office has been experiencing problems with its well, requiring a new pump, pressure tank and controls. The cost of these repairs is estimated at $6,000, half of which will be covered by a warrant article and the repair budget. Existing funds in a town trust will address the balance.