The first motion after Moderator Walter Holland rang the big bell to start the Lyndeborough town meeting on Saturday, March 17 was to increase the operating budget by $30,000.
Fred Douglas, the Chairman of the Select Board, said, “the increase on the budget is for road salt, which we had based on 520 tons. To date, the town has used 570 tons, and we need 325 more tons. This year there were 309 hours of overtime added to our projected 750 hours.”
The voters passed the amendment to increase the budget by $30,000 more than what was in the warrant.
In Article 4 the Budget Committee proposed raising and appropriating the sum of $2,042,032, representing the Operating Budget for the fiscal year 2018. The three elections this year pushed up election costs. The police budget is up $7,000 for wages and $3,000 for replacing old Tasers. The fire department budget went up $2,000 for training.
Highway department wages are down because one person retired, but due to sand for ice storms and the need for re-sanding, its budget increased by $41,000. The budget includes salt, gravel, line striping, equipment, and rental equipment for Center Road. Paving got a surplus of $73,000 from the state added to the $80,000 budget.
The highway department has to repave New Road Hill and Hill Road. Center Hall Road to Dutton needs an overlay. Center Road to Johnson’s Corner needs to be shimmed or protected with a thin layer of pavement, which comes to $350,000.
The Capital Improvement Plan for 2018-2023 budgeted $40,000 to buy a tanker. The budget includes purchasing a new pumper and ambulance. They slotted $21,000 to replace the 2014 police vehicle and $49,000 to replace the 2002 Mack, which they will keep as a backup. The new truck will be a 10-wheeler with a total cost of $143,000. The CIP is $20,000 more than last year – a 50-cent increase in the tax rate.
Article Five suggests raising and appropriating $19,000 to add to the Repair and Replacement of the 1994 Fire Department Pumper Capital Reserve Fund. Article 6 proposed to raise and appropriate $40,000 to add to the Repair and Replacement of the 1984 Tanker Capital Reserve Fund. Article 7 proposed raising and appropriating $21,000 to combine with $20,000 raised in a 2016 non-lapsing warrant article for a total of $41,000 to purchase a new police vehicle. The Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee recommended these three articles, which passed with a majority vote.
Article 8 proposed to raise and appropriate $220,000 to purchase a highway department dump truck, sanding unit, plow set up, other associated equipment and set up costs. This article authorizes the withdrawal of up to $171,000 from the repair and replacement of the 2002 Mack Truck Capital Reserve Fund. General taxation will raise the remaining $49,000. Article 8 would authorize the Board of Selectmen to facilitate the sale including the right to convey the title of any vehicle(s) provided in sale or trade.
Jeffrey Brock asked what the process was in writing Article 8. Road Agent Kent Perry replied, “The new truck is a ten-wheeler for bigger roads. It also has a center blade, so workers no longer have to clear sand under wheels manually. It has a heavy plate system, and the weight difference for more sand and gravel means less wait time for dumping and coming back.” The Moderator added, “we have projects on roads that tax our small trucks with moving boulders, rocks, and ledge. The new truck will help with maintenance, and it has a six-year warranty. This article passed with a majority vote.
In Article 9 the Capital Reserve Fund Change of Purpose asked voters to change the purpose of the existing Repair and Replacement of the 2002 Mack Truck Capital Reserve Fund to Repair and Replacement of the 2018 Dump Truck Capital Reserve Fund. The Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee recommended this article. With a firm vote count, this article passed 49 to zero.
The Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee recommended Article 10 to raise and appropriate $14,000 to add to the Repair and Replacement of Ambulance and Medical Equipment Capital Reserve Fund, which the voters passed with two nays.
The Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee recommended Article 11 to raise and appropriate $22,000 to pave the primary/eastern side of Citizens Hall Parking Lot and to apply a final 1.5-inch coat of asphalt to the handicap/western side parking lot at Citizens Hall. “There has been some controversy about this,” Douglas said, “so I didn’t feel it was up to the board to make this decision. That is why we brought it to town meeting.”
Town Administrator Russ Boland commented, “In mud season the hall’s floors are damaged, so it requires maintenance to protect them. During mud season, the parking lot is slippery. If you vote to pave the lot, we can salt it and keep it safe. The septic system under it is highway rated, so we have no concerns about that. We can install a utility hole cover over the septic as well. My real concern is that someone can be injured from slipping out there.”
A majority vote passed with one nay.
In article 12, The Board of Selectmen, Library Trustees, and Budget Committee recommended raising and appropriating the sum of $8,000 to pave the J.A. Tarbell Library Parking Lot. A majority vote passed with one nay.
Article 13 asked voters to authorize the Board of Selectmen to appoint a committee of five to seven registered voters (with the fire chief, police chief, road agent and town administrator as ex-officio members) to study public street lighting.
“We pay $3,500 in street lighting per year.” Walter Holland reminded the voters. “Our current system is 50 years old.” Fred Douglas added, “18 lights in the center of town is not a big issue. The character of Lyndeborough will remain as is and the LEDs will be more efficient than what we have now.”
A majority vote passed.
Article 14 opened the meeting to other business, which comprised of the safety complex presentation by John Palmer. The committee considered how they could better house the town’s police and fire departments.