WILTON — Voters approved the purchase of a 2017 rescue firetruck and appropriated $50,000 for a building demolition account at Monday’s annual town meeting.

They also amended the building and property maintenance ordinance to include abandoned buildings and properties in the residential zone.

A few questions arose in regards to the clarity of the ordinance wording.

“It is not clear what is the criteria,” Conrad Heeschen said. “It should not pass.”

Voters also amended the Zoning Ordinance for a site plan review criteria to add,  “or odors detectable at the lot line” to the amount of dust, noise and smoke produced.

Voters approved appropriating funds for three items from the Comfort Inn Omnibus Municipal Tax Increment Financing District which has $343,000, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.

A total of $95,000 was requested for the rescue firetruck; $30,000 for part of the annual lease/purchase payment on the 2013 Aerial Quint firetruck; and $15,000 for part of the annual waste treatment Phase I Rural Development loan.

When a few voters questioned buying another truck for the Fire Ddepartment, Fire Chief Sonny Dunham said it would replace a squad truck purchased in 2008 that was 10 years old. The department hoped to get five years out of it and it has been nine, but it is in very poor condition, he said.

The new truck, estimated cost of $115,000, can do more and help in different situations, he said.

The department’s capital account will provide $17,000 toward the purchase and $3,600 from the sale of a forestry truck will be used along with the TIF amount.

Voters agreed to appropriate $50,000 from the town’s undesignated fund balance for the Building Demolition Capital account to cover costs of demolishing town buildings, including the Foster Mill.

Asked if the mill could come down this year, Irish said part of it will. The town currently $175,000 from a grant, $55,000 in the capital account and $50,000 approved Monday, but is seeking more funding, including a potential low-interest loan, she said.  

Voters passed all funding articles to run the town.

The proposed budget was $3.16 million.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net

Town of Wilton

Town of Wilton

Town of Wilton