LISBON — Lisbon voters will find two questions on the Nov. 5 ballot asking whether they want the town to borrow up to $7.5 million for infrastructure improvements.
The town is asking to borrow up to $1.5 million for road repairs, and Lisbon Water Department wants voters to approve borrowing up to $6 million to replace 10,000 feet of pipe and make other upgrades.
The cost of water department improvements would be borne by ratepayers, according to Water Superintendent Bill Alexander.
Much of the system’s original cast iron pipes are beyond their 100-year life span, he said recently. So are some of the pipes replaced in the 1950s and 1960s.
“We’re having failures in the water lines that are significant failures — essentially like blowouts,” he said.
The project would include replacement of mains, taps, services, curbs, valves and hydrants located on Route 125, along with other infrastructure improvements throughout town.
Alexander said the work is expected to happen over a number of years, so rate increases would be spread out.
“Replacement of this infrastructure is way overdue,” he said.
The town is asking to borrow up to $1.5 million to finance the reconstruction of 2.4 miles of Pinewoods Road from the intersection of Spruce Street to Cotton Road.
Lisbon Public Works Director Randy Cyr said new gravel and grading is needed. The road was never built for the kind of traffic it sees today, he said recently. A nearby gravel pit generates as many as 40 to 50 trips of loaded dump trucks on the road, Cyr estimated.
The 10-year bond would increase taxes for a home valued at $200,000 by $46 assuming the town’s assessed value stayed flat in 2021, according to Town Manager Diane Barnes.
Lisbon also has three uncontested races for municipal positions. Donald Fellows, Jeffrey Ganong and incumbent Mark Lunt are vying for three open seats on the Town Council.
Kelli Rogers and Traci Austin are running for two seats on the Lisbon School Committee and James Lemieux is running for a single seat on the Water Commission.
Voting will take place at Lisbon High School from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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