WELD — During almost 3.5 hours of debate Saturday, April 17, voters at the annual Town Meeting changed proposed budget amounts by $18,040. The approved 2021 budget of $661,074 is $41,954 more than the current plan, not including county and education taxes.

The selectpersons and budget committee members had recommended changing selectperson’s pay from $12.15 per hour to an annual stipend. As proposed, two of the three selectpersons would receive $1,500 with the chair receiving $2,000.

“I’m glad it’s going to a stipend,” resident Laureen Pratt said. “The board is always available 24/7. It’s not an easy job. Previous to this, we have always had $10,000 set aside for the board.”

The amendment to increase the stipend for the chair to $4,000 and that for the other two selectpersons to $3,000 was approved.

The proposal to increase the transfer station attendant’s pay from $13 per hour to $13.50 per hour was also amended to $14 per hour.

“She’s (Judith Marden) always there, Easter, Mother’s Day, holidays,” resident Larry Fish said in making the amendment.

The increase meant $1,040 had to be added under transfer station/storage facility.

Under general government, $25,000 more was approved than the amounts proposed. $5,000 came from selectperson’s pay increases and $20,000 was added to the $10,000 proposed for legal fees.

Last year, $1,500 was budgeted for legal fees and almost $5,748 was spent, Pratt said.

“Ten thousand isn’t enough,” she said.

An ongoing issue with the Planning Board and Board of Appeals has needed legal counsel, Select Chair Richard Doughty said. The board is hoping some of the money spent last year may be reimbursed, he said. AT&T is proposing to build a cellphone tower, they encouraged the Planning Board to have representation and agreed to reimburse the initial consultation fees, Doughty noted.

A group of landowners, concerned citizens appealed the Planning Board’s decision to approve AT&T’s application, he said.

“It’s not finished yet,” Doughty said. “We were notified yesterday of a second appeal. This could proceed to the Supreme Court.”

Any money not expended would lapse into surplus, he said. Historically the town hasn’t needed legal representation other than for contracts, lease agreements, he noted.

The propane line for fire department/public safety was increased from $2,000 to $4,000. The fire station has a new propane heating system plus a new propane generator to keep equipment from freezing during power outages. Those additions had the current budget overspent for propane. They haven’t been used long enough to know what the annual costs might be.

Heating the station should be similar to what is being used at the town office, which is also heated with propane, resident Tom Skolfield said.

“Propane generators take a great deal of propane,” he said. “It runs 24/7, is needed to keep fire department equipment from freezing up when the power is out.”

To offset some of the increases, $15,000 was lowered to $5,000 for public works equipment reserve. The account has $58,000 in it, Pratt said.

Under Public Works, voters approved adding a full-time, year-round heavy equipment operator.

“This issue was submitted by the former road commissioner (Kelly Hutchinson) as part of his budget request,” Doughty said. “The road commissioner spent a lot of time maintaining the trucks by himself. Many times he felt he was doing things he shouldn’t be doing by himself.”

The road commissioner had trouble recruiting people to work part-time, Doughty said.

One resident suggested letting the new road commissioner decide if another person is needed.

“I’ve worked with this municipality for years, work for the town of Wilton, been involved with public safety,” Weld Fire Chief Corey Hutchinson said. “When we get these windstorms, trees come down, the lines are down, you shouldn’t have one person out there working alone. A part-time person might not be available. If you go to full-time someone is available 24/7.”

A full-time position could be an incentive to bring someone to Weld, he noted.

In 2020, only $7,380 of the $15,300 budgeted for public works heavy equipment operator was spent, Pratt said. She questioned the need for a full-time operator if the funds aren’t being used. With other sections of the budget increased, not hiring a full-time operator could save some money, Pratt added.

“Things are changing,” Corey Hutchinson said. “The weather, more people in town. Eventually we’re going to have to do something.”

Approving the full-time position doesn’t mean it has to be filled, Selectperson Dina Walker said. Once the new road commissioner is hired, there will be flexibility, she added.

“This has been the main issue for our town,” Walker said. “It’s hurting the town, we don’t have the positions available.”

The intent wasn’t to replace the part-time person, Doughty said. Hiring a second, full-time person was wanted so things weren’t being done alone, he noted.

“If one person is out sick or decides to move on, we’d still have one person available,” Doughty said. “Kelly felt it was necessary. I get it. We’re not a huge town, can we afford the luxury of having two people. It’s a safety issue. The Budget Committee felt people should have a say.”

Some residents suggested the full-time person could work in the town’s cemeteries, buildings and grounds when not needed on roads to save money in those areas.

A motion not to hire the full-time operator failed when more than 16 were opposed and only 16 in favor. A motion to hire then passed.

Voters also approved proceeding with negotiations for a public/private partnership for broadband access availability to all 911 addresses. Approval is based on commitment by Matrix Design Group to fund 69% of the project capital cost, attainment of two grants – each to fund 10% of the cost, and the remaining 11% costs divided between the four towns and two townships covered by the agreement.

Weld’s share of the project won’t exceed $284,871 and will be funded through a municipal loan with estimated annual payments of $33,010. The town will also be responsible for pole rental fees, insurance and other expenses estimated at $32,013 per year. Matrix requires a two-year pre-subscriber commitment from an average of six subscribers per mile before proceeding.

A lack of broadband connectivity is holding Franklin County back, Greater Franklin Development Council Executive Director Charles Woodworth said. Wilton, Weld, Carthage, Temple and Washington and Perkins Townships are working together to lease pole space from Central Maine Power Co. to run fiber-optic cable, he said.

Matrix has been in business for more than 26 years and is well-known in the industry, representative Chris Lynch said. “We’re looking to give back to the communities we serve.”

A recently finished public/private project in Petersham, Massachusetts, is almost a mirror image of Weld, he said. Petersham has 47 miles road, Weld 47.8; they have 520 Weld has 524,911 addresses he noted.

“We expected an 55% take rate in that town, got 84% because the demand was so high,” Lynch said. “People found they had lower monthly budget costs (cable was no longer needed).”

Teachers couldn’t do their jobs working from home was another reason for higher than expected demand, he said. Real estate agents indicated homes that had been on the marker for years were being sold and 20 new homes were being  built due to internet availability, he added.

A commitment from 992 subscribers in the six towns is needed  for the project to move forward, Woodworth said. “Voting in favor shows support for other investors,” he noted.

Installation fees are $400 before construction starts and $1,500 afterwards, Lynch said.

“It’s the cost of mobilizing a crew,” he noted. While putting in the fiber a crew can be working all day in the area but afterwards, a crew has to go to just one place, Lynch explained.

“We’re an aging society, fortunate to have the hospital 20 miles away,” Skolfield said. People are using broadband to communicate with healthcare providers, COVID-19 has shown us how important it is

He compared broadband with upgrading gravel roads years ago. “This is our transportation. We need to think about tomorrow, 20 years from now, our kids, people moving here.”

In other business, voters approved:

• Electing Budget Committee members to 3-year terms as current terms expire

• Giving municipal officials authority to open or close roads to winter maintenance

 

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