Selectmen Put $5.25 Million for Roads on Warrant

Following discussion on several options for funding the proposed road reconstruction program for 2012, the Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 to include a $5.25 million article for roads on the 2012 town warrant.

That article will include work on portions of Lawrence Road, Pelham Road and Route 28 as well as Christine Lane, Pumping Station Road, Mill Road, Copper Beach Road, Henry Taylor Road, Town Farm Road and others.

Town Finance Director Jane Savastano presented the board with three options for funding Monday night. This included the adopted plan of $5.25 million, a smaller $3.3 million plan and an $11 million plan with $8 million bonded and $3 million in cash.

The latter plan would have included many more roads than those designated on the 10-year plan for 2012, with Engineering Director Bob Puff saying work would have extended into 2013.

Savastano said selectmen could have taken advantage of unusually low bond interest rates of 2 percent under the $11 million plan.

"I don't care how low the interest rates are," Selectman Stephen Campbell said. "There is a significant part of town than can't afford this endless spending."

Town Manager Keith Hickey said the town's Pavement Condition Index (PCI) would continue to decline by funding the program at $3.3 million.

"This is a policy decision this board has to make going forward," Hickey said.

"That interest is going to be a drag on doing future roads," Campbell said.

Campbell and Selectman Pat Hargreaves voted against the $5.25 million article while Selectmen Chair Beth Roth and Selectmen Susan Covey and Michael Lyons voted in favor.

A second article related to roads, a $2.127 million bond for reconstruction of Town Farm Road and the Town Farm Road Bridge, was approved for consideration as well Monday night. Campbell was the lone selectman to vote against this.

The article for the town's operating budget at $35.752 million was approved along the same 3-2 lines as the road program article.

Selectmen also approved $600,000 for a winter maintenance article and a five-year lease article for police department radios at $59,284.

Should nothing change, the tax rate for the town portion will be $5.74 per $1,000 of property valuation.