Fire/ambulance buy shot down

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Davon, left, and Blake Audibert, right, take turns placing their father, Robert's ballots in the box during town elections Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Milford Middle School. Looking on are Deputy town Clerk, Clare Callaghan and Ben Carmen, a student at Milford High School.

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Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Campaign signs line the sidewalk during town elections Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Milford Middle School.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Chris Costantino cares for a friend's dog while watching over a display set up outside the voting booths Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Milford Middle School. her sign, in support of Warrant Article 10, is asking voters to approve funding to continue working on the Granite Town Rail Trail.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Davon, left, and Blake Audibert, right, take turns placing their father, Robert's ballots in the box during town elections Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Milford Middle School. Looking on are Deputy town Clerk, Clare Callaghan and Ben Carmen, a student at Milford High School.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

2010 Milford Town Meeting
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$1.7 million Milford school addition approved

MILFORD – Plans to build a fire/ambulance facility on School Street suffered a setback on Election Day as voters rejected a $850,000 warrant article to buy land adjacent to the current firehouse.

The item, Article 4, needed a 60 percent vote, but didn’t even receive a majority Tuesday. It would have allowed the town to bond up to $850,000 to buy four lots adjacent to the School Street fire station for an eventual expansion of the facility, which would have cost $6.6 million.

There is general agreement that the fire and ambulance services need more space, but critics said the entire project should be offered at once, while others said this is the wrong time to build a new facility.

In other items on a long ballot, voters said no to Fourth of July fireworks, an Osgood Road sidewalk and bike lane project and Granite Town Rail Trail improvements, but gave their OK to improvements to Kaley Park.

Milford’s $37,137 share of the Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative bus for non-emergency medical appointments passed easily.

Voters also approved spending for local social services, the Pumpkin Festival, holiday decorations and plantings, summer bank concerts and parades. The budget for the Downtown Improvement Team and $15,000 for the conservation land fund also received yes votes.

A contract with members of the American Federal of State County and Municipal Employees, which covers about 17 police employees, failed. Selectmen didn’t recommend the contract because of a problem with a sick buyout provision. A Teamsters Union contract was approved.

A petition article asking that elected representatives bring the issue of gay marriage to voters at large passed.

The town’s $11.4 million operating budget for 2010, which showed a slight decrease, passed.

An article to dedicate all income from cable franchise fees to the cable access revolving fund for local access TV programming passed.

Board of Selectman Chairman Tim Finan was re-elected easily, as was Town Moderator Peter Basiliere, but incumbent Water-Wastewater Commissioner Walter Murray was defeated by Dale White.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 21, or kcleveland@cabinet.com.