Wilton warrant gets voters’ OK

Thursday, March 18, 2010

WILTON – Voters at Town Meeting on Thursday approved everything on the warrant, and then added $50,000 to the operating budget to repair storm damage at the fire station.

A new roof will be installed and water damage inside will be cleaned up.

Officials said most of that money would be reimbursed by the insurance company, but that the money was needed up front.

The total budget passed is $4,012,040.

About 150 people attended the two-hour meeting at Florence Rideout Elementary School.

Voters agreed to erect a new fence along the Maple Street side of Cooley Park, make repairs to the heating and lighting systems at the police station, authorize an engineering study of the Mill Brook Dam, begin the process of removing mold and renovating parts of Town Hall, and make contributions to a list of capital reserve funds.

The article concerning a vote on the definition of marriage was tabled after some discussion because voters agreed it was an inappropriate question for a town warrant.

Selectman Dan Donovan said putting the definition into the constitution would be “a permanent monument to bigotry.”

An attempt to raise the yearly contribution to the fire station building fund from $50,000 to $100,000 was defeated.

Voters decided after lively discussion that the $7,500 for a new fence along Cooley Park, at the north end of Town Hall, would be taken from a capital reserve fund.

The current fence is iron and dates to the construction of Town Hall in 1895, according to resident Charlie McGettigan, who said he saw no reason to replace it. He said it was damaged by pushing snow from Maple Street into the park.

“It ought to be fixed,” McGettigan said.

Selectman Richard Rockwood said the new fence would match the fence by the fire station and snow wouldn’t be pushed through it.

Asked about the $87,000 in the restoration fund, Budget Committee Chairman Cary Hughes said it could be used only for the park, “and the fence is a part.”

The fund dates to a bequest of $10,000 to the town many years ago. The former Arts and Film Festival added to it when it was considering developing that area instead of Lot 48.

The cost to repair electrical, heating, ventilation and insulation problems at the police station is estimated at $18,300. The station was built in 2003.

After heating problems were discovered and an ice dam buildup began in 2008, selectmen hired a contractor last year to evaluate the building.

“The construction was incredibly poor,” Donovan said. “We found both function and code violations” in the attic area, “behind knee walls, so it wasn’t visible.”

However, the contractor who built it is out of business and unavailable and the architect has died, as has the town building inspector at that time.

“When the bids came in they were too high,” McGettigan recalled, “so they cut stuff out. You can’t do that.”

Selectmen were authorized to spend $10,000 to hire an engineering consultant to look at the Mill Brook Dam and return with a recommendation to either repair or remove the dam that forms the “old reservoir.” The dam was constructed in 1904.

A planned selective timber cut in the area of the new reservoir on Sands Hill Road is expected to cover the costs of the study.

Donovan said the town “was on notice from the state to do something,” and that it “will probably be cheaper to repair it.”

Removing the dam would also drain the new reservoir.

A capital reserve fund for the dam project was created with $10,000.

Repairs at Town Hall will be paid for from a capital reserve fund created several years ago. The first part consists of addressing the mold in the former police area and new light fixtures and ceiling panels in the courtroom. There is about $73,000 in the fund.

It was decided to buy a new highway truck for $40,000 and place $10,000 in a capital reserve fund for future equipment, rather than put $50,000 in the fund and withdraw the amount for the truck.

Also approved was $10,000 toward the repair of the library’s historical rooms. The entire project is expected to cost $80,000, according to trustee Stan Young, and grants and donations are being sought.

Contributions to existing funds for highway, police, fire department and a recycling center were approved.

At the end of the meeting, resident Dawn Tuomala was honored by Public Service of New Hampshire for her year-long work on a street lighting project; Donovan was presented a plaque for his six years of service; and a moment of silence was observed for former Selectman Richard Greeley.

It was noted that McGettigan had been serving the town in one capacity or another for “54 years and one day.”