Milford Advisory Budget Committee recommends Milford ambulance facility, fire truck

Thursday, February 2, 2012

MILFORD – Unfazed by oil contamination on the chosen site, the Budget Committee has given an overwhelming thumbs up to the $2.2 million plan for an ambulance building.

The committee voted last week to recommend the ambulance facility, as well as two other big-ticket items on the town’s 2012 warrant – a new fire engine and a new backhoe for the Department of Public Works– by a 8-1 vote.

Voters will review and possibly amend the warrant at the town Deliberative Session on Saturday. The meeting is in the Town Hall auditorium and begins at 9 a.m.

Some oil was found on the ambulance site at 21 Cottage St. last week and the town is waiting for the owner to decide if he will pay for the clean up. If not, the town will choose other sites.

Last year the committee’s negative vote was likely a factor in the failure of a larger plan to build a combined fire and ambulance facility on Nashua Street.

The committee meet in a work session twice last week, and members supported the $2.2 million ambulance facility, a $67,7000 lease/purchase payment for the replacement for Fire Engine #4, and $26,300 for lease-purchase of a Public Works Department backhoe.

The committee also voted unanimously to recommend the two union contracts that are up for a vote this year:

AFSCME (American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees), covering police officers, and Teamsters, which covers some public works and water and sewer department workers.

Mark Fougere, of the town Facilities Committee, told Budget Committee members that the discovery of oil on the ambulance site was disappointing, but there are other possible properties that meet the criteria set up by the ambulance service and the Facilities Committee.

“I’m not surprised the material was found,” said Fougere, because it’s not unusual to find contamination in a downtown industrial location, “but it’s an issue that has to be addressed.

“Obviously the Facilities Committee feels the time is right for this facility,” he said, and any cleanup would be paid for by the property owner.

“We are buying a clean site - that was our agreement,” Fougere said, “with a valid reason we can pull out of the contract at any time.”

The other possible sites will be tested, he said, but they are more apt to be clean.

Other sites that were high on the list were the Kokko property on Nashua Street, near the fire station and the property on Elm Street where Harvey’s Music is now located.

Ambulance Director Eric Schelberg was at the meeting and said the need for a new building is critical, and he would like to see the ground broken by May or June.

Operating budget gains

The budget committee also voted 8-1 to recommend the town’s operating budget by a vote of 8-1, saying

the budget was as low as it could go.

Paul Burkhardt was the lone dissenter on the budget and on the ambulance, fire truck and backhoe articles, and he didn’t give reasons for his negative votes, except to say he wants to look at other options.

“I think a bucket-brigade is not an option,” said another member, Deanna Carter.

“I don’t like to see taxes go up, but the fire engine and ambulance (building),” she said. “They’re for our own safety and health. It’s not a frippery.”

The committee also voted unanimously in favor of money for social services ($35,000), the community bus service ($26,500), conservation land funds ($20,000), Jennison Road bridge replacement ($18,000), band concerts ($9,000), and parade support ($6,000).

Fourth of July fireworks ($4,500) was recommended with a 7-2 vote.

Support for the DO-IT operating budget ($20,000) and the Pumpkin Festival article, which includes holiday decorations and plantings ($20,000), got a 8-1 vote.

Budgets for the Water Department and Wastewater Department received unanimous votes.

The committee’s votes came during a work session on Jan. 25 and they are considered preliminary. The group will vote again after the Feb. 4 town Deliberative Session.

There are three articles on the warrant that don’t require appropriation of funds.

Two would establish a fund for the Brox property and put money from the potential sale of the old police station into the fund. The committee voted 7-1 with one abstention on each.

Committee secretary Peg Seward said there is some concern about the possibility of multi-family housing on the Brox property.

The committee didn’t vote on a petition article to raise the income limit of the elderly property tax exemption, but the general feeling, said Seward, is that Milford’s limit is too low, and it should be raised “to keep the elderly here.”

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 304, or kcleveland@cabinet.com.