By Michelle Kim
A dramatically reduced bond article to improve Bolton Field Memorial Park and the reallocation of the land-use change tax were some of the most debated items at the Feb. 2 deliberative session of Town Meeting.
Almost 100 residents met at the Center Woods Elementary School gymnasium on a relatively mild Saturday morning to discuss, amend and finalize the list of 40 warrant articles that Weare voters will see at the March 11 town election.
In the first couple hours of the seven-hour meeting, the Bolton Field bond article, originally proposed at $1.25 million teetered on the brink of obliteration only to be revived in a last-minute compromise that left it at one-third its original size.
Parks and Recreation Commission Vice Chairman Tom Reynolds Jr. outlined the park’s needs and proposed improvements, which include adding 150 new parking spaces, gates to control access and security, bleachers, bathrooms, concession stands and general facility improvements.
Resident Forrest Esenwine spoke out strongly against the article, which did not come with the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen.
“It’s the wrong time, the wrong plan, the wrong price for such an expenditure,” said Esenwine. He moved that the amount of the bond be changed to zero.
Even Reynolds acknowledged the chips were stacked against it.
“I’d like to see it go to voters without being zeroed out, understanding it will probably fail,” he said.
“That’s the confidence we need,” quipped Town Moderator Laura Buono.
Selectman Chairman Tom Clow and Selectman Joe Fiala implored the meeting’s attendees to let voters have a say by not zeroing out the article.
Fiala pointed out that about $13,000 had been spent in professionally preparing the plan, which would be shelved if the article was zeroed out. Clow commended the plan as well-conceived.
Even so, the amendment carried through by a vote of 45-30.
In an effort to salvage the project, Parks and Recreation Commission secretary Valerie King proposed changing the bond amount from zero to $435,000, the cost of the first phase of the project which addresses some of the most critical needs, including parking and storm water runoff. That change was approved in a 47-20 vote.
Resident Jerry Little then added language specifying what kind of improvements the bond would go toward, which was approved 43-26.
An item that met with stiff opposition from Conservation Commission supporters was a petition article to reduce the percentage of land-use change tax – which is collected when residents build or develop their properties – that would go to the conservation fund from the current 75-25 split to a 50-50 split with the town.
Open Space Committee Chairman and Conservation Commission member Steve Najjar moved to amend the percentage so that 100 percent of the tax would go to the conservation fund and none to the town.
This change was supported in a 43-28 requested written vote, which allowed attendees to vote privately, and the amended article was put on the ballot.
Donna Osborn, who explained the purpose of the article in the meeting, said the petitioners of the article were not surprised at the outcome.
Another change to the proposed ballot include an article establishing a pay scale for town employees, excluding those under a labor union contract. The Board of Selectmen initially withheld making a recommendation for or against the article because they felt the $124,844 figure for raises proposed by the Benefits Committee and presented at the budget hearing was too high and ran the risk of being rejected by voters, according to Clow.
If voters rejected the article, town employees will have no raises this year, since none was built into the operating budget.
“In some ways it’s risky, but again if you look at the history of passing budgets,” said Clow, “our thinking is this has at least a good a chance if not better than if we put the proposed raises directly in the budget.”
Voters have rejected the operating budget for eight of the past 11 years, forcing the town into default budgets.
Clow also said they wanted to establish a pay scale system that could be used over the next several years and would make significant adjustments for those that were paid too low but would also give everyone some type of raise, depending on their performance review.
After a Jan. 30 workshop session, selectmen recommended a much smaller figure of $54,868, which they further amended at the deliberative session to approximately $57,000, to account for an additional work week that falls in the calendar year of 2008.
Public Works Director Carl Knapp fielded many questions on the $900,000 bond article for a new Public Works and Transfer Station facility, but the project received almost universal support. Knapp emphasized the need for a safe facility for his employees and the savings to taxpayers from the extended life span of the public works equipment that could be housed inside away from the elements and increased recycling sorting space.
Articles proposing two new firefighters and two new police officers also received many questions but were ultimately left on the ballot.
Ballot voting takes place March 11, at the Center Woods Elementary School, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.