Salisbury voters OK additional $100K to pave streets

May 18—SALISBURY — An extra $100,000 will be spent paving streets this year after receiving voters' approval at a Special Town Meeting on Monday night.

The annual spring Town Meeting was held after the Special Town Meeting at Salisbury Elementary School.

A quorum of 125 of the town's 7,075 registered voters was reached in the school cafeteria at 7:22 p.m.

A $32.1 million operating budget was overwhelmingly approved at the spring Town Meeting, while voters at the Special Town Meeting approved the additional $100,000 to pave streets.

The $100,000 will be added to any money leftover from the $1 million in paving now underway on Black Snake Road, Pike Street, Longmeadow Drive, Collins Street, Ferry Road and Glenwood Avenue, according to Town Manager Neil Harrington.

Town Moderator Jerry Klima congratulated Selectmen Ronalee Ray-Parrott and Michael Colburn on winning election to three-year seats last week. Klima also thanked former Selectman Freeman Condon for his service to the town. The audience applauded.

Voters at the Special Town Meeting approved $105,000 to purchase and equip vehicles for a new water division in the Department of Public Works. They also agreed to spend $13,120 to purchase redaction software and a computer for the Police Department's body-worn camera program along with $11,200 to replace and upgrade 10 computers for that department.

Two $18,000 requests to benefit the Fire Department were approved at the Special Town Meeting. The first request will pay for the replacement of garage doors at the Lafayette Road fire headquarters, while the second will repair the brakes on Engine 6.

Voters approved the transfer of $100,000 from the free cash fund to the town's stabilization fund, as well as the transfer of $50,000 from free cash to the capital stabilization fund.

A transfer of $10,000 from free cash to the unemployment compensation fund was approved as was $125,000 from the sewer enterprise fund's retained earnings to the other post-employment benefits trust fund and an additional $10,000 to the unemployment compensation fund from the sewer enterprise fund's retained earnings.

Another transfer of $10,000 from the water enterprise fund's retained earnings was made to the unemployment compensation fund; $50,000 was transferred to the other post-employment benefits trust fund; and $25,000 was transferred to the compensated absences reserve fund.

The town will be able to upgrade its phone system from copper wire to fiber-optic technology after voters at the Special Town Meeting approved $75,000 to do so and a $2,000 request to replace the dropbox at Town Hall.

Residents voting in town elections will soon be able to check in electronically after a request for $9,150 was approved to purchase poll pads and printers; $15,000 was approved to offset a portion of the cost and expenses associated with various community events; and $12,000 was approved to complete the conversion of old permitting data in the new Citizenserve program.

Drain lines on Jak-Len Drive will be upgraded thanks to a $125,000 request approved at the Special Town Meeting; $121,685 was approved for public, education and governmental access cable television services from Salisbury Community TV and Media Center; and $5,000 was set as the minimum value of personal property subject to taxation.

Voters allowed $200,000 that the town set aside for the federal Piscataqua River dredging project to be used for beach renourishment.

Salisbury Beach Betterment Association President William Greilich voiced his support for the measure. The town manager said the money was not needed by the federal government after all and he would like to use it to purchase sand for future beach renourishment.

"This is simply changing the purpose from which the funds were appropriated so that we can use it anytime we need it at the beach," he said.

The annual spring Town Meeting saw approval of a $609,723 transfer from the sewer enterprise fund to pay for the third year of debt service costs for the $18.5 million sewer construction project on Lafayette Road.

Transfers of $160,000 from the water enterprise fund and $9,945 from the Ring's Island water main replacement special revenue fund were also approved to pay the third-year debt service costs for the $3 million Bridge Road water main project.

The Harbor Commission's revolving fund was capped at $125,000. Properties at 7 Fourth St. and 15 March Road were removed from the Ring's Island Neighborhood Preservation District.

Spring Town Meeting voters authorized the establishment of a stabilization fund for the Triton Regional School District.

Zoning bylaws were amended to allow the Planning Board to adjust the housing contribution payment in the Salisbury Beach Overlay District on an annual basis; expand the commercial district in the Elm Street area; and establish that any residential construction project of more than three dwelling units on a single lot be considered a major project and subject to site plan approval.

Voters also authorized the posting of copies of future Town Meeting warrants in at least nine public buildings (down from the current 10 public buildings) as well as on the town's website.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.