Salisbury voters OK water division, spending proposals
Oct. 26—SALISBURY — The town will create its own water division within the Department of Public Works after voters approved the first three steps to do so Monday night.
Town Manager Neil Harrington has said the town could save roughly $300,000 a year if it were to take over the administration of its own water service, rather than enter into another five-year contract with Pennichuck Corp.
All three warrant articles needed to make the change were adopted by the approximately 125 voters at the annual fall Town Meeting at Salisbury Elementary School.
The first warrant article authorized spending $225,000 to pay the salary and benefits of five new water division employees; the second article appropriated $185,000 to purchase equipment; and the third approved $60,000 to purchase supplies and rent trailers for the staff.
Harrington wanted to take advantage of roughly $2.9 million in free cash that the town has available. Voters approved a number of spending proposals on the meeting warrant, including $700,000 for paving streets.
Voters appropriated $60,000 for improvements at Lions Park, $265,000 to match a $400,000 state grant to make improvements to Partridge Brook Park; and $500,000 to reduce the borrowing costs for the $5.2 million beach welcome center and public restroom project.
The Police Department will receive two new patrol vehicles after $93,000 was also approved. A new patrolman will begin duty soon after a request for $55,000 to pay the officer's salary and expenses through the end of June was adopted by voters.
A motion to spend $900,000 to replace water lines on Meaders Lane, Sandy Lane, Gove Lane and Short Lane was also adopted.
A $5,000 request to pay unanticipated state unemployment compensation costs was approved as was $750 to pay a HVAC unit repair bill for the Police Department from the previous fiscal year.
A request for $141,289 to fund the Salisbury Community TV & Media Center from January until June was approved.
A $55,000 request to fund a portion of the Driftway reconstruction project received approval as did $10,000 to clean drain lines on various town roads, $20,000 to pay a portion of the cost of purchasing and installing a new emergency generator switch for the public library, and $20,000 to hire a consultant to estimate the cost to provide water and sewer service and address handicapped parking and accessibility needs at the community house on Ring's Island.
Voters approved $11,000 to perform additional repairs to the stonewall at Colonial Burial Ground, $30,000 to hire a consultant to develop site and building design guidelines for the Lafayette-Main commercial zoning district, and $20,000 to hire a rate consultant to design an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access ramp to Partridge Brook Park.
They also decided to spend $25,000 to purchase and install a fence around a sewer pump station on Beach Road, and $60,000 to pay the salaries and benefits for two new Department of Public Works employees.
Voters set a minimum value of personal property subject to taxation at $5,000 of the fair cash value of personal property accounts to be taxed, and $25,000 was transferred from the sewer enterprise fund retained earnings account to the compensated absences relief reserve fund.
A pair of questions will appear on the ballot at the next town election in the spring after receiving Town Meeting approval Monday night.
The first ballot question will ask voters to approve or deny the town paying one-half of the health insurance premium for the surviving widow and dependents of an insured firefighter who is killed or later dies from injuries received on the job.
The second ballot question makes the same request for the widow and dependents of an injured police officer.
