New Salisbury water division on meeting warrant

Oct. 12—SALISBURY — Residents will get their chance at the fall Town Meeting on Oct. 25 to say whether they want to create a town water division.

Selectmen voted unanimously Sept. 27 to give Town Manager Neil Harrington the authority to explore alternatives to renewing Salisbury's contract with Pennichuck Corp., which has been managing the town's drinking water service since 2001.

Rather than enter into another five-year contract with the Nashua, New Hampshire-based company in July, Harrington said establishing a water department could potentially lower water rates $250,000 to $350,000 below the roughly $800,000 the town pays Pennichuck.

A water division within the Department of Public Works would be needed and $225,000 would be required to pay employees' salaries and benefits, according to the town warrant.

Article 26 of the warrant seeks $185,000 to purchase vehicles and equipment for the new division; Article 27 asks for $80,000 for supplies, a trailer, rentals and other expenses for the proposed division.

Construction is nearly complete on a $5.2 million beach welcome center and public restrooms. Article 9 on the warrant asks residents to approve the transfer of $500,000 to the capital project fund to reduce the project's borrowing costs.

A warrant article asks voters to approve $25,000 to purchase and install a fence around a sewer pumping station on Beach Road near the intersection with Cable Avenue. Another requests $250,000 to purchase and install generators for various sewer pumping stations.

The town recently received a $400,000 state Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities Program grant and a request has been made to spend $265,000 in matching funding.

An additional $20,000 would be needed to hire a consultant to design an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access ramp for Partridge Brook Park and improvements to Lions Park would cost $60,000.

Voters will also be asked to support a pair of ballot questions to be decided in the spring election.

The first question would ask voters if the town should pay half of the health and dental insurance premium costs for the families of injured firefighters and those who died from injuries suffered on the job.

The second question would ask if the town should pay half of the group health and dental insurance for the surviving spouses and dependents of any police officers killed on the job.

Voters will also be asked to approve spending $93,000 to purchase and equip two new patrol vehicles for the Police Department; $55,000 to pay the salary of a new police officer through the end of the fiscal year; $700,000 to pay for paving various streets; $141,289 to fund the Salisbury Community TV & Media Center; $55,000 to fund a portion of the Driftway reconstruction project; $10,000 to pay for the cleaning of drain lines; $900,000 to replace water lines on Meaders Lane, Sandy Lane, Gove Lane and Short Lane; and $60,000 to pay the salaries and benefits of two new Department of Public Works employees.

An additional $20,000 would be needed to pay a portion of the cost of purchasing and installing a new emergency generator switch for the public library; $20,000 to hire a consultant to estimate the cost of providing water and sewer services, as well as address handicapped parking and accessibility at the community house on Ring's Island; $11,000 for additional repairs to the stone wall at the Colonial Burial Ground; and $30,000 to hire a consultant to develop site and building design guidelines for the Lafayette-Main commercial zoning district.

A quorum of 125 registered voters is needed to begin the annual meeting, which take places at Salisbury Elementary School beginning at 7 p.m.

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.