NEWRY — Selectmen are expected to begin budget work at their first meeting of the new year. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, in the Town Office.
Administrator Loretta Powers said Wednesday morning that the town auditor came last week and did pre-audit work to ready the books for the budget process. The auditor will return in February to audit the town books.
Under unfinished business, Powers said the board will discuss the Planning Board document, the Bear River Grange Hall rental form and new format for the Town Report.
At the board’s meeting Dec. 16, the Planning Board asked selectmen to review revisions it wanted to make to an ordinance and bylaws.
The board wanted to reduce its size from seven members with one alternate to five with two alternates, change the quorum requirement from five to three; and set the majority determination at three members. The reduction in numbers would occur through attrition.
The Planning Board also wanted to add a section defining what constitutes a vacancy and remove a section that makes comprehensive planning a responsibility of the board.
Powers said Wednesday that the board asked if requiring board members to be residents of Newry is an ordinance matter. But she said it’s a bylaw issue. She said the board also asked if it needed to hold a public hearing to revise bylaws. Selectmen are expected to settle that question at next week’s meeting.
Powers said she will update selectmen on the insurance question that came up at the last meeting about the Grange hall rental form. Someone wants to rent the hall for classes, but the board didn’t know if that would be covered.
Code Enforcement Officer David Bonney is expected to update the boards on town roads and road work. Although Powers said she didn’t think it would be much as there hasn’t been any freezing rain or snowfall to sand and salt or plow, just potholes to repair.
Upcoming meetings include the Planning Board at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, and Jan. 22 in the Town Office; selectmen at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20; the School Withdrawal Committee at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14; and the Cemetery Committee at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12.
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