LIVERMORE FALLS — Fire Chief Edward Hastings IV told selectmen at their meeting Tuesday that a 20-year loan for the fire station renovations seemed like the best option for the town.
He said the renovations will cost around $720,000, including about $60,000 in project overruns.
Hastings said that after reviewing 10-, 20-, and 30-year loans, the 20-year option sounded like the best idea as far as the amount the town would pay.
Selectman George Cummings suggested an article could be put on this year’s town meeting warrant for voters to select a 10-, 20-, or 30-year option.
However, Registrar of Voters Dawn Young said the voting machine will only accept ‘yes’ or ‘no’ ballots.
Cummings said the ballots could be hand-counted instead, but Young said that would be extremely time consuming.
Selectmen voted 5-0 to put an article on the June town meeting warrant for a $9,000 loan for the Jug Hill Riders Snowmobile Club to acquire a 2018-19 snowmobile for trail maintenance. Money will be taken from the town’s general fund.
Jug Hill Riders Secretary Tim Fournier said the club would pay the loan over four years.
Sewer Superintendent Greg Given suggested raising sewer rates 10 percent. He said chemical vendors had increased prices this year.
Chairperson Heather Bronish said she didn’t disagree with the need for a rate increase, but wanted to see financial statements.
“And that’s the problem,” Given responded. “We don’t have a budget; we’ve never had a budget. I’m in the dark down there.”
He said it could be time to resurrect the town’s sewer committee to help provide budget guidance.
“We need a budget to gauge our income and expenses,” he said.
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Livermore Falls town office. (File photo)
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