WELD — Voters will go to the polls Friday to elect a selectman, a Planning Board member and a school director.
Polls will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose room at the Town Office.
David Rackliffe is seeking to succeed Selectman Benjamin Hout, who is not running.
Planning Board member Ernestine Hutchinson and Patrick Lowe are vying for a two-year term.
Regional School Unit 9 Director Deborah Smith is running for another three-year term.
The annual town meeting reconvenes at 10 a.m. Saturday to act on the municipal budget, ordinance amendments and a new schedule for election Budget Committee members.
The proposed 2020 budget, which doesn’t include county or school assessment, is $615,201. That’s $4,907 more than the current budget.
Selectman and Budget Committee member Richard Doughty said the building maintenance account has $28,000 in it and no projects are planned this year, so adding to it isn’t necessary.
Under social services, $200 has been added for the library and $300 for SeniorsPlus. The sum of $100 has been added for the Red Cross, which wasn’t funded last year.
Those additions are offset by cutting support to organizations funded last year: $300 for LifeFlight of Maine and $200 each for Safe Voices and Community Concepts.
Doughty said agencies were asked to provide documentation of the services in Weld. Agencies which didn’t respond before the committee finalized its recommendations were not funded.
“SeniorsPlus was very active in Weld,” he said. “The Red Cross was not funded last year, but has been in the past.”
The proposed fire/public safety budget is up $5,708. Recommended is $15,000 for vehicle/equipment maintenance, the same amount approved last year, and $10,000 in new funding for equipment reserve. The increase is offset, in part, by reductions of $2,000 for protective gear, $1,000 for firefighter payroll and $1,700 from fire hall maintenance.
Public works is requesting $11,411 more for 2020. If approved, $20,000 will be added to the equipment reserve account, the same as last year. The sum of $10,000 for a new building capital fund and $4,000 more for sand are also proposed. The new fund is for siding on the town garage.
The increases are offset in part by removing $2,800 for equipment rental, $1,000 from equipment replacement and $3,500 from cemetery stone repair because that work has been done.
Doughty said, “$1,000 was requested to build a fund for the purchase of a zero-turn mower. After much discussion and consideration the Budget Committee did not approve this request. There is some support for this purchase, but the cost is significantly more than $1,000, probably $5,000 to $6,000.”
The transfer station budget is up $2,000 due to an increase in waste disposal fees.
Voters will consider electing the five members of the Budget Committee for terms not to exceed five years, beginning with the March 2021 elections. One five-year, one four-year, one three-year, one two-year and a one-year term would be filled. Unless a member vacates the office prematurely one member would be elected to a five-year term each year thereafter.
Voters will also consider amending the building ordinance to comply with the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, which took effect Sept. 19, 2019.
Changes to the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance include a fine for violations, and an additional fee when outside consulting services are required. A new fee schedule will also be considered. If approved, the Board of Selectmen would have authority to review and revise any fees.
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