DIXFIELD — Town officials are looking to the future and asking residents for ideas on how to bring people together more and spur volunteerism.
Rep. Richard Pickett Submitted photo
A discussion is set for 5:30 p.m. Monday at Ludden Memorial Library.
Richard Pickett said Monday that after he was elected chairman of the board he wanted selectmen to think about setting goals and “what we’d like to see and how we would go about doing it.”
“We’re pushing the start button,” he said.
The board’s discussion began Jan. 9. At that meeting, Selectman Pete Holman said he would like to see the town hold a community picnic and create a skating rink at the old elementary school on Nash Street, where there is a skateboard park and outdoor lighting.
Board member Angela Varnum said she would like to see the town develop a Facebook page to provide more information to its 2,025 residents.
Varnum and board member Janice Merrill said they want to find ways to get more volunteers.
“If someone wants to volunteer, we can find a committee for them to serve on,” Town Manager Alicia Conn said.
Pickett read a list of ideas, including:
• Reaching out to neighboring towns for possible savings in bulk buying and sharing town equipment.
• Beefing up code enforcement to deal with blighted properties to make neighborhoods more attractive.
• Bringing the Planning Board, the Economic Development Committee, the Finance Committee and the Appeals Board up to full membership.
• Appointing a recreation director and people to serve on a recreation committee.
• Compensating employees fairly in order to retain them.
• Holding an Employee Recognition Day.
• Bringing back events such as the Main Street Market and Summer Fest.
“There’s a lack of volunteers,” Pickett said Monday, and other towns have the same problem. “People’s lives are getting really busy,” he said.
The town has advertised for help on its bulletin board and website, he said, trying to possibly get people to head up a couple of events that have stopped because of a lack of volunteers. Among them, he said, is the Main Street Market that drew a lot of vendors. “It was a really good event,” he said, bringing in a lot of residents and nonresidents. He also mentioned Summer Fest which drew the community together.
Anyone with ideas to share with the board is invited attend Monday’s meeting, or call Pickett at 207-645-4893, or the Town Office at 207-562-8151.
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