NORTH YARMOUTH — Citizens will have a chance to vote on ordinance changes and the town budget at the annual Town Meeting on May 30.

On June 9 they’ll elect several town officials.

Included in the Town Meeting warrant are a proposal to fund the purchase of a new plow, which has been debated by selectmen, and new parking regulations.

The proposed 2010 Freightliner plow, which would replace a 1993 Ford plow truck, would cost the town $153,000 after a $12,000 trade-in value for the old truck. The town has just over $109,000 in a reserve account ready to dedicate to the new plow, which is recommended by the Capital Improvement Plan. Taxpayers are being asked to fund the remaining $44,000.

The Board of Selectmen last discussed the matter in April. Options included hiring an outside company or driver with their own truck for one route, purchasing a new truck to be operated by a town employee, or trying to get more use out of the old plow.

Selectmen Mark Verrill has been the loudest proponent of the latter, hoping to “send out a message that we can put our conservative hats on sometimes,” he said at the April meeting.

Not including that purchase, or the purchases of a replacement pickup truck and a new boiler, which are also up to taxpayers, the town’s proposed spending totals about $2.2 million. Along with projected revenues, the municipal budget is nearly $60,000 below the state’s growth limit.

The budget as presented does not include the school budget or county spending. Last year, the town paid $233,000 to the county. Citizens will vote on the School Administrative District 71 budget May 26; the latest proposal would lead to an 8.2 percent increase in the tax rate, or 92 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

The tax impact of the most recently presented municipal budget has not been outlined by town officials.

Citizens will also be asked to vote on changes to the Land Use Ordinance. Those changes intend to coordinate the ordinance with the Groundwater Protection Overlay District and control the impact of home-based occupations on abutters. Also proposed are ordinances for floodplain management, property tax assistance, animal control, and management of tax lien property.

Also up for citizen decision is a traffic ordinance that would add fines for parking violations in town, which was prompted by a complaint this past winter about people parking on sidewalks.

The remaining items on the warrant would give the Board of Selectmen the authority to:

•  Execute quit claim deeds at their discretion.

•  Sell and dispose of surplus town-owned personal property.

•  Apply for grants on the behalf of the town.

• And transfer and expend undesignated and reserve accounts for certain purposes.

In addition to spending decisions to be made at Town Meeting on May 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Westcustogo Hall, voters on July 9 will elect one selectman, one School Board member, one Cemetery Commission member, three Budget Committee members and one Yarmouth Water District trustee.

Incumbent Paul Napolitano, the Board of Selectmen chairman, is challenged by Timothy Porter for the selectman’s seat. Stephen Gordon and Guy Watson are running for the water district post. All other elections are uncontested: Todd Nicholson is running for the School Board position currently held by Dan Panici, Joy Malloy hopes to take the Cemetery Commission seat, and John Cornish, Darla Hamlin and Andrew Walsh are running for the budget committee.

Sarah Trent can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 108 or strent@theforecaster.net.

 

Copy the Story Link