Dresden residents approve an article during the annual town meeting on Tuesday, June 16. Voters worked through the entire warrant in under an hour with limited discussion. (Emily Bracher photo)
Dresden residents approved every article on their annual town meeting warrant with little discussion on Tuesday, June 16.
The recommended budget for the upcoming fiscal year totals $1,967,293, an increase of $42,521 or 2.21% from last year.
“Discussion is what this town meeting is all about,” Town Administrator Nicole Rogers said.
The only slight change was to Article 16, which asked whether residents wished to authorize the select board to sell or authorize dispose of equipment procured by the town.
Dresden Budget Committee member Barbara Fraumeni made a motion to set the limit at $2,000 or below, which was the committee’s recommendation. The article passed.
Article 21 pertaining to the sale of Jewett Station raised questions from the audience regarding the process.
Lisa Hewitt, who the week prior had been reelected to the select board, said the town would have a bid process to find a Realtor to take care of the matter. Proceeds from the sale would go to the town’s unrestricted general fund. Voters then approved the article.
Residents also asked about the increased price for the $6,000 animal control budget, an increase of $2,300 or 62.16%.
Rogers said it is a set rate requested by the animal control officer, dependent on the previous year’s costs and needs.
“Depends on how many critters he collects,” Rogers said.
The general assistance budget this year is $1,000. Responding to an audience member who said the amount sounded low, Rogers said the money is a “last resort,” and she usually refers those in need to outside resources.
Article 36 was the $7,500 budget for the cemetery account, a decrease of $3,150 or 29.58%. Of the total, $7,000 is allocated for Pine Grove and Maple Grove cemeteries. Resident Tim Cowings asked why there is a decrease and if there is a possibility to raise it. He said over the years, Pine Grove has been struggling to try and maintain and improve what they have.
“Cemeteries are living history,” Cowings said.
When told he could not amend the amount, Rogers said the reason for the amount was because Pine Grove did reach out with a request this year.
Within the articles pertaining to the municipal budget, voters approved the total amount for salaries at $283,475, an increase of $17,606 or 6.62%. This cost center includes the code enforcement officer at $17,500, an increase of $2,500 or 16.67%; town office employees at $125,300, a decrease of $2,984 or 2.33%; transfer station employees at $53,275, an increase of $,1483 or 2.86% and others with little change.
Two new salaries are added to this cost center: planning board vice chair, which totals $1,000, and an intern position, which totals $6,300.
The protection budget totals $155,800, a decrease of $3,632 or 2.28%. Within this cost center, the ambulance service budget totals $87,000, an increase of $2,796 or 3.32%; the fire department budget totals $47,300, an increase of $7,300 or 18.25%; and call response and training totals $21,500, a decrease of $13,728 or 38.97%.
The call response and training budget is based funds spent in the previous year, Rogers said.
The highways budget totals $539,900, an increase of $44,400 or 8.96%. The town asked that $9,000 be allocated from the capital projects-roads account carryover.
Within this cost center, the largest change can be seen in snowplowing, salt, and sand, which totals $452,800, an increase of $30,800 or 7.30%. Rogers said snowplowing prices are negotiated at the time of the contract is awarded. The increases in salt and sand are due to inflation, she said.
Other areas in the budget include recreation totaling $6,950, a decrease of $1,450 or 17.26%; solid waste totaling $31,400, an increase of $1,400 or 4.67%; general assistance totaling $1,000, with no changes; donations at $16,625, an increase of $1,350 or 8.84%; municipal buildings totaling $54,712, a decrease of $2328 or 4.08%; and debt service totaling $41,050, a decrease of $388 or 0.94%.
Dresden residents had the choice between two candidates this year for one three-year term on the Dresden Select Board.
At the polls on June 9, Hewitt was reelected for her second three-year term on the board, with 347 votes. The other candidate, Billy-Joe DuPaw, received 180.
Stephen Hewitt and Keith Wood were both elected to serve on the budget review committee. Hewitt received 262 votes and Wood received 371 votes.
Also at the polls, voters decide in favor of validating the RSU 2 education validation 393-179.
Voter also validated the $32,613,499.02 RSU 2 budget for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of $1,081,336.44 or 3.43%. Dresden will be responsible for $2,434,832.72, an increase of $49,901.07 or 2.09%.
For more information, call 737-4335 or go to dresdenme.org.
