Bristol residents rejected a fireworks ordinance, approved a $4.21 million education budget and agreed to buy a fire truck at annual town meeting March 27.
The debate about the fireworks ordinance was the most lively of the evening.
The ordinance would have limited the use of fireworks to the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, as well as July 3 or July 5 if one of those days falls on a Friday or Saturday.
The ordinance would have prohibited fireworks use on days with high fire danger, on public property or within 150 feet of buildings. It also would have banned the sale of fireworks.
“As far as I’m concerned, this goes way beyond anything that’s reasonable,” resident Craig Elliot said.
“I, personally, am getting sick and tired of the government micromanaging and treating me like a child,” Elliot said.
Sandra Brackett lives on the water in New Harbor and supported the ordinance. “We are getting blasted with fireworks down there almost every night the whole month of July,” she said.
She sometimes finds fireworks debris in her yard. “What if it sets a boat on fire?” she said. “Whose liberties have been jeopardized then?”
“You ought to see what my dog goes through every night,” Brackett said. “Don’t I have the right to get some sleep at night before I go to work the next day?”
Harriett Wall said she supports some restrictions, such as the ban on high fire danger days, and would consider a compromise on other limits, such as a ban on weekdays. “I just think this particular measure goes too far,” she said.
Don Smith, a Bristol resident and veteran of two wars, said he fought to protect freedom.
“And this here freedom is continually being shaved away,” Smith said. “I have [post-traumatic stress disorder] bad and I tolerate the fireworks and I tolerate the people who have a right to use them, so I think we should leave it alone and let people enjoy themselves for a change.”
The initial show of hands was too close to call, so moderator Don Means asked everyone to vote again and hold their cards up while the clerks tallied the results.
The ordinance failed, 55-72.
Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman Jr. and Assistant Chief Tim Miller talked to the crowd about the request for a new fire truck before the vote.
The department plans to buy a 2800-3000 gallon tanker with a 500 gallon-per-minute pump. The truck would eventually replace three vehicles – a 3500-gallon Round Pond tanker out of service since 2011; Tank 3, a 1980 2800-gallon tanker; and Engine 1, a 1985 International with a 1000-gallon tank.
“We have to replace [Tank 3],” Miller said. “The frame is rusted to the point where it won’t pass inspection again.”
“It’s critical that we have this water source,” Miller said.
When firefighters arrive at a fire, “We need to knock it down and we need a good source of water to get that done,” he said.
The vote will allow the town to borrow up to $209,000 for the purchase. The town also has about $90,000 in a fire truck reserve account and the nonprofit Samoset Fire Co. of Bristol plans to contribute about $115,000 to the purchase.
The fire company also plans to buy a new rescue vehicle with donated money.
Residents approved the education budget without any significant debate after Superintendent of Schools Steve Bailey explained some changes in the budget this year.
The Bristol Board of Selectmen has said a $422,055 increase in the local share of the budget will necessitate an increase in the property tax rate.
Bristol residents will return to the polls Thursday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the annual budget validation referendum. The ballot question asks residents to validate, or confirm, the annual town meeting vote.
This year, residents will also decide whether to continue the budget validation process for another three years. Bristol School Committee Chairman David Kolodin encouraged residents to take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the redundant second vote.
“We think here, in this body, you have already voted on it, and we think that should be sufficient,” Kolodin said. The referendum costs taxpayers $400 every year, he said.
Residents also approved a request from the Bristol boosters club for $10,000 to expand and improve the soccer field at Bristol Consolidated School. The request passed almost unanimously, despite some vocal opposition.
“We have one of the smallest soccer fields around [among] the 20 schools that are involved in our Busline League,” said BCS Athletic Director Chris Perry.
The field is 47 yards wide by 72 yards long, well short of the standard 50-60 yards wide and 100 yards long. The boosters plan to expand it to about 55 yards by 85 yards – still small, but adequate for elementary school students, Perry said.
The boosters have raised more than $10,000 toward the approximately $25,000 project and plan to raise more money.
“We don’t mind doing the work, but we’d like a little help to do it this year rather than next year or two years from now,” Perry said.
Bristol Budget Committee member Chuck Hanson said the request should go through the school committee, which should approve a final design before the town funds the project.
“I think this is a good idea but it’s [just] an idea,” Hanson said. “I don’t know what we’re getting.”
The request ultimately passed with just one or two votes against it.
The town meeting approved donation requests from eight of nine nonprofits.
Weymouth House Community Initiatives Inc. Board of Directors President Harry “Terry” Lowd III asked the town to vote down their $5000 request.
The nonprofit has been struggling financially, Lowd said. The board plans to maintain existing programs like the farmers market as it continues to search for sustainable funding sources.
Bristol Budget Committee member Roberta Watson moved to increase the donation to Spectrum Generations from $3293 to $5000 to help the nonprofit continue the Meals on Wheels program as it struggles with budget cuts as a result of the federal sequester.
A representative of the organization said 69 Bristol residents currently receive Meals on Wheels.
The residents also approved an article to change the way the town selects budget committee members and how long the members serve.
Bristol residents currently elect half of the 12-member committee during the annual town meeting and the meeting moderator appoints the other half. All members serve one-year terms.
The new system would have residents volunteer for the committee. The selectmen would appoint all 12 members for staggered, three-year terms. If more than 12 people volunteer, members would be selected at random from among the volunteers.
Committee co-chairman Jared Pendleton said committee members were uncomfortable with meeting just once or twice a year and “rubber-stamping” budget requests.
The new committee will meet more often to make recommendations before special town meetings and research budget-related items throughout the year, Pendleton said.