By Michelle Switzer
Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman Jr. speaks on behalf of the town, which received the Safety and Health Award for Public Employers, before Bristol’s annual town meeting Tuesday, March 17. Steve Greeley, of the Maine Department of Labor, (left) presented the award. (Michelle Switzer photo) |
In less than 1½ hours, Bristol residents approved their education and municipal budgets, along with other articles, during the annual town meeting Tuesday, March 17.
Moderated by Don Means, the meeting began at 7 p.m. and ended at 8:20 p.m.
With 53 articles on the warrant for Bristol’s town meeting, the 85 voters present only had questions for one, town road maintenance.
The Maine Department of Labor presented the town of Bristol and the Bristol-South Bristol Transfer Station with the Safety and Health Award for Public Employers.
“We recognized positive safety and health in the town’s public employees,” LaPlante said. “In the 10 years we’ve had the award, only 53 public employers and only a handful of towns have won.”
The Safety and Health Award for Public Employers is a two-year renewable award. The award exempts worksites from programmed inspections as long as it remains valid.
The first 18 articles on the warrant concerned the education budget for students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12.
Voters approved a $4,441,764 budget with no discussion.
Individual budgets included a regular instruction budget of $2,565,855, a special education instruction budget of $469,097, a career and technical education budget of $9,021, another instruction budget of $83,840, a student and staff support budget of $196,062, a system administration budget of $103,537, a school administration budget of $167,623, a transportation and buses budget of $373,362, a facilities maintenance budget $436,557, and $36,809 for all other expenditures.
Bristol voters approved the food service program budget of $20,709 and $10,068 for the adult education program.
With no break, the meeting went to the municipal budget, which the voters approved with very little discussion.
A general government budget of $429,790 was approved.
Residents sped through approving $7,000 for general legal fees and $10,000 for wind power legal fees. During a special meeting Oct. 1, 2014, the majority of residents voted against allowing an offshore wind project to connect to the grid in Bristol.
A revaluation reserve account was approved for $10,000, and voters authorized the selectmen to negotiate a contract with the current assessing contractor for a revaluation for the next fiscal year.
Voters approved minor amendments to the town’s shellfish conservation ordinance and subdivision ordinance, and enacted a river herring ordinance.
The town road management budget was the only article on the warrant to spark discussion. Resident Michael Alderson requested maintaining gravel roads instead of paving them, for the sake of saving money.
“The town has always supported the effort of updating and improving all town roads,” Hanna said.
Selectman Paul Yates said, “The fire and EMS departments appreciate the paved roads.”
Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman Jr. told a story of a recent fire call the department received on Brown’s Cove Road.
“Life safety was the main concern,” Leeman said. “It was icy and dangerous. We would appreciate if gravel roads were paved.”
The town road maintenance budget of $792,377 was approved with a few scattered no votes; $307,377 of the budget will go to snow removal.
Voters approved a Bristol Fire and Rescue budget of $327,765.47.
The fish committee’s request for $20,500 was approved.
The remainder of the meeting was without discussion; every article on the warrant was approved with no revisions.
