The select board declines to fund an assistant librarian position, joins budget committee on other recommendations
| Joanne Cole, NGX |
Newly appointed town manager Brenda Fox-Howard was on hand Monday evening as the select board made more decisions on the FY21 budget, surprised and honored a citizen, and heard an update on the property revaluation now in its final stages, among other business.
The budget committee had recommended funding an assistant librarian at 24 hours per week and reducing the library director’s hours from 40 to 36 in the 2020-21 budget. But a divided board upheld its own earlier recommendation eliminating the assistant librarian position altogether.
Under the board’s plan the library director would continue to be funded at 40 hours per week and become the library’s sole employee. The cost difference between the board and budget committee plans was estimated to be $14,000, with the board funding the library at $76,000 and the committee at $91,000.
In urging the board to adopt the budget committee’s ’36 and 24’ funding for the library director and assistant librarian, member Tammy Donovan noted that library supporters “came out in droves,” a reference to emails and comments at public hearing that overwhelmingly favored retaining an assistant librarian position for safety and to maintain hours and programs.
Chair Linda Chase, pointed to the board’s cuts to the parks and recreation director and town planner and argued for staying with the board’s one-librarian recommendation. She said she’d rather fund “a different position.” By a 2-3 vote, the motion to support an assistant librarian position failed. Both the board’s and budget committee’s library funding recommendations will go to voters on the town meeting warrant.
Only one other area of difference between the board’s and committee’s respective budgets remained when the evening was done. The budget committee had recommended a $25,000 allocation for the transfer station’s capital reserves; the board stayed with its $50,000. Other differences were resolved by the board’s aligning its recommendations with those of the committee. The board raised the contribution to the fire/rescue capital account from $70,000 to $100,000, and reduced the cap on employee merit raises from 3 percent to 2.5 percent, following the committee’s lead.
Once again, trucks. The budget committee’s cut of $20,000 from a $60,000 capital request for a public works utility truck was discovered to be beyond its authority. Funding for that truck will go to the warrant at the full $60,000. Debate over a different new utility truck for fire/rescue took longer to resolve, but the board ultimately voted 4-1 to authorize taking $42,000 from capital reserves for a replacement vehicle rather than patch up a rusty 2004 pick-up. The $42,000 capital request will be added to the warrant.
The meeting began with a warm, heartfelt tribute to Jeff Hamilton, to whom the 224th Town of New Gloucester Annual Report is dedicated. Board member Karen Gilles read the full citation as a clearly moved Hamilton watched and listened from home via Zoom. The dedication cites Hamilton’s generosity and steadfast loyalty to the town over decades of public service, including years with fire/rescue, leadership of the Sons of Amvets, and work on a host of town committees and boards.
Hamilton appeared most touched by recognition for his work on special projects benefiting the town’s children, projects achieved with generous support, manpower, and materials from his business, K C Hamilton & Son, and guided by Hamilton’s vision and expertise.
Earlier in the evening, the board heard from Mike O’Donnell about the next steps in the townwide revaluation his firm will wrap up by mid-August. New valuation numbers will go out to the community around July 10, and review hearings will follow, when residents can discuss or dispute their valuations.
The meeting ended with a gracious welcome from resigning interim town manager Paul First to incoming town manager Brenda Fox-Howard wishing her success. Manager Fox-Howard had visited New Gloucester earlier in the day, including a trip around town and introductions to department heads, chair Linda Chase said. Fox-Howard’s day concluded when the select board’s virtual meeting adjourned.
