| Joanne Cole |
In an unplanned convergence, Ayer Road’s repeated washouts and a grant request to study the town’s vulnerability to climate impacts were among topics discussed at the March 18 Select Board meeting.
The board also considered next steps for the Library roof and bell tower and finalized their proposed FY25 budget numbers in a first review of the draft warrant for the May 6 Town Meeting.
Ayer Road washouts, repairs. During public comment, residents off Ayer Road expressed frustration with repairs that one resident called “a band-aid, not a fix” following the road’s recent washout after another severe storm. It was the third washout of the gravel road in 10 months, residents said.
Ayer Road rises steeply at the far end of Woodman Road and has a few offshoot roads; it comprises “a couple dozen houses” in all, Emily Kirkton of Bean Family Road told the board. Kirkton spoke of standing in the road, completely cut off, seeing “this giant river across your street” and thinking, “I guess I’m not going to work today.” Town crews come out right away, she said, and replace what they can. “But it’s not a fix. It’s a band-aid,“ Kirkton said. “Fix Ayer Road for good.”
Resident Hayes Heath said the Ayer Road washouts in May and August 2023 and again in early March have resulted in environmental impacts, not just residents unable to get home or go to work. With culverts overwhelmed, Heath said, “it’s also putting tons and tons of silt into the river and down into the wetlands and all the way beyond that into the Royal River.”
Regarding the most recent repairs, Heath said the Town swapped out an old, rotted galvanized 2′ culvert for a new plastic one—replacing undersized with undersized, in his view. A bigger box culvert is needed to handle the stream, he said, not a last-minute emergency fix. “We can do better,” said Heath.
Culverts in general and Ayer Road specifically came up during recent Select Board and Finance Committee budget conversations. Explaining his budget request, Public Works’ Ted Shane described running through his supply of culverts: he’d already used 46 culvert segments as of January—halfway through the fiscal year—compared with 22 in a typical year. Several board and committee members objected to stockpiling culverts and trimmed the budget request.
At this meeting, a board consensus emerged to pursue long-term solutions for Ayer Road – what’s needed to manage the stream crossings and prevent washouts from recurring. They also decided to keep Public Works’ culvert budget line as-is – that is, reduced from the department’s request.
Library roof repairs and bell tower. By letter and in person, residents urged the board to reject any plan for repairing the Library roof that doesn’t also return its distinctive bell tower. Residents’ letters described the tower as the Library’s “crown jewel,” a structure that “clearly defines the town’s unique character,” and integral to the Library’s status as a “contributing structure” to the Historic District’s designation on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Library was re-roofed around 2018, Deputy Clerk Sharlene Myers told the board. But leaks apparently continued, and wood under and around the bell tower area turns out to have rotted. Two contractors submitted repair proposals, including an option that would not replace the tower and bell. Board members struggled to grasp exactly what each contractor was proposing to do. Ted Shane, who oversees Buildings and Grounds, was not present to offer additional information.
In the end, the board agreed with keeping the bell tower and directed staff to develop a work plan that will remove the bell tower, fix the roof and restore the tower and perhaps also give the bell a refurb. The roof is “band-aided now,” Manager Bill Kerbin told the board, and he predicted it may be good for about six months.
Green light for ERC Climate Resiliency grant proposal. With a unanimous vote, the board approved the Environmental Resource Committee’s Climate Resiliency grant proposal to the State. ERC Chair Lauren Jordan said that at its public workshops, ERC had heard community consensus wanting an extreme weather response plan and infrastructure readiness plan – for the town to deal with flooding, for example.
Jordan said the grant supports the next step in that direction: a vulnerability assessment that would help the town identify areas at risk and prioritize projects to address them. If funded, the Town will partner with GPCOG, which would take the lead on data collection, mapping and analysis and identifying action steps. A survey and other community engagement activities would also be part of the process, Jordan said. The grant request is for $44,500 (the maximum under the program is $50,000). Board members thanked Jordan and the committee for their good work.
First review of draft Town Meeting warrant. With few differences between the Finance Committee’s budget recommendations and the board’s own proposed numbers, review of the draft Town Meeting warrant was uneventful.
The board left in place a few decisions for voters: $700,000 for Paving/Chip seal versus $605,000 (Select Board higher); a Contingency line of $70,000 versus $50,000 (Select Board higher); a $12,537 difference relating to Fire Rescue compensation (Select Board higher); and a $12,000 difference in Buildings & Grounds relating to repairs to the old garage at the Town Hall Complex (Finance Committee higher). As always, voters will determine the bottom line totals, not specific lines.
This year’s warrant review also involved checking the provisions of the Town Charter regarding what must also go to a ballot vote in June. Without any capital item over $625,000, only ordinance amendments will be considered in June and at May’s Town Meeting. Also on the board’s review checklist: making sure that expenditures arising mid-year make it onto the warrant. Those items include repairs to NGFR Engine 3 ($30,000), demolition of the Upper Village salt/sand shed ($40,000), replacement of Public Works’ waste oil burner ($55,000) and departmental overdrafts ($125,000).
Revised Town Personnel Policy approved. The board approved a revised Personnel Policy for Town employees with new and different provisions on religious accommodations, pregnancy and post-birth, anti-retaliation, disciplinary procedures, and displays on town property, among others.
Vice Chair Tammy Donovan wanted to convene another workshop to review changes from one draft to another to another, including provisions with financial impacts, including terms on vacation, sick time and payouts at retirement. Fellow board members thought the document on the table had been discussed fully, as well as vetted by counsel. They were ready to proceed – and did, adopting it on a 4-1 vote (Donovan).
Dry hydrant ahead for Sabbathday Road area. The board approved an agreement to install a dry hydrant on land owned by the Sabbathday Shores Homeowners Association across from the former Grange Hall on Sabbathday Road. The new hydrant will serve as a water source for firefighting in the area around the southern end of Sabbathday Lake.
The standpipe will be on the road side of a chain link fence, with the hydrant’s intake pipe running underground to the lake. A new gate will give NGFR personnel access for maintenance, Chief Craig Bouchard said. Funds for installation will come from an existing budget line, assuming voter approval at town meeting in May.
Watch video of the March 18, 2024, Select Board meeting at this link. Find contact information for Select Board members and links to meeting agendas, minutes and related documents at this link.
