Town Meetings

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Cyr Plantation

To celebrate the history of their municipality Saturday, ctizens of Cyr Plantation ate a 125th anniversary cake at their annual town meeting. They also took a look at their past by viewing historical photos, courtesy of Fraces Levasseur.

Robert Lapierre won a thin victory over incumbent Roderick Wright for a three-year term as first selectman by a vote of 20-18. All other candidates were unopposed.

Elected to one-year terms were Maxine Lajoie as clerk and treasurer, Herman Lajoie as tax collector, Marilyn Lajoie as health officer, Philip Lajoie as constable and road commissioner, and Michael Lajoie and Herbert Vaillancourt as fire wardens. Patrick Dumond was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of SAD 24.

Voters approved expenditures of $47,494 to operate their plantation for 1995. This amount does not include the town’s share of the appropriation for SAD 24, which was $69,506 in 1994, and the county tax, which was $6,666 in 1994.

The 1995 appropriation is about $4,500 less than the 1994 appropriation. In 1994, the town had $8,600 in two funds for a snow plow purchase and a snow plow building fund.

Voters increased from $3,000 to $5,000 an account for roads and bridges.

Eagle Lake

About 55 residents took nearly two hours Saturday to approve a $440,058 budget during the annual town meeting.

First year Town Manager James Nadeau said the session “wasn’t bad for his first one.”

Voters cut about $2,500 from recommendations, but the budget is about $30,000 higher than the 1994 budget. The town will use $187,941 from excise taxes to help balance the budget.

In elections on Friday, voters elected Michael Berube to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. He defeated Cyr Martin Jr. by a vote of 241 to 73.

John Martin was unopposed for a three-year term on the SAD 27 board of directors. He represents Ward 12 in SAD 12, which encompasses about half of Eagle Lake and Winterville.

Maurice Pelletier was elected to a five-year term on the board of trustees of the Eagle Lake Water and Sewer District. He beat Marc Plourde by a vote of 174-133.

Nadeau said most of the $30,000 increase in the budget is due to plans to close the town’s solid waste dump.

Voters cut $2,000 from the Fire Department budget and $470 from employee fringe benefits. An attempt to cut municipal salaries was defeated in a secret ballot by a vote of 44-11.

The warrant for the town meeting, moderated by Reynold Raymond, had 39 articles.

Jonesboro

Appropriations amounting to $142,868 are proposed for approval by voters at the annual town meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the elementary school.

One of the more costly appropriations proposed is $29,477 for the annual fee to the Pleasant River Solid Waste Disposal District.

Residents will also be asked to raise $2,500 for a 50-50 matching grant to purchase land from Fletcher Granite at the site of the town wharf and boat landing. The landing is used by fishermen and recreational boat operators.

In his auditor’s report, First Selectman Richard Price said that the town’s audit for the last municipal year was not completed in time for it to be included in the town report. The selectmen “are confident that all is in good order and that the town is indeed in good financial condition and that an audit will be available at the town office very soon and one will be provided at the second town meeting in late May or early June 1995,” he stated.

One proposed change in services rendered at the town office is a recommendation that the office hours of Treasurer Joan Brown be expanded from 20 to 24 hours a week.

Whiting

Voters will consider approving a selling price of about $46,000 for the former George Bucknam School at the second half of the annual town meeting to be held at 7 p.m. tonight at the community building.

Carroll Gilpatrick upset incumbent selectman Anthony Jans 34-28 during the annual election of town officials on March 20. Gilpatrick won the three-year seat in the election that showed 62 votes cast. Also, Serita Corey ran unopposed to win a three-year term on the SAD 77 board of directors.

Tonight, residents will consider establishing an escrow account and raising the account’s first $5,000. The pool could be borrowed from in order to lower the town’s costs of tax-anticipation loans.

Also, residents will be asked to authorize selectmen to borrow $100,000 in anticipation of 1995 tax income, borrow the amount of money necessary to replace the Dodge Road Bridge, and borrow about $17,500 to pave Old Cutler Road or $7,500 to improve the road to standard.

To control expenditures for general assistance, residents will consider authorizing selectmen to require that any able-bodied person receiving assistance from the town work under the workfare program outlined in the general assistance manual.

Burlington

Residents will consider a town budget that is 6 percent less than last year’s at the annual town meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 27, at the town hall.

The budget proposed from local taxes of $90,938 respresents a decrease of $5,420 compared with last year.

Officials were able to keep local taxes down through savings in some areas and by using funds from other revenue sources.

For example, officials propose using a total of $31,000 from surplus funds for one-time capital projects, such as purchasing a highway truck and making improvements to the town hall.

In other business, residents will consider authorizing selectmen to buy about three acres of land, located on the Ridge Road, to construct a cemetery.

Also, voters will consider authorizing selectmen to borrow up to $70,000 to close and cover the town’s landfill.

Lee

Selectmen did not get authorization to enter into an agreement for curbside trash pickup when Lee residents met for their annual town meeting last week.

The Department of Environmental Protection has told the town that it can no longer continue to use the transfer station without obtaining the proper permits.

Although officials believed the likelihood of the town obtaining permits for the existing site were slim, officials learned just before the March 20 town meeting there might be some things the town could do to remain on the site.

Some residents expressed concern about curbside trash pickup. They feared that certain items, such as white goods and tires, could end up littering roadsides and remote fields and pits.

In a related matter, residents endorsed forming a new recycling committee, whose task would be to further promote voluntary recycling efforts.

Everett McLeod, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said there was no reason to throw even one newspaper away today. He said Bowater pays more than $100 a ton for recycled newspapers.

With the prices paid today for recycled items, McLeod said it was possible the town could break even on costs.

Lee’s single largest budget expense is the disposal of solid waste, and residents raised $43,000 to get rid of trash.

Residents approved a municipal budget of $154,670, which is an increase of $4,770 compared with last year’s budget.

In the municipal elections, 57 ballots were cast out of the town’s 654 registered voters.

Incumbent Jerald Worster Sr. was re-elected to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen; incumbent Stephen Mallett, a three-year term on the SAD 30 board of directors; with 38 write-in votes, Christine Mallett, a three-year term on the SAD 30 school board; and incumbent Harold Noyes, a three-year term on the HAD 1 board of directors.

Sangerville

Residents will act on a 55-article warrant at the annual town meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 1, in the fire station.

Elections will include a selectman, town treasurer, fire ward, two SAD 4 directors and a Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary District trustee.

Five overdrafts will need approval: winter roads, Guilford-Sangerville sewer note, fire truck purchase, cemetery and miscellaneous accounts.

Residents will take action on such accounts as general government, which reflects an increase for a second full-time position in the town office.

In addition, residents are being asked to raise $500 and use $6,948 from property-tax relief to purchase computer software and accessories for the town office.

Funds for the continued renovation of the historic town hall also will be considered.

Donations from the Sangerville Fire Department Benefit Association of money it has raised in the last year and a gift of $2,000 from the Manley Haley Memorial Fund from Melva Haley to be used for recreational purposes will need acceptance from residents.

The Sangerville Historical Society will serve a meal at about 11 a.m. featuring baked beans, casseroles, homemade bread, salads, beverages and pies. Admission is by donation.