DPW presents seven options for road repair funding
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Drivers on Pleasant Street try to avoid potholes and puddles from poor drainage by driving around them down the street. The proposed road plan would repair all of the public ways in town over the course of several years. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

Department of Public Works Director Don Ouellette presented Selectmen with seven possible courses of action to repair the road system.

The options range from funding all of the work in a single year, which would cost $7 million, to doing nothing, which would cost more than $7 million in the future, he said.

"Some of things I'm going to tell you, you aren't going to want to hear," Ouellette said.

Ouellette isn't recommending either of the extreme options. He is recommending options that would present a start up amount of funding and then spread the rest of the funding out over a course of years. He prefers the idea of starting with a $2.5 million start-up cost and then $500,000 over the course of 10 years.

This option gives the town the most chance of seeking state grants, keeping the DPW available to do extra work on some of the projects and fixing all of the roads.

"We have to accept the program," Ouellette said. "You have to get a commitment from the town for the whole program."

The program takes every public roadway and plans for the timeframe and the order in which the repairs will talk place.

Ouellette said he will collect the details for the Selectmen's top three choices for courses of action. He then added that from there he can hold public information sessions for residents to educate them about the proposals and the current situations with the roadways.

Selectmen asked for more details on the course of action of doing the project in one year for $7 million, asking for $1.5 million upfront and then $1 million a year for four years, and $2.5 million upfront and then $500,000 every year over 10 years.

"The other issue we are going to have to deal with is private roadways," Ouellette said.

In other business:

• Selectmen accepted the resignation of Fred Sweeney from the Council on Aging, which he chaired, the Cemetery Commission and as the election constable.

All three positions are filled by the town administrator. Interim Town Administrator Paul Boushell said he would probably seek to fill these positions during the normal cycle for town appointments, in the spring.

• The Selectmen gave their blessing for Boushell to hire a new police officer to replace Officer Kevin Ahern, who is out on leave for the next several months because of an injury he sustained on duty.

Board Chairman Mark Carlisle said he would approve the hiring of this additional officer because the increase to the budget for this fiscal year is minor because the town's insurance covers 80 percent of Ahern's salary while he is on leave.

"This is just taking care of our existing staff," Carlisle said.

Boushell said he wants to have hired someone by February, and that they are looking for someone who is already academy trained.

Selectman Jonathan Dennehy supported the hiring of the additional officer but said that he wants to make sure the town can afford to fund the position in the next year.

"We are going to be very close," Boushell said. "The chief and I think it's sustainable."