Budget cuts eliminate two empty positions

Ashburnham voters approved budget reductions that eliminate the vacant directors positions at the department of public works and at the council on aging as the cut the budget $300,000.

The approval of the budget reductions came with no questions and a unanimous vote at the town meeting. The voters also rejected a proposal to renew a revolving account for the fire alarm system on Monday at a Special Town Meeting.

“We have seen a reduction in expected revenue,” said Selectmen Chairman Edward Vitone. He said even when the budget was originally passed in May, everyone believed some of these reductions would come this fall.

Voters rejected a proposal renew a revolving account for the fire alarm system, that was originally approved at the November 2008 special Town Meeting to receive fee payments for the fire alarm system. Selectmen proposed renewing the revolving accountant — something that must be done annually — with a $15,000 spending limit from it and limiting those expenditures to maintenance and upgrades on the system.

“We want it to go through the regular budget process,” said Advisory Board Chairman Bill Johnson. “We can’t be setting aside pockets of money.”

The majority on the Advisory Board opposed the article, while a majority of the selectmen supported it. Selectman Jonathan Dennehy said the purpose of the article was to pay for maintenance of the system using fire alarm fees, separate from the general budget.

Voters did approve the transfer of $63,000 from the town’s insurance provider to pay for the upgrade in the fire alarm system. The box system was damaged in the December 2008 ice storm and was replaced by a wireless system. The remaining costs of the wireless system upgrade will be covered by Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A total of 79 registered voters attended Monday’s meeting, which lasted less than 50 minutes, at Oakmont Regional High School.

Monday’s meeting was the second attempt at the special Town Meeting after fewer than 75 people attended the scheduled meeting Nov. 17. By law, Town Meetings in Ashburnham may not convene with fewer than 75 people.

In other business, voters moved $117,200 from the insurance reimbursement for the repairs to the Town Hall after a heating system pipe broke this summer into the accounts used to pay for those repairs.

Voters passed over articles to transfer money to offset the tax rate because the town did not have enough money to take such action, after moving about $146,000 to cover the overage in last winter’s ice and ice deficit as well as moving about $23,000 into the town’s stabilization account.

Voters also approved moving the power to set fees from Town Meeting to the Board of Selectmen. They voted to do this by adopting a state law in a 74-25 vote, which was counted after a voter requested it because of a close voice vote.

Town Meeting also adopted a change to the non-union personal bylaws that will allow the town to offer employees shortterm and long-term disability insurance.

“The goal was to replace the costly sick leave buyback program,” Selectman Margaret Whitney said.