NEW GLOUCESTER – Efforts to spend less on streetlights and more on road construction failed at Monday night’s annual town meeting.
Carlton Wilcox told selectmen $5,800 was too much for a small town with no pedestrian traffic to spend on streetlights.
“I hate to spend money unwisely,” he said.
In the 1980s his father, Edgar Wilcox, persuaded voters to turn off streetlights for a year.
His recommendation of $4,300 was turned down, and voters approved the recommended $5,800 for 32 lights.
Some residents brought up the poor condition of Woodman and Durham roads, which routinely wash out, highway officials have said.
Rebuilding them would cost roughly $500,000 and require a $150,000 engineering study first, selectmen said. The town expects to have $67,700 put aside this year to do a study.
Pat Dionisio of the Durham Road said plans over the years to pave the road in sections never materialized.
“This is one of the worst roads in town,” she said.
Peter Wales, who also lives on the road, said, “It kills me not to use the right material to build a proper road bed. It’s time.”
He tried unsuccessfully to amend the spending so the road could be improved now.
Highway Department director Kevin Doyle, who took over in December, said the conditions of all town roads are going to be assessed and prioritized for future planning.
Voters also approved: stipends to volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel, under certain conditions; putting new cedar boards and paint on the Meeting House in Lower Gloucester; and installing a burglar alarm and fire alarm at the town hall.
They approved a budget of $3,142,046 during the three-hour meeting moderated by Donald Libby.
Fire and Rescue Department volunteers Richard Cadigan and William Kiley were honored by Fire Chief Gary Sacco for 50 years of service.
A winter rescue sled was donated to the Fire and Rescue Department by the Royal River Snowmobile Club.
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