MEXICO – Hoping to attract new business tenants to the Mexico Recreation Center and save on heating costs, town officials decided to continue sprucing it up.
After considerable discussion at Wednesday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectmen George Byam and Ritchie Philbrick voted to spend $2,800, replacing remaining windows on the first floor and adding insulation to the frames. Selectman Reggie Arsenault abstained.
The brick building was once Mexico High School.
Town Manager John Madigan said there are five windows for each classroom. Overall, seven sections of five windows per section need work: one section on the first floor, six on the second floor. Other windows have been boarded up.
When the Police Department moved into the building in October, contractor Mike Mann replaced windows on that end and insulated the frames.
“It made a significant difference, and, you can’t hear the traffic going by,” he added.
Madigan said that with $8,000 in the building reserve account, there is enough money to do the remaining windows on the first floor and a second set on the second floor. More could be done in the next budget.
“This is a worthwhile proposal, a good investment for the town,” he said.
“If we take care of that building, a business might want to go in there. We have a $58,000 recreational program up there, and that more than pays for electrical and heating costs,” Madigan argued.
Last year, he said the town spent $12,000 on heating oil and would probably spend the same this year.
“For every room you close up, you save money. Any money you put into those windows is going to save money and make a big difference,” he said.
But Philbrick was wary of depleting the account by $5,600 in case something came up.
A motion by Byam to do the two sections Madigan wanted done failed after it was decided that Arsenault should abstain. Philbrick then motioned to do the first floor set for $2,800 and Byam joined him.
In other business, selectmen unanimously agreed to appoint Bernadette Dickinson as a reserve officer for the Police Department.
Police Chief Jim Theriault said Dickinson lives in Mexico, has passed the 100-hour course for reserve officers, and could start work in January.
Theriault also said he got a $7,000 grant to buy an all-terrain four-wheel vehicle for the department so officers can also patrol area trails.
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