By Winslow Durgan,Special to the Sun Journal

MINOT – Residents at Saturday’s town meeting soundly rejected George Buker’s request to reopen Old Buckfield Road.

While the selectmen’s estimate that reopening the abandoned roadway and constructing a new road that met town standards could cost as much as $474,000 was challenged as being excessive, the precedent that such action would set scared many.

“We have 14 other roads in this condition (declared assumed abandoned). We’d be opening a can of worms if we start building new roads,” said Selectman Dean Campbell.

Backing Campbell’s position, John Hemond pointed to the three abandoned roads that cross his land.

“If you open George’s road, be ready to open mine,” Hemond said.

Budget Committee member Todd Olfene said the committee recommended against redeveloping Old Buckfield Road because the town just shouldn’t be involved.

The vote against reopening Old Buckfield Road was 133-51.

Townspeople overrode a Budget Committee recommendation when it approved a two-classroom modular addition at the Minot Consolidated School.

The School Committee has tried for the past three years to address space problems at the school and this year, with a plan to hold all-day kindergarten and a need for more special education students, townspeople accepted what three years ago had been seen as a Band-Aid solution.

The total education budget as presented by the School Committee passed at the requested $3,682,515. This figure includes $93,000 for the modular addition.

The amount approved for education exceeds the state’s essential programs and services funding model by $287,655.

Dealing with the town side of the budget, voters were able to keep spending within the limit set by L.D. 1.

Selectman Eda Tripp noted that the board had stayed within the state’s recommended limit by scarcely $16,000.

Road Manager Arlan Saunders’ highway department budget passed at its requested $589,750.

Saunders identified as the focus for this year’s road rehabilitation program as most of Old Garfield Road, Quimby Road, Old Woodman Hill Road and Lower Road.

Voters approved the fire department’s request for a new pumper/tanker firetruck at a cost of $230,000.

Fire Chief Steve French said the new vehicle would replace Tanker 4, which was taken out of service last fall, and Engine 1. He explained that it would cost $20,000 to repair Engine 1.

The Budget Committee had recommended against the purchase, not because it had a problem with buying a new firetruck, but because it believed the town should hold off for at least a year before making the purchase. With the assurance that funding for the new firetruck would only come from next year’s budget, the Budget Committee and residents supported moving forward this year with financing it through the Maine Bond Bank.

In Friday’s municipal election, voters re-elected Selectmen Daniel Callahan Jr. and Dean Campbell, who ran without opposition and filled two School Committee positions, electing Susan Callahan, whose name appeared on the ballot, and Wendy Simard, who received 85 votes as a write-in candidate.

Also receiving write-in votes for the School Committee were Earl Futch with 55 votes and George Buker with 51.

The revised comprehensive plan also passed by a 171-162 vote.

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