HARRISON – At the annual town meeting tonight, voters will be asked to consider hiring an additional police officer as well as ponder banning small engine repair shops in the aquifer zone.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Harrison Elementary School on Route 35.
In the past year, some townspeople have accused a few young people of harassing residents and vandalizing public spots like Crystal Lake Park.
Town Manager Michael Thorne said some have recommended hiring another full-time patrol deputy to work an additional 40 hours per week. The town has one full-time officer contracted from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
The cost of a second officer would come to about $113,000, which includes a salary of $42,500 and a cruiser for $23,000. The rest covers fringe benefits and vehicle maintenance.
After the Planning Board approved a small engine repair shop near the Bear River aquifer, officials thought it might be wise to prohibit any more garages from the zone, which stretches from Route 35 to the river and then up the hill on the other side, Thorne said.
“With any engine repair work you’re apt to get spills,” Thorne said Tuesday at his office. “This would eliminate that.”
Townspeople will also be asked whether to approve a new town garage, although they will not be asked to fund it yet.
“They’ll just be asked whether they are ready to go forward,” Thorne said.
For each of the past five years, the town has raised $10,000 – $50,000 total – to pay for initial design costs.
The old garage has only two bays, and most of the trucks and equipment are parked outside. A committee formed to study this situation has recommended a five-bay garage that can hold 10 vehicles. The cost is unknown at this point.
The town’s proposed budget is under $2 million, not including the new deputy’s costs. It is up from last year by about $28,000. If the school, county and municipal budgets are approved, the tax rate will increase from $15.65 per $1,000 of assessed value to $16.10 per $1,000.
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