OXFORD – More than 100 residents turned out on Saturday to re-elect Selectmen Dennis Sanborn and Floyd Thaylor to three-year terms. Sanborn won over contender Lois Pike by only two votes. All nominations were taken from the floor, with Thaylor receiving 54 votes to 52 for Pike. Votes were cast in writing.
Incumbent John Palmer was re-elected as SAD 17 school director for another three years, and incumbent Penny Lowe was re-elected to the Oxford Water District.
Current Fire Chief Fred Knightly and Assistant Fire Chief Scott Hunter were nominated for fire chief. After the paper ballots were counted, each man had 54 votes. On the second count, Hunter won with 58 votes to Knightly’s 48.
Hunter gave a brief statement applauding the job Knightly had done as chief, but said members of the Fire and Rescue Department decided it was time for a change because of low turnouts for calls and training. Knightly was not present at the meeting.
An increase of approximately $72,000 for the Police Department in 2006 was questioned. Board of Selectmen Chairman Thaylor said Chief Ronald Kugell, who has recently retired, had not taken a paycheck for the 40 years he served as police chief in Oxford. Some of the increase reflects the fact that the town now has to hire a chief; another part is the result of a rise in fuel and power costs.
When asked if interim Chief Jonathan Tibbets would be working as a police officer while also doing the job of the chief if he’s appointed, Kugell answered that the state is issuing more standards and requiring more paperwork. “He may find himself more and more in the office,” Kugell said.
A resident brought up the fact that there were 10,000 cases last year and wanted to know how many of them were bumped to other agencies. Tibbets said they were all handled by the four Oxford police officers.
Kugell said if a case required more follow-up, one could easily spend 40 hours on a single case.
The most discussion revolved around the Oxford Cemetery ordinance, which includes rules regulating placement of flowers and the fact that no trees or shrubs can be planted on a plot. All flowers, fresh or plastic, must be placed in a metal containers, not glass. The town has the right to move any trees or shrubs planted on a grave site, but attempts will be made to contact the lot owner before removing.
An amendment was made to postpone a vote until next year so people would have more time to study the report. Town Attorney Geoff Hole said the ordinance could be changed in the future if needed. The amendment to postpone did not pass, and the ordinance was accepted.
The capital improvement project account was questioned because of a $100,000 increase over last year. Town Manager Michael Chammings said a town revaluation is well overdue, and this will cost the town approximately $250,000. He wanted to have this money in reserve so when the revaluation actually starts the town won’t have to come up with the entire quarter-of-a-million dollars at once. The assessed value of a property compared to current selling price must have a ratio within 90 percent. Chammings said Oxford was well below at somewhere around 60 percent.
Selectmen had recommended $5,000 less in the social services account, which Thaylor said was a request from Thompson Lake Environmental Association. Joe Max spoke on behalf of the youth project which is to protect the lakes from watershed runoff, which adds phosphorus to the lakes and causes algae to multiply. The mission of the group is to develop projects to keep erosion in line. The article passed with the $5,000 intact.
All 42 articles passed with a budget of $3,122,402.00
At the end of the meeting, Jim Hooker spoke to the dedication of meeting moderator and retired police Chief Ronald Kugell. He said to Kugell: “This town owes you a big debt on what you have done for the town over the past 40-something years.” The audience quickly rose to give Kugell a standing ovation.
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