Turner selectmen

Met: Monday night

Arts article changed

Issue: The wording is different, but the issue remains the same: Whether or not to eliminate the Turner Center for the Arts.

The Scoop: Town attorney Jamie Belleau suggested a wording change be applied to the article submitted several weeks ago by local merchant and former Selectman Dennis Richardson. The article, which contends that the arts center competes with private businesses and should be eliminated, uses the word “revoke” regarding the center’s existence and funding. In a legal opinion rendered Monday, Belleau suggested that “dissolve” be used instead. Board members voted to accept the change.

Up Next: Whether or not to dissolve funding for Turner Center for the Arts, as well as a similar article to decide the fate of the Leavitt Institute building which houses the arts center, will be decided by voters during the April 5 annual town meeting.

Budget requests

Issue: After reviewing budget requests in the town meeting warrant Monday, selectmen and Budget Committee members agreed on all but one.

The Scoop: The lone discrepancy is that of a vacant laborer’s position in the Highway Department. Budget Committee members want to make it temporary and part-time; selectmen and Town Manager Eva Leavitt, however, want to keep it full-time and permanent.

Leavitt argued that the road crew has been a five-person department since 1992 and that to reduce it would be moving backward. Additionally, it would give the temporary worker the option of not coming in when he or she likely would be most needed, such as during a storm or other emergency. Budget Committee members, however, argue that the position’s costs don’t balance its value.

Board vacancies

Issue: Several open board seats lack qualified candidates and will need to be filled by write-in ballot during the municipal election April 4. Open seats include a three-year Board of Selectmen term, a three-year post on the school board, a two-year term and three three-year terms on the Budget Committee.

Up Next: Polls for the election will be open only on Friday, April 4, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The annual town meeting will follow Saturday, April 5, in the cafeteria at Leavitt Area High School. Discussion will begin at 9 a.m.

Junkyard violation

Issue: Jeffrey and Danielle Levasseur of Levasseur Lane were cited last year for violating the town’s ordinance regarding maintaining a junkyard on their property. The citation stemmed from a neighbor’s complaint that the 35-acre parcel was strewn with unsightly scrap and debris, particularly along the side of a public road. Selectmen on Monday accepted a proposed consent judgment submitted by Belleau, the town attorney, regarding how much in civil fines and legal fees the Levasseurs likely would be expected to pay if the case goes to court. However, the amount of fees and fines is subject to negotiation and was not disclosed.

Up Next: A court hearing is scheduled for March 6.

Emergency billing change

The Scoop: Turner no longer will bill for every time fire crews and equipment are dispatched to the scene of a car accident. Previously, the town billed a minimum of $200 for each response. But board members voted unanimously on Monday only to bill when the likely cost of response will exceed $500. Far fewer accidents now occur along the rebuilt section of Route 4, which means the town is spending less money in emergency response.

Meeting rescheduled

The Scoop: Last week’s winter weather forced postponement of the Planning Board’s regularly scheduled meeting to Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The board will resume its normal meeting schedule in March.

For municipal news items, contact JT Leonard at 252-6040 or at [email protected].