JAY — Selectpersons decided Monday that money requests from Area Youth Sports and the Andy Valley Riders Snowmobile Club need to go to voters at the town meeting in April.

The town’s share of insurance for Spruce Mountain Ski Slope goes through the budget. The amount paid in July was $11,025. 

Selectpersons agreed last year to pay $2,725 to AYS for the town’s share of liability insurance and $5,000 to the Andy Valley club to go toward the purchase of a snowmobile. Those funds came out of the town’s tower and recreation reserve account.

Andy Valley members approached the board in October asking for another $5,000 for a more fuel-efficient machine. The board and club members discussed the purchases last year after the club asked for money to replace sleds.

Board members said Monday that they want to be consistent with donations and preserve the reserve account as long as possible for overall recreation in the town.

The reserve account has about $165,000, and approximately $135,000 of that came from a timber harvest of recreation land behind the schools. A communications company pays $893.5o per month to lease an area of the recreation land for a tower.

If selectmen take all three requests from the reserve account, it would be gone in 10 years, Selectperson Terry Bergeron said.

Most of that money came from wood-cutting and it won’t be able to be harvested for another 20 years, Selectperson Tim DeMillo said.

The town has entered a 40-year lease with the Androscoggin Land Trust for approximately 10 acres at French Falls Recreation Area. A committee is putting together a five-year and a 10-year plan for the area. Money will be needed for some of the plans.

If the money is taken out of the tower and recreation fund, not everybody would see it. If it’s a donation everybody can see it, Bergeron said.

Selectpersons have oversight of the reserve account and can approve or disapprove requests for money. Voters have final say over donations and that money is raised by taxation.

Club members said they do a lot of work on the trails in the town and hoped to get help in buying another snowmobile to lower costs for the club.

It is for recreation, club President Mark Bickford said of the reserve account.

The trails the club maintains are not just for snowmobiles, he said. They are multi-use and are used for walking, exercising dogs and cross-country skiing, he said. 

The club would not be asking for money to upgrade a machine next year.

The town registered about 300 snowmobiles last year.

A portion of the registration fee is returned to the club from the state, through the town. Last year, the club received $2,012.48, according to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere.

The agent fees are set by the state. The town’s agent fee for registering sleds is $1 for renewals and $2 for new registrations, LaFreniere said.

Town Clerk Ronda Palmer suggested the club leave cards at the Town Office with information about the club, LaFreniere said. They could be passed out when the machines are registered. The cards could also note where donations could be made.

The club also applies to the state for a grant, which also comes through the town. The grant last year was $6,885.19.  

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

Copy the Story Link