WELD — At the annual Town Meeting Saturday, March 5, voters will be asked to change the road commissioner from an elected to an appointed position.

“There have been ongoing issues with finding a permanent road commissioner,” Select Board Chair Richard Doughty said in a recent phone interview. Some people felt it was an intimidating position, he noted.

“We need to sort it out,” Doughty said. The town has been asked, hasn’t approved the change in the past, he noted.

The current commissioner is leaving in the spring, Doughty said then added, the town needs to make some decision, what can be done if no one can be found or steps forward.

“It could be costly,” he said. “Bridge issues are also coming up.”

The Public Works budget has had $6,760 added under road commissioner’s pay.

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The proposed 2022 budget is $633,002, a 4.25% decrease from last year’s $661,074 figure.

Voters will be asked to approve recommended pay increases for all employees except the selectpersons.

“The town gave the board a very generous raise last year, they felt another increase was not needed,” Doughty said.

At town meeting last year, it was proposed Select Board pay be changed from an hourly rate to a stipend. Voters concurred and also approved doubling recommended amounts to $4,000 for the chair and $3,000 for the other two selectpersons.

Should the pay increases be approved, the amounts required for Town Clerk and Treasurer would see a reduction under the General Government warrant article.

“Extra money in those accounts hadn’t been spent,” Doughty said. “They were trimmed to be more in line with what is actually spent.”

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Lease payments of almost $70,000 for a fire truck and a backhoe for public works have been paid off.

“With no loan payments we felt some money could be set aside,” Doughty said. “The compactor at the transfer station is getting older.”

Proposed additions to equipment reserve accounts would double public safety’s to $20,000 and increase public works’ by $15,000.

Under general administration $15,000 for town hall maintenance would be removed and a new $20,000 building capital improvement line established. A $15,000 building capital fund for the transfer station is also proposed.

One article will address the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Weld will receive about $42,000 with some funds proposed for lost revenue, Doughty noted.

“We intend to use some to replace the generator at the town office/post office complex,” Doughty said. “With the remainder the intent is to provide hazard pay for employees who worked through the pandemic.”

A representative from Matrix will give an update on broadband efforts regionally and the new committee working on ordinances will share progress on the tower ordinance, Doughty said.

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