LIVERMORE — Use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and Brettun’s Pond were among items discussed at the July 19 Selectpersons meeting.
Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said ARPA funds would be used by the state for a new tax break law going into effect Aug. 8. L.D. 290 allows residents 65 years and older who have had a homestead exemption for at least 10 years to apply for their tax rate to be frozen, he noted.
“That creates some logistical concerns because we need to keep track of what those differences are,” Miller said. “As far as the real-state-collection end of things, the state is scrambling right now for the form for people to fill out, apply for. The difference will be paid for through $3.5 million in ARPA funds [the state has received]. It is not going to be raised at the local and state levels.”
People have raised concerns on whether or not that is equitable, Miller said. “We have got to be ready for it,” he noted.
The town has received the second allocation of ARPA funds, Miller stated. The funds need to be obligated by the end of 2024, projects completed by 2026, he added.
Selectpersons had discussed using ARPA funds for upgrades to the transfer station and highway garage in April. Adding a well, bathroom and hand-washing station at the transfer station were suggested.
When the sand/salt shed is paid off a work bay is needed that would allow a truck, maybe an excavator to get in, Selectperson Chair Mark Chretien said.
“We can move forward with the transfer station stuff,” Selectperson Brett Deyling said.
Miller said he had a quote of about $10,000 for the well.
Selectpersons asked for more information to be obtained then discuss it again at a future meeting.
In other business, Deyling asked Brettuns Pond Association President Churchill Barton to attend the meeting to discuss the dam. Deyling said he had checked with the state and Livermore is the owner of the 84-foot dam. In 1985 it was documented in poor condition, he added.
According to state statutes, if the owner isn’t willing to maintain it, the dam has to be removed, Deyling said. “It is in terrible shape, it is not holding anything back,” he stated. The structure controlling the water level right now is actually the culvert under Route 4, he noted and asked if the pond association was interested in taking ownership.
Barton said the association doesn’t own anything, has no true legal status, doesn’t enforce boating laws. Its number one concern is soil erosion and informing camp owners of how easy it is to take care of problems, he noted.
If there was an issue with the dam washing away, it probably would have done so already, Barton stated. The water level in the pond doesn’t seem to be suffering, he noted.
The dam will be discussed at the association’s annual meeting later this month. Deyling will attend that meeting.
Miller said he had received another complaint regarding the Brettuns Pond beach. The woman was worried about her kids being there given the broken glass and dog feces she had seen, he noted.
“We talked about this last year,” Miller said. “[The beach] is open for residents only. How do you police it?”
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