
A joint meeting between the Selectboard and the Planning board was held to discuss and approve the warrant for the upcoming special town meeting
BETHEL — The warrant for a special town meeting on Jan. 22 was discussed and approved on Jan. 13 in a meeting containing both select board and budget committee members. The primary focus of the warrant will be the transfer of funds from the undesignated fund balance to the town account for upgrades and maintenance work to be done at the wastewater treatment plant.
Sharon Jackson reported that the current undesignated fund balance is “higher than what we recommend it should be” and added that “auditors do not recommend we budget monies that we don’t need to budget.” The project comes from a $1 million grant, which was applied for by Weston and Sampson. The grant comes with a 20% town match, along with extra costs for administration and engineering. The total amount that needs to be raised comes out to $250,000.
The required work for the waste treatment plant had previously been identified, leading the company to apply for a grant. Weston and Sampson, the company in question, have a plan according to Jackson, though they have not shared the details with the town office. The town selectboard has previously voted to use $289,000 – money from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds. Jackson said, “All of that money has either been used or been dedicated for projects that will be completed by the end of 2025.” The current amount of $250,000 will be an additional cost on top of previous money spent.
Frank Del Duca also pointed out during the meeting, that there were environmental concerns with the waste treatment plant, and that without maintenance it could prove a hazard. Jackson added that it was, “Fair to say that there has been no maintenance done to that building.”
The town meeting with be held on Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. Article 2 of the meeting will review the costs and funds for sewer work, while Article 3 will focus on management of grants and funds for work done at the Bethel airport.
This article has been updated to correct inaccuracies.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.