LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen will hold a public hearing on a proposed $2.16 million municipal budget on Monday, April 25.

The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the town office.

Selectmen will also determine what amount to add in for capital improvements that night.

People will have a chance to discuss the budget proposal prior to the board approving it. The Budget Committee also needs to meet to determine its proposal. They have been waiting for the board to finalize its plan so they could review it and develop recommendations for the annual town meeting warrant.

As it stands, the proposed budget is $14,540 less than the current budget.

Department heads will gather information on necessary improvements needed in 2011-12 and submit their findings to the board Monday.

Town Manager Kristal Flagg asked if the board was looking at buying another place so that all the departments would be together or doing major repairs on the existing buildings.

Flagg and department heads wanted to know in which direction they should go.

The municipal building alone needs repointing, resealing and other improvements, including new ceiling tiles due to water leaking in.

Flagg said some ceiling tiles have mold on them on the side facing up toward the roof and need to be replaced. More leaks have been found in the building, she said.

“If we go to the trouble of having it resealed and all repointed — nobody seems to know where the problem is — are we still going to have problems?” Selectman Louise Chabot asked.

“We all agreed that we all don’t need a new building,” fire Chief Gerry Pineau said. “We could have one building.”

There are a lot of grants out there and a congressional aide suggested having a dig-ready plan when seeking those types of funds, he said.

There are also grants for energy conservation, Flagg said.

“I think one building is best,” Pineau said.

Another thing the aide said they looked at is the more combining done in a building, there is a better chance of getting a grant, Public Works foreman Billy Nichols said.

They also noted that they did not expect to get a new building next year. They were just talking plans.

Flagg said she looked at all the buildings and maintenance issues. If the town took out a 10-year, $75,000 loan, it would be about $9,200 a year, she said.

The only problem with making long-term maintenance plans is one never knows if that’s all they’ll need, Chairman Bill Demaray.

Town officials have been so afraid to make the first move over the years, that nothing gets done, Flagg said.

“We had a 30-year note on the (municipal) building,” she said. “We paid off the loan and we haven’t done anything in more than 30 years.”

“I don’t think we are prepared as a town for a new building,” Chabot said.

Something needs to be done with the municipal building to get rid of the mold and mildew, Demaray said.

He asked department heads to make a list of needs and repairs, and categorize and prioritize them to see what needs to be done this year.

There has been discussion of adding $50,000 into capital improvements, Demaray said, and get all the necessities done without touching the $100,000 in reserve, which would be great.

“We may not be able to do everything at once,” he said.

He also pointed out that it is unknown what will happen with the schools if voters decide to close them and turn them back to the town.

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