What do two trucks, a generator and a special washing machine have in common? Wiscasset department heads are making the case for the town to buy them this year, for safety and other reasons.

It wouldn't affect property taxes, town officials said. If the buys get voter approval September 10, the money would come from the capital reserve fund.

So would proposed repairs to roads, sidewalks, wastewater pumps and the municipal building roof.

The commercial-level washing machine, projected to cost $10,000, would protect firefighters and their families from hazardous materials picked up at a fire or other emergency scene, town officials said at a public hearing on the budget August 13.

The machine would also help prolong the life of the gear; each firefighter's set can cost $2,000 to $3,000, Fire Chief T.J. Merry said.

A pickup truck, projected at $30,000, would replace the department's nearly 25-year-old one that's currently out of service with a broken brake line, Merry said.

The other truck is being sought for public works, after problems have continued to occur with one used for plowing.

“This is a true need for the highway department,” Road Commissioner Greg Griffin said.

As for the generator, Wiscasset Emergency Management Agency director Roland Abbott argued it would remove the concern about power loss at the municipal building during an extended outage.

“We've been (keeping) our fingers crossed every time we have a storm, praying that we don't lose power ...,” Abbott said.

No one at Tuesday night's hearing opposed the capital spending or other parts of the budget. Residents and selectmen again spoke in favor of funding the town planner and assessing agent's jobs.

Much of the talk focused on how to get voters to approve the budget items. Most of those items lost at the polls in June, so for them, this is round two.

If any departments' budgets fail again, a provision would let selectmen spend the equivalent of up to one quarter of last year's budget, to keep the department going or to start to shut it down. But that provision needs voter approval. It passed in June, buying the time to come up with the next offer; it's on the ballot again for another quarter's worth of spending if needed.

Selectmen's Chairman Ed Polewarczyk expressed concern about the impact of voter rejection of the provision. If it and the transfer station budget both fail, he said, “I don't know what I would do with my trash.”

The provision doesn't completely cover the cost of a department's shutdown, selectmen said. If longtime assessing agent Sue Varney's job fails to get funded, a town vote would have to be called to come up with the money she has coming under her contract, Polewarczyk has said.

During the hearing, resident Katharine Martin-Savage criticized a recent union letter that discussed the potential impact of Varney's layoff.

“That to me was a slap in the face to the citizens,” Martin-Savage said.

Some residents said they believe voters remain unaware that a proposed increase for Varney's position amounts to no more than 3 percent, as a result of the concessions she made under the contract.

People who support the budget should email fellow residents to help get out the vote, residents suggested.

Selectman Judy Colby reminded voters they can vote by absentee ballot.

Businessman offers tax deal

Scott Huber of Scott's Marine Service at 519 Gardiner Road offered selectmen a plan for him to pay about $45,000 town officials said his landlord Forrest Hunt owed in back taxes.

Huber, of Dresden, offered to pay $15,000 this year and the same amount for two more years. He and Hunt have discussed a deal under which Huber would pay off the taxes and then Hunt would transfer the property to him, Huber said.

That would be a matter between Huber and Hunt and would not involve the town, Town Manager Laurie Smith said. If the taxes are paid off, the town would give Hunt a quit-claim deed, Smith said.

Selectmen voted 3-1 to start work to arrange the payment plan. Polewarczyk dissented; Selectman Tim Merry was not at Tuesday's meeting.

In an interview afterward, Huber said he hopes to eventually expand his business. He rents the whole building but currently only uses part of it, he said.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or susanjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com