No June White’s Island vote; residents to consider pier project, SRO
Wiscasset’s June ballot will have no White’s Island questions. Selectmen’s Chair Sarah Whitfeld announced April 12, at a budget meeting and ahead of it on Facebook, Parks and Recreation Director Duane Goud has pulled a proposal from consideration. She said he did this to provide time to get updated costs, especially for a railroad crossing; and more public input ahead of another try, likely for the November ballot, Whitfield said.
As a result of the April 12 meeting at the town office and on Zoom, selectmen propose bonding $1,267,500 of the $1,842,000 in capital requests on the June 14 warrant. As proposed, those items would be bonded over 10 years at an estimated 3.87% interest; yearly payments would be $155,701.
Capital requests proposed to be funded via capital reserve include $125,000 for a plow truck, $235,000 for an ambulance, $174,500 for the harbor expansion project and $40,000 for a municipal grounds maintenance truck. Proposed for bonding are $400,000 for a fire department tanker truck; $80,000 for roof work at Wiscasset Community Center; $50,000 for salt and sand shed roof work; $200,000, paving; $313,500, municipal building improvements including HVAC system upgrades and window replacement; $209,000, wastewater treatment plant work; and $15,000, Sunken Garden repair.
Voters will consider restoring a school resource officer after rejecting the job last year. The draft warrant noted a $60,000 grant from Wiscasset School Department would go toward the $86,253 cost.