By JACLYN GODDETTE
NEW LONDON — Voters defeated an article that would have given the selectmen the authority to borrow up to $500,000 for the purchase of land during the town meeting held Wednesday, March 14.
The article specified that the land would be used as a site for a new “municipal building,” though no parcel had yet been identified.
Selectman Janet Kidder explained that the town was interested in reviewing potential sites for either a new police station or a new recreation building.
Currently, the police and recreation departments are both housed in the Harold W. Buker Jr. Municipal Building.
Police Chief Ed Andersen testified to the numerous problems the department faces at its current location. In addition to lack of space, the department must deal with water infiltration, safety concerns and poor ventilation and heating.
While many of the article’s opponents were appreciative of the police department for dealing with the less than ideal circumstances, they pointed out that there was no guarantee the selectmen would use the money for a new police station.
Joe Cardillo, a member of the budget committee, argued that the request for a “municipal building” was too vague.
Furthermore, many opponents called for the town to commission the study they sought funding for during last year’s town meeting, which would investigate the feasibility of long-term use of the Buker Building.
Bob Bowers, who prepared an informational sheet for the voters ahead of the meeting, pointed out that perhaps many of the infrastructure issues could be repaired.
“I asked the selectmen if they would tear the building down if a new building were built and I was told ‘no,’” explained Bowers, “So you would now have the same problems if the police department were still there.”
“You have to fix the HVAC system and water infiltration. Those problems have not been fixed, so no wonder we still have issues.”
Furthermore, he cited an architectural firm’s 2014 study of the Buker Building, which stated the logical site for the police department is their current, central location.
“Let’s do our homework and come back next year with a report on what the facts and costs really are,” he argued.
Budget Committee Member Lyndsay Lund pointed out that waiting until the next town meeting might mean passing up a good piece of property were something to become available.
“We are trying to be proactive rather than reactive,” she maintained.
After roughly an hour of debate, the town voted on the issue by ballot.
The bond article, which needed a two-third majority to pass, failed 154-77.
After discussing the article, the public voted to approve a $7.4 million operating budget, as well as to raise $603,510 for capital and non-capital reserve funds.
This year’s figure represents an increase from last year’s $7.2 million operating budget.
Most increases represent changes in staffing and salary. The budget also includes funding to add a ninth fulltime police officer starting in October.
Andersen hopes having an additional officer will spread out the workload for his staff and lead to better retention rates.
The town also easily voted to expend money set aside in capital reserve funds for various purposes, including the purchase of an asphalt roller and fire department radios as well as the paving of gravel roads.
Later in the evening, the voters reversed their decision last year regarding extending the eligibility of a veterans tax break.
Veterans who served during a recognized conflict were already eligible to receive a $500 property tax credit. In 2017 the voters decided 66-65 to not extend it to all veterans.
Selectman Nancy Rollins acknowledged that there was a relatively minimal tax impact observed in the nine towns in the state that did extend the tax credit last year.
This time around, the article passed 119-28.
The meeting lasted almost four hours and attracted 234 voters, which is roughly 6.7 percent of the town’s 3,485 registered voters.
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