The Village of Waterville Board adopted the 2020-21 budget with no change in the tax rate.
Before board members passed the $1.2 million budget, they had some discussion with Town of Sangerfield Supervisor Lorena Lenard.
Lenard was one of 17 people in the room Monday night before the statewide rule began about limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people.
Sangerfield and the Town of Marshall pay towards the expenses of the Waterville Fire Department. Lenard said this year’s increase to Sangerfield of almost $12,000, which follows last year’s increase of $13,000, was quite a jump in expenses for the town.
She said she did not question whether three items in the budget were needed, but whether one could be put off till next year. Those new one-time expenses are a new fire alarm panel at the firehouse, a new Jaws of Life and a key fob system to enter the firehouse.
DPW Superintendent Jamie Bechy, also a member of the fire department, said the fire alarm panel at the firehouse and at Municipal Hall need to be replaced because they are obsolete.
WFD Chief Will Beach said a new Jaws of Life will replace a used one purchased years ago. The key fob system will provide greater control and accountability on who is entering the firehouse, Beach said.
Access can be deleted or added as needed. He said items have gone missing from the firehouse, including someone’s turnout gear.
Beach said the new entry system has been in previous budgets and taken out to keep costs down, but is needed. “We need to have controls of who is in and out of there,’’ he said.
Lenard said she did not consider any of the requests unreasonable. “To try to put everything in one budget in one year is having an impact on the towns,’’ she said. “This (town) budget might need an override to pass.’’
At the time of the meeting, Bechy said a pre-construction meeting for the Wastewater Sewer Treatment Plant was still scheduled for last week. Contractors planned…