Charlestown to vote on water project, broadband Tuesday
Mar. 5—CHARLESTOWN — Many towns and school districts across the region will hold their annual meetings next week. Here's a look at Charlestown's warrant:
Budget proposal: $5,914,950, up $114,766, or about 2 percent, from the $5,800,184 budget voters approved last year. This figure includes the town's funds for water and sewer.
Hot topics: Whether to raise $4.6 million for a new water-system project — aimed at addressing arsenic levels and increasing the town's water capacity — to be paid for through a bond. A three-fifths majority is required for the article to pass.
Warrant articles:
*Whether to raise $2.1 million for installation of a fiber-optic network serving residential and business locations, to be paid for through a bond. Three-fifths majority is required for the article to pass.
*Whether to enter into a $120,000 lease-to-purchase agreement for five years for a one-ton truck for the highway department. The first year's payment would be $25,972.
Contested races:
*Shelly Blouin-Andrus, Nancy Houghton, Steven Neill, John W. Streeter and Jeremy C. Wood are vying for two three-year seats on the selectboard. None of them are incumbents.
*Alternates Patricia Chaffee and Rose Smith-Hull are competing against Walter Spilsbury and Alissa Bascom for two three-year seats on the planning board.
*Incumbent Judith Barely is competing against Karen Haskell and Diane Town for two three-year seats on the library board of trustees.
Elections: Tuesday, March 9, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Charlestown Senior Center. Because Charlestown follows an SB2, or official-ballot, format, voters consider the entire town-meeting warrant at the polls.
Olivia Belanger can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or obelanger@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBelangerKS.
