Council waives permit fee for Borders Farm Preservation to repair Foster covered bridge

The Foster Town Council voted July 10 to waive the town permit fee for Borders Farm Preservation so the nonprofit can proceed with roof repairs and tree removal at the Foster covered bridge.

The letter to the council said the bridge is repaired and maintained by volunteers and that the cost of repairs and hazardous-tree removals will be paid from a dedicated Borders Farm Preservation fund. "Borders Farm Preservation would like to respectfully request the town waive that fee due to the fact that the bridge is essentially a town landmark," the letter said, signed by Linda Lewis Tibbets, president of Borders Farm Preservation.

Gordon Rogers, the highway director, spoke about the bridge's history and raised a concern he had heard in earlier community conversations about prior funds that had been commingled. Susan Joyce, treasurer for Borders Farm Preservation, replied that "No funds have been commingled" and explained that the bridge funds have been held in a separate account since the 1990s. Joyce estimated repair and related tree-removal costs would be "somewhere under $30,000." The council then moved to waive the permit fee; the motion passed by voice vote.

Councilors and preservation trustees noted the bridge was built twice by volunteers: first dedicated in 1993 and rebuilt and re-dedicated in 1994 after arson destroyed the original structure. Borders Farm Preservation asked the town to waive the permit fee because the structure is a community landmark and the fund is covering the repairs.

The council did not specify the dollar amount of the waived permit fee at the meeting.