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Advisory committee urges earmark for senior services carports; Select Board defers for cost verification
Summary
Advisory Committee recommended a legislative earmark totaling $40,925 — $37,600 for vehicle shelters and $3,325 for staff hours — to support senior transportation needs; the Select Board took the letter under advisement to obtain updated quotes and consider modifying the request to prioritize shelters.
Noel Francis, chair of the Advisory Committee, presented the committee’s recommended legislative earmark for senior services and urged the Select Board to send a signed letter to state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnick and Sen. Peter Durant asking for funding. Francis said Advisory recommends a total request of $40,925: $37,600 for vehicle shelters and $3,325 to fund 175 hours of staff time at $19/hour.
Francis acknowledged the request was unlikely to fully succeed but argued it was worth asking annually. He also advised that each department submit at least one earmark request so the town consistently asks for priority projects.
Board members raised concerns about using one-time earmark money to fund recurring staff hours. Several suggested modifying the letter to request vehicle shelters as the primary, capital-style ask and list staffing hours as a secondary, lower-priority item. Updated contractor quotes discussed during the meeting suggested the $37,600 figure might be short; one board member suggested an ask closer to $45,000 including contingency.
The Select Board voted to take Advisory’s letter under advisement, directing the town administrator to obtain updated size/cost estimates and bring a revised request to the next meeting for action.
