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Board recommends multiple 2025 warrant articles, approves capital deposits and solar landfill lease motion
Summary
At its Dec. 16 meeting the Plaistow Board of Selectmen reviewed and recommended multiple 2025 warrant articles, including a $510,516 Water Enterprise appropriation, several capital reserve deposits, and a motion to authorize a long-term landfill lease for a solar project; the public hearing and final operating/default amounts remain scheduled for January.
The Plaistow Board of Selectmen reviewed and recommended a slate of 2025 warrant articles and capital reserve deposits at the Dec. 16 meeting. Town Manager Greg Colby and CIP staff presented the proposed articles and amounts, and the board moved and voted by voice on each capital article.
Major recommended items included:
- Water Enterprise appropriation: $510,516 to be withdrawn from the Water Enterprise Fund (motion made and seconded; board approved by voice vote). - Contingency Fund deposit: $85,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Highway Department Equipment Expendable Trust Fund: $100,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Building Expendable Trust Fund: $25,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Library Capital Reserve Fund: $55,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Transportation Infrastructure Capital Reserve Fund: $50,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund: $25,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Fire Department Apparatus Capital Reserve Fund: $140,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Fire Department Equipment Capital Reserve Fund: $30,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Police Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund: $80,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Cemetery Special Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund: $25,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Recreation Capital Reserve Fund: $30,000 recommended and approved by voice vote. - Fire department radio capital reserve fund: $20,000 (added and recommended by voice vote).
The board also debated a long-term lease allowing a solar developer to place panels on the town landfill and voted to recommend a lease motion; during discussion members and staff noted statutory and contractual considerations, including that some project documents and the solar company27s return assumptions contemplate 25-30 year terms while town counsel noted legal constraints that may limit leases without additional approvals. The board discussed foreclosure/default and asset-removal responsibilities if a developer changed hands or ceased operations; staff said those contract specifics will be addressed in legal review and contract language.
The board did not finalize the general operating budget default amount at the meeting; the budget committee is meeting separately and the statutory public hearing on warrant articles will be held in January (by law the public hearing must be posted and held prior to the town meeting). Several warrant articles had failed previously and were reduced from earlier requests to improve voter support, the manager said.
Votes were taken as roll-call or voice votes in meeting; specific vote tallies were not available in the transcript record other than recorded affirmative responses during the meeting.
