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Residents urge tree maintenance after outage; coaches and trustees defend Parks & Rec spending
Summary
Residents reported a tree failure that took down power lines and left over 100 homes without power and urged tree-warden action; Parks & Rec volunteers and trustees urged the board not to cut small program increases, warning the cuts will harm summer programs and staffing.
Multiple residents used the public-comment period to raise safety and program concerns tied to the budget.
Linda Minor described a recent tree that failed near utility lines and said the failure cut electricity and internet for more than 100 homes in a known cellular dead zone. She urged the tree warden to contact Eversource to trim or remove dead trees along a 1.5-mile stretch to avoid emergencies and expensive nighttime repairs. Minor also suggested the town consider reallocating building/CIP funding to address the safety need if Eversource will not act.
Arthur Christensen, a volunteer youth coach, urged the Board of Finance not to reduce the Parks & Recreation increase, saying the $21,000 request is small and drives considerable program access for children; he warned that cutting counselor pay or summer-camp staffing could push qualified applicants to neighboring towns and reduce program quality.
Board members discussed Parks & Rec fund balances, ARPA-funded program carryover and whether some program costs should be self-sustaining through fees or grants; they also weighed volunteer capacity against staffing needs and flagged fee adjustments or targeted cuts as potential tools to manage small-department increases.
No formal action was taken; speakers asked municipal staff to pursue tree-maintenance options and to report back on Parks & Rec fund balances and staffing scenarios as part of the budget deliberations.
