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Committee debates size of road paving ask; members favor targeted projects over a large lump sum
Summary
Members debated road paving CIP proposals ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 (and larger figures up to $1.6M in discussion), with some favoring targeted funding for two roads instead of a single large ballot measure; LRAP carryover and prior earmarks were discussed as offsets.
Committee members discussed competing approaches for the town’s road capital improvements program: a large ballot ask to fund multiple roads versus a smaller, targeted request for two priority roads.
One member proposed a $500,000 paving ask but others pushed back and suggested $400,000, $350,000 or even $100,000 as more politically viable options. Staff and members noted an LRAP carryover (discussed as roughly $161,000) that could help fund some work without a large new ask. "If you're gonna have to do bottles and everything else going up... I want, I'd go for..." a member said while arguing for a balanced approach that limits immediate tax impact.
Several members urged concentrating on two roads (Smith Road and Blanchard) and possibly postponing top-coating until funds were available; others noted the difficulty of predicting bids and that large lump-sum requests might be rejected by voters. The committee agreed to refine the scope and bring more precise mileage and cost estimates to the next budget meeting before finalizing an amount to recommend or place before voters.
