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Council approves $5.74M public‑works budget as town restores paving funding
Summary
The council approved the Public Works budget of $5,736,334 after administration explained an increase aimed at restoring roadway maintenance funding toward levels cited in a 2020 pavement assessment; items include additional paving, guardrail repairs and a pavement‑management reassessment.
Administration presented the Public Works proposed total of $5,736,334 for 2026–27, a 2.41% increase over the prior year. The administration said the figure is broken into three divisions — highway, parks and recreation/cemetery, and recycling/transfer — and highlighted an effort to restore the paving line toward the previously recommended $900,000 level from a 2020 roadway analysis.
DPW representatives (Ben and others) explained specific items: an additional $50,000 for road paving (raising a $600,000 line to $650,000), increased salt and sand line to reflect higher material costs, guardrail repairs, and a small pavement‑management reassessment budget (approximately $10,000) using newer LiDAR‑based technology. The council discussed fleet maintenance, the parts division, the vehicle replacement schedule and how police/fire surplus vehicles may be repurposed for town use.
A motion to approve the full DPW budget (all three divisions) was moved, seconded and passed by voice vote. Councilors described the budget as modest given scope and noted future opportunities to reexamine capital planning and pavement funding.
