Supervisor Reports

A message from the Supervisor

April, 2021

As I write this, it seems we are all tired. Tired of winter. Tired of all of the issues we have faced in the last year. Especially tired of all the changes the coronavirus has forced upon us. By the time you read this, we should be seeing signs of spring, and we can certainly use the hope spring brings. As far as the financial impact of the virus on our town, it is better than we had feared. The sales tax revenue, which affects us, as well as our county taxes, was surprisingly strong. Additionally, we have scrutinized all spending and have been able to find some significant savings. The latest stimulus bill does include money for local governments. This should help us absorb some of our major long-term costs, such as the sand/salt storage structure and the Square Dashnaw Bridge.

The sand/salt storage structure should start construction this spring. Our engineers are still telling us the Square Dashnaw Bridge will be built this year, but progress has been agonizingly slow. There may also be other improvements at the Bowen Road Park this year. We also expect Clinton County to reopen the Pup Hill Bridge this year.

In other developments, lack of security on our Town computers has forced us to upgrade several of our employee work stations. Upgrades will also allow us to take advantage of new technology without the use of employee's or elected official's personal devices.

With the new year, we welcome a new Assessor, Dave Galarneau, and a new Code Enforcement Officer, James E. Facteau. As I am sure most of you know, the real estate market has been extraordinarily strong. This means many of you will receive notices that your assessments will go up. This does not mean that your taxes will automatically go up, as we intend to remain frugal with your tax dollars.

A recent electrical issue at the Town Hall made us aware our current electrical panels do not meet code requirements. We hope to have the situation resolved shortly. The other part of this upgrade is the installation of a standby generator to allow us to remain in operation during power outages or other emergency situations. In positive news, we opened our ice rink this winter and our incredibly dedicated recreation leaders and coaches have enabled our youth to have at least some of their recreational opportunities.

As we move forward, we always value your ideas and opinions and urge you to keep us apprised of your needs and concerns. Tim Napper, Town Supervisor

Author: Tim Napper