Belgrade voters will gather at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Belgrade Center for All Seasons for the business portion of Town Meeting.
This follows elections for town offices and other items voted on in secret ballot 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Town Office.
Residents dealing with almost 40 articles on the warrant on Saturday will decide whether to establish a reserve fund for a Fire & Rescue Department Building and place $30,000 into it. That carries the unanimous recommendation of both selectmen and Budget Committee members.
Town Manager Dennis Keschl said that the fund is intended to build a central fire station to meet future needs. He said a site has not been chosen, but it might be near the Town Office.
The facilities maintenance budget request increased about $26,000 from the fiscal 2017 request to $184,222 this year. That also carries the recommendation of both groups.
Town officials also are seeking residents’ permission to look at replacing the siding on the exterior of the Center for All Seasons to avoid costs involved with restraining boards at various intervals. The article says a number of boards need to be replaced.
The siding on the Center for All Seasons, which opened in 2002, was last stained a decade ago.
Officials also are asking to borrow up to $50,000 through a tax anticipation note. Last year they requested $18,200 but spent $11,886.
Keschl said the amount is higher than the 2017 request because the interest rate from the lowest acceptable bidder is twice as much as last year’s 1.12 percent.
Voters also will be asked if they want to accept a donation from Peter and Larry Mace of a 12-acre parcel adjacent to town land at the south end of Messalonskee Lake. Keschl said it is large largely wetlands that are under conservation protection.
Residents also will decide whether to give selectmen authority to spend up to $15,000 for future projects without doing a “request for proposal” advertisement.
The limit was previously $10,000, Keschl said.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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