WELD — In about an hour, 49 voters supported 13 articles in the annual Town Meeting warrant, Select Board Chair Richard Doughty said Saturday morning.
“There was not a lot of discussion,” Doughty said.
Voters approved the $737,915 budget, with the only real difference being where some moneys were to come from, he noted. The Budget Committee had recommended using $902 from the Bicentennial Account — earmarked for the sesquicentennial — to help lower taxes, but the body voted to take the money from surplus instead, he added.
Voters approved the Select Board recommendation not to proceed with the Matrix Design Group broadband proposal so the town is not going down that path, Doughty said. “TDS (Telecom) has indicated they are upgrading their services,” he noted.
The Matrix proposal would have made broadband telecommunications services available to all 911 addresses.
“At the 2020 Town Meeting the town authorized the Select Board to proceed with negotiations with Matrix,” Doughty wrote in an email Feb. 21. “As more details of the proposal and the cost to the town and subscribers emerged, public support diminished.”
A survey last summer indicated a large majority were not interested in paying more for enhanced internet service and/or using taxpayer dollars to support internet infrastructure upgrades.
David and Jeannette Hutchinson, to whom the town report was dedicated, were recognized, Doughty said. The dedication notes the couple has been active in Weld for decades and are known for selling their doughnuts at Heritage Days.
“Jeannette did bring doughnuts and muffins she had made to share at the meeting,” Doughty said.
Vacation days for all state holidays for the four full-time employees were approved, he noted. There were some inconsistencies in policies as the road commissioner had no holidays, Doughty stated. “The road commissioner, heavy equipment operator, town clerk/tax collector and treasurer are now eligible for all state holidays. It doesn’t impact the budget,” he said.
“It was a very friendly meeting, everything seemed to go according to plan,” Doughty added.
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