Residents hold up green cards to vote during the Pittston annual town meeting Saturday at the Pittston-Randolph Consolidated School in Pittston. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

PITTSTON — A lively town meeting on Saturday morning took over four hours as residents discussed roads and recycling among other issues and cut the proposed budget by almost $400,000 in the process.

The annual town meeting was well attended, with at least 100 people ready for the meeting to start at 9:45 a.m. at Pittston-Randolph Consolidated School. The meeting ended around 2 p.m., as residents were eager to discuss almost every article on the warrant and did so right up to the last, Article 22.

Voters cut the proposed budget by $394,000, either by amending spending in the warrant articles or opting not to pass them. It brings the total proposed budget to just over $2.65 million in spending over an 18-month fiscal year that started on Jan. 1, 2025 and will end June 30, 2026.

Most of the reasoning from residents around cutting the budget was based on concerns about increasing tax bills in what was already a difficult year for many. It is unclear what the proposed mil rate for next year will be, but the 2024 mil rate is $10.60 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, up from $9.25.

Christian Jensen, Pittston’s treasurer, tax collector and office supervisor, left, answers a question from resident Terry Shepherd during the Pittston annual town meeting Saturday. (Staff photo by Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The big money item at the town meeting was a culvert construction project on Blodgett Road, for which town officials requested $350,000 to spend on repairs. The project as proposed would include installing a bridge and building an alternate road for Blodgett Road residents to use while the bridge is repaired. Residents had the option of choosing to spend $350,000 by raising the amount through taxes, or borrowing the money with loan interest that could top $80,000.

Most of the discussion focused around construction details of the project; some residents expressed concern that the proposed bridge would not be wide enough for two fire trucks or other large vehicles to pass. Moderator Chris Cooper reminded the audience that the warrant article was about funding the construction and not about the construction methods or design.

“Well, we know something has to go in there to replace the culvert, and regardless of the way about it, we need to talk about the money and be prepared to pay,” Christine Holzinger, a candidate for select board said.

The select board broke down the costs and said the project, which includes installing the bridge and creating a new road, is estimated around $560,000. Some of the construction has started because it is considered an emergency repair and Select Board Member Joe Caputo said the town saved $50,000 on the culvert repair by getting ahead of the proposed tariffs on Canadian goods and energy.

Residents voted against raising the money outright and opted to borrow the $350,000, which will be combined with $150,000 from the town’s major culvert repair fund.

Discussion was also lively and extensive around issues of recycling and waste, which appeared on three warrant articles.

Select Board Member Joe Caputo answers a question during the Pittston annual town meeting Saturday at the Pittston-Randolph Consolidated School in Pittston.  Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The first article asked the town to raise and appropriate $8,375 for disposing of recyclables, which passed. The second article asked the town to raise $18,000 for a concrete pad to prevent the recycling bins from rusting. It failed to pass, with 37 votes in favor and 72 people against it.

Those against the recycling articles said they believe the cost is too high when residents can bring their own recyclables to Hatch Hill in Augusta for free.

The third article asked about raising money for the town to use Hatch Hill for waste disposal.

Resident Ann Pistil spoke about issues Hatch Hill is having regarding space and said that she does not know about the Augusta landfill’s space after July 1. The city of Augusta has said for years that the landfill is filling up, and is currently trying to secure a bid from a company to help expand.

“If they find a partner to help fund the expansion if it’s approved, it might add enough life for the next 12 years or so, but it will come at a cost and they will come back to the towns, you can be sure, for more money,” Pistil said.

Thus, residents in Pittston amended the amount the town will raise for the service from $39,990 to $13,330 to fund usage through July 1.

Besides the monetary items on the town meeting warrant, the town passed two ordinances: the Town of Pittston Addressing Ordinance and the Recall of Municipal Officials Ordinance, which was rewritten this past year as part of the attempted recall of Caputo.

The town meeting was chairperson Jane Hubert’s last meeting. Voters will choose either Todd Lindstrom or Holzinger to replace Hubert in Tuesday’s election between noon and 7 p.m. at the town office at 38 Whitefield Drive.