Weld to acquire new quick attack pumper fire truck

WELD – Residents filled the Town Hall Saturday morning to discuss the details of this year’s budget, which included a potential $40,000 increase.

The meeting was held separately from the elections of town officials, which took place on Friday afternoon. Town members reelected Benjamin Hout to serve on the selectboard for a three-year term. Naomi Doughty was elected for a five-year position on the planning board. Despite a lack of candidates running for the RSU 9 school board position, residents elected Doug Voter as a write-in candidate. He is considering the position.

This year’s town report was dedicated to the 19-person Bicentennial Committee, who organized over 70 events throughout the town’s 200th anniversary.

“When over 200 people gather for a Memorial Day ceremony, in a town of just over 400, that tells you something about the character of that community,” Sean Minear wrote in a letter included in the report.

The spirit of the community seemed to spill over as the meeting proceeded and residents amicably discussed the articles of the proposed budget.

Residents voted to take no action on Article 6, which would have raised or appropriated $30,000 to pay for a replacement roof on the Town Office/Post Office building. The decision was made after discussing the option of waiting until next year when more funds will be available to make the repair.

Voters unanimously passed a motion to install a new public well at the Town Hall. The well will provide the public with clean, safe water for basic needs should there ever be a drought or other emergency situation as there was this past summer.

A proposal to purchase a new, smaller fire truck for the Weld Fire Department brought lots of discussion due to the purchase price being set at $250,000. Weld is one of six departments in the county that does not have a “quick attack” pumper truck, which has the ability to access harder to reach homes and camps. Some townspeople spoke about the fear of fire with the severe drought last summer and the rough dirt roads that surround much of Webb Lake. Others pointed out that $250,000 is no small amount of money and questioned the necessity of such a truck.

“I do not want to put any financial burden on this town,” Fire Chief Corey Hutchinson said. However, he also pointed out the importance of having such a truck in a town consisting of many smaller, less maintained roads.

A motion was passed to appropriate $12,000 of Public Safety Equipment funds towards a down payment for the truck, while the remaining balance of $238,000 would be financed through a loan.