Jamie Browder
The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
(TNS)

Mar. 18—MARLOW — Voters agreed Saturday to pursue potential solutions to building problems in the police and fire stations.

The nearly three-hour town meeting was attended by 33 residents, who approved every article on the warrant, including an amendment to increase the veterans tax credit.

Two articles related to the police and fire stations: One to change the name of an existing capital reserve fund to the Public Safety Building Project Capital Reserve Fund to pay for a feasibility study of a public safety building, and to allow the selectboard to expend money from it, and another to deposit $45,000 into that fund.

Both passed on a voice vote.

Tom Willey, a member of the Marlow Public Safety Building Advisory Committee, said the fire station has structural issues, no space for equipment, barely any room for trucks to be parked inside, undrinkable water, no showers, mold, and the building tends to flood or freeze. The police department building, Willey said, also has mold, no functioning bathroom and no place to store evidence.

The town’s choices are either to repair the stations or build new on 7.5 acres of property the town already owns. Willey cautioned, though, that any repairs to the fire station could be costly, as the station would have to be brought up to code, which it currently isn’t.

Willey said the cost of the feasibility study, to be conducted by an architect, is estimated at $30,000 and it will help the town decide which option is cheaper.

Selectboard Chair Robert Allen said changing the name of the reserve fund, called the Community Development Project Capital Reserve Fund, to focus on the public safety building project could also help the project garner grants. The fund currently has $12,318.

Also on Saturday, voters agreed to re-adopt a veterans tax credit, and to raise that tax credit from $200 to $750.

The movement to raise the credit was brought by resident Jim Strickland, who inquired what the highest amount of money the credit could be.

Executive Administrator Jacqui Fay reviewed state law and found $750 was the top limit for the credit. The amendment passed with a majority vote, followed by the overall article.

The town’s budget proposal of $896,190, up about 1.1 percent, or $9,786, from the $886,404 budget voters approved last year, was approved unanimously by voters.

Residents also approved adding funds to capital reserves: $25,000 for the road improvement trust fund; $10,000 for the heavy highway equipment fund; $5,000 for the transfer station trust fund; $5,000 for the police cruiser fund and $7,600 for the police recruitment fund. All of these allocations would come from budget surplus.

Voters also greenlit adding $10,000 for the fire truck and ambulance fund; $4,000 for the fire and ambulance repair trust fund; $5,000 for the fire uniform and protective equipment trust fund; $2,000 for the information technology equipment replacement trust fund and $10,500 for the cyclical revaluation fund.

Voters also OK’d a request to create the Robert Nichols Ambulance Expendable Trust Fund and appropriate $31,725 for it. The entire amount is coming from funds bequeathed from the Robert C. Nichols trust/estate.

Voters approved $10,500 to update the town’s hazard mitigation plan, contingent on receiving 75 percent from the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program Grant. The other 25 percent would be matched by the town.

Elections for town and school district positions will take place on March 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the John D. Perkins Sr. Academy, after being postponed due to last week’s snowstorm.

Jamie Browder can be reached at 352-1234 ext. 1427 or Read more

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