Pay-as-you-throw & land for parking decisions will have to wait for Cormier

BELMONT — In the absence of Vice Chair Ronald Cormier, selectmen decided to table two of their agenda items at their regularly scheduled meeting last night. The the board members that were present couldn't agree on how soon to propose pay-as-you-throw garbage service or on whether or not a small property located adjacent to Town Hall should be purchased for its parking potential.

The first tabled item was whether or not to recommend to the Budget Committee to include a pay-as-you-throw trash initiative on the 2012 town warrant and include the program in the proposed operating budget.

Arguing for including it was Selectman David Morse who, after looking at the updated numbers given to him by Town Administrator Jeanne Beaudin last night, said it appeared the program would save the average homeowner about $62 per $100,000 of property evaluation.

If an average family was to purchase two of required special-marked bags weekly, Morse reasoned "it would be a wash". He also thought recommending the town go to a pay-as-you-throw system would be the environmentally correct thing to do.

Chair Jon Pike said he would like to wait until the planned Penacook single-stream recycling facility is up and running — a date that is projected to be in December of 2012.

He said waiting a year would give the town more of a chance to solicit additional bids — right now Waste Management is under a contract scheduled to expire in 2014 and Beaudin had said they would keep the price the same and the savings could come from reduced tipping fees for trash disposal.

She said Waste Management would be ready to renegotiate the contract to include the recyclables if the town was willing to extend the contract.

Morse said the only thing that makes him uncomfortable is that Waste Management cannot provide a single split truck that can pick up both garbage and recyclables at the same time — something he feels would save the town some money.

Beaudin said she was told by Waste Management that it would not save the Belmont taxpayers money because the costs of the split trucks would have to be factored into a new contract.

Selectmen will next discuss the issue on Dec. 3.

The next thing Morse and Pike were unable to agree on was the potential purchase of the house and quarter-acre lot at 4 Fuller St. — the house that is on the back side of the current Town Hall.

"If I had my way, We'd own it and the other two," said Pike who said he would support buying the property that is now in foreclosure, but not for the $70,000 asking price.

Beaudin said Cormier told her that in his opinion, it was too much money to spend for parking uses.

Morse was of similar feelings. "I'm not that enthusiastic. The parking problem is solved and the cost is too great for the limited space."

And that's when Welfare Director and former Selectman Donna Cilley spoke.

"I'm taken about that there appears to be a lack of vision," she said, noting how for the past few years all she's heard anybody talk about is "The Village, The Village, The Village."

She said the recent charette distinctly called for more space in the immediate downtown and that the town's purchase of the property could be very advantageous in both the short- and long term.

"There's plenty of land we can chase other than this small, residential home," Morse said.

"I think it's a big mistake if you don't seriously look at it," Cilley said, triggering an angry outburst from Morse when she said she thought the board lacked "any thought process" regarding the property.

"No thought process," bellowed Morse. "How can you say we have no thought process?"

"You need to look at the day-to-day needs as regards to municipal services," said Cilley,who mentioned bringing back the recreation department, now at the old Winnisqaum Fire Station, to the center of the town.

"There's lots of potential," she said.

"I just don't see the potential in this property," Morse said.

Pike made the motion to table the discussion until Dec. 3 and Cilley left the meeting.

In other business, Selectmen chose Feb. 4 a Saturday at 10 a.m., for the town's annual deliberative Town Meeting session that will be held at Belmont High School.

Selectmen were able to agree to close School Street and part of Main Street for the Santa Parade that begins at 12:20 p.m. on Sunday Dec. 4.at the Belmont Middle School. Police Chief Vinnie Biaocchetti said if he needed some temporary help with traffic he would ask the Belmont Police Explorers.

The two roads will be closed until 1:30 p.m. or until the parade is over. The rest of Santa's Village Day will continue until 3:30 p.m. in and around the historic Belmont Mill area.