SOUTH THOMASTON, Maine — Residents gave strong support Tuesday night to borrow up to $329,000 to renovate and expand its town office/fire station complex.
The 62-38 vote at the annual town meeting came after town officials said the fire station part of the municipal building failed to meet fire and safety codes.
The project would be financed by a loan of $295,000 from the Maine Municipal Bond Bank and $34,000 from the town’s building reserve account.
The proposal calls for an addition of about 16-by-70. One of the major deficiencies in the existing building involves a mezzanine in the fire station section that has no proper way to safely exit.
In other action, residents rejected a proposal put before them by selectmen to purchase a one-fifth acre lot with a dilapidated house on it located next to the Gilford Butler School. The warrant article called for spending $10,000 for the property and $10,000 to demolish the 981-square-foot Cape Cod house built in 1830.
Administrative Assistant John Spear said if the school is closed at some point, that property would revert to the town and having this adjoining house lot would give the town more property.
Residents, however, said they saw no need for the spending and suggested that the town condemn the property. Administrative Assistant John Spear had said one reason the town considered the purchase is because of concern about having such an unsafe building so close to the school.
Fire Chief Bryan Calderwood said the building is not safe enough for the department to conduct fire training, and there is another residence too close to it for the building to be leveled by a controlled burn.
In the race for a selectman’s seat, Jan Gaudio was elected through a write-in campaign for a three-year seat. Gaudio won with 61 votes, defeating candidate Moira Paddock who was on the ballot.
He will succeed Dianne Darling who did not seek another term.
The overall proposed 2015 municipal budget is $1,144,818, a little more than 4 percent up from the 2014 budget.