Contested Center Road paving job beats FY cutoff

R.D. Torno & Sons Paving equipment and workers gather early this morning in advance of paving a short distance of Center Road today. (Lebanon Voice/Harrison Thorp)

LEBANON - Road Commissioner Tom Torno announced on Monday that the $28,000 approved for expenditure in an 11^th-hour move by Selectmen Royce Heath and Paul Nadeau last Thursday will be spent today on paving a small portion of Center Road.

The money from last year's budget has to be spent prior to Wednesday, July 1, because if it isn't, it reverts to the general fund.

Selectmen Chairman Ben Thompson said on Friday he had hoped to have had the $28,000 go back into the general fund, but the surprise motion to spend the money carried 2-1, over his objection.

On Monday night he refused to sign the $35,000 purchase order for today's paving.

Torno, meanwhile, said he got more complaints about the small section of Center Road between Shapleigh Road and Holtby Lane than any other road in town followed by Shapleigh Road between Five Corners to the portion paved several years ago, and River Road between Milton Road in Rochester and North Rochester Road.

Torno said today that the roughly half-mile stretch of road should be done by 1 p.m. He said while they wouldn't be grinding the road, they had already pulled some rocks out and had been preparing the road for a while in the event the funding was approved.

He said the other two roads are major jobs and the portion of Center Road he's paving today is one more easily done on such short notice.

Thompson said on Monday that pressing payroll issues due to per diem personnel that begin at Lebanon Fire and Rescue on Wednesday should be first priority when it comes to keeping town funds liquid over the summer before property tax revenues begin flowing into town coffers in October.

Lebanon Fire and Rescue will be staffing two at each stationhouse 14 hours a day beginning Wednesday after town voters overwhelmingly approved the measure earlier this month.