Selectmen cell phones out, expanded anti-Naiad funding in after sparsely attended meeting

MILTON - With some 30 folks in attendance at Milton's Deliberative Session on Saturday, all Warrant articles passed and will be sent to voters, with Article 3, and Article 16 being the only ones amended.

In response to much discussion on social media, regarding Town Phone records being subject to the Freedom of Information act, Selectman Mike Beaulieu made a request to eliminate town paid cell phones, reducing the overall operating budget by $1,500.

Article 3 operating budget was reduced to $4,333,900 from the requested $4,335,400 after the BOS submitted an amendment rescinding their request for a $500 cellphone stipend for each of them.

Article 7, the $14,159.00 request to fund a step pay plan to increase wages for the employees of the Public Works Dept., found no noticeable opposition as their current wages are unarguably sub-par and inadequate. But included in the articiles is a $4,000 increase for the director who is an "Elected" official.

Article 10 regarding the establishment of a trust fund to fund improvements and maintenance of all Town Owned ball fields was attempted to be amended by this writer to include "No Taxpayer funded monies will be included" but was defeated.

Regarding Article 16, despite everyone's insistence on reducing the tax burden at every turn, this $5,000 request to combat the European Naiad "plague" saw two amendments to INCREASE funding. First, to $10,000 then to $20,000. The $10,000 amount was agreed upon despite a consensus that more was needed, with concern that too high an amount would result in a vote of disapproval come election time.