WEATHERSFIELD — The Selectboard has scheduled a special Town Meeting in May to ask voters for about $171,000 for fire services in the new fiscal year beginning July 1.
The vote is needed because residents defeated a recommendation from the Selectboard at the March Town Meeting to spend $265,000 to establish a single, municipal fire department — replacing the two volunteer departments — with a full-time chief.
The article was defeated, 397-316. In anticipation of the article passing, the Selectboard did not put any money in the budget for fire services. The requested appropriation was derived from estimates from the chiefs of both volunteer departments.
Also at the May special Town Meeting, residents will be asked in two separate articles to abolish the fire commission and appropriate $17,000 for equipment.
The informational portion of the meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday, May 20. Australian balloting will be Tuesday, May 21, in Martin Memorial Hall.
Town Manager Ed Morris said the article to abolish the fire commission will be decided in a floor vote on May 20.
“The chiefs from both departments favor getting rid of the commission,” Morris said on Wednesday night.
At Monday’s Selectboard meeting there was a lengthy discussion on how fire services could be structured going forward, but no decision was reached.
“The Selectboard is still figuring out what it will do,” Morris said. “Right now, it is first things first. They need to pass the budget to continue fire services and then can get back to looking at the departments.”
The West Weathersfield Volunteer Fire Department was in full support of moving to a municipal department with a full-time chief and actively worked to pass the article at Town Meeting.
West Weathersfield members said a full-time chief and municipal department would improve safety and free up firefighters to focus more on training and do less fundraising.
Many members of the Ascutney Volunteer Fire Department opposed the proposed new structure.
According to minutes from Monday’s meeting, the Selectboard is not in full agreement on how to proceed, or whether change is needed.
Morris said on Wednesday if the appropriation passes, he expects the two departments will continue to operate as they have until the Selectboard can agree on an alternative structure that has the backing of both departments.
According to the minutes from Monday, the board agreed not to pursue a part-time chief and also said both departments have to be in favor of any changes in how fire services are delivered.
West Weathersfield Fire Chief Josh Dauphin reminded the board his department wants the town to take over all their assets, except for the land and building, and suggested a contract with the Ascutney department.
But others said such an arrangement would not work.
Another suggestion from board member John Arrison was for West Weathersfield to be the town’s department with a chief paid for by the town.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
