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MILTON - There was a good-sized crowd at Nute High School on Saturday during Milton's annual Deliberative Session.
But it wasn't in the cafeteria where town officials served up powerpoint presentation to show voters why they needed to approve a nearly $4 million town operating budget along with highway equipment lease agreements totaling nearly $750,000.
It was in the gym watching basketball.
Meanwhile, inside the cafeteria only about 25 residents showed up to wave yellow 3 by 5 resident cards to indicate their approval for all but one discussed warrant articles to proceed to the March 10 ballot as written.
The only change was on Article 13 in which selectmen had asked for $5,000 to fund the videotaping of various government meetings within Milton Town Hall. After the article was written, Selectmen Chairman Tom Gray explained that Metrocast had authorized a $5,000 grant to get things started, so Gray asked that the article be zero-funded since the money was already in hand to fund the broadcasts.
The second-largest money article was Article 7, which asked taxpayers to fund a long-term lease/purchase agreement, in the amount of $494,760 to buy three Highway Department 6 Wheel Dump Trucks with snowplow equipment and sanders. The seven-year lease would require annual payments of $76,950.02.
Similar articles have been defeated in recent years, prompting one resident to ask why not just go for one, or perhaps two, instead of all three at the same time.
Public Works chief Pat Smith in support of the article reminded everyone that repair costs were going up on an aging fleet and that with inflation, purchase costs would also spiral upward.
An article that allowed purchase of a grader for Milton's dirt roads drew less criticism as Smith said it was costing the town more than double to contract the work out after the department's 1971 grader finally bit the dust.
The cost for a new grader is $240,000 and would be paid for over a 10-year lease.
Meanwhile, the town's operating budget, summarily rejected by voters the past few years leading to consecutive default budgets, will likely pass next month. It is actually less than this year's default budget by $52.58.
Something voters won't see on the ballot this year is an article asking for millions of dollars for a new fire station. Instead, the town is looking for $143,000 for design plans, which can be used whether or not the Herbert Downs property at the old Milton Moose is the site of the new station. The Downs property is only available for another three years, after which it will revert to its original ownership.
Meanwhile, the Rec Department unveiled plans for a $20,000 beach playground for youngsters that would also include a basketball court for adults. The current fence would be pushed back to allow access to the basketball court and playground year-round. Rec Director Karen Brown said she hopes to use the basketball court as a winter skate rink to add to the multi-seasonal usage. Article 11 asks townspeople to approve $20,000 to help with the project.
Controversial citizen petition articles on a proposed solid waste landfill for Milton and zoning changes that would allow it were not discussed as public hearings have already been held and they were not subject to addendum at Saturday's meeting.
The final article, a citizen's petition that required only 25 signatures to put it on the ballot, seeks to give the town budget committee sole authority in determining any default budget. While the article drew criticism from some, including meeting moderator Chris Jacobs who said it could undo hundreds of hours of work by town officials, selectmen, themselves, appeared to silently fume but chose not to respond to the article nor enter the debate.
Around 5:30 the Deliberative Session ended quietly, while across the hall in the gym, they were still going strong as the Lady Rams were taking on Hinsdale in a varsity tilt.
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