The Petersham Advisory Finance Committee did not approve Police Chief Dana Cooley’s request to add another full-time officer to the police force for Fiscal Year 2019 during its joint meeting with the Selectboard this week.
After the board’s review of the request during last week’s Selectboard meeting, the three members decided they needed more time to review all the information pertaining to an increase in the police department’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget for the additional full-time officer. The Advisory Finance Committee said it is in contact with Cooley regarding his budget for next year.
The Selectboard recently gathered in downtown Petersham to review two Capital Improvement Planning Committee project recommendations for Fiscal Year 2019. It originally decided to choose a $15,700 project to paint and repair the Town Office over repairing the Town Hall’s north driveway. But, after inspection, the board decided the repair around Town Hall would need to be completed first due to safety concerns.
“The condition (at Town Hall), just from a pure walkability, rideability and safety standpoint, is in poor condition. The town should address it finally, and in this particular case we should let safety triumph preservation of our historic buildings, which we work so hard on trying to do, also,” said Selectboard Chairwoman Nancy Allen.
Allen said the board will update, Dana Robinson, chair of the CIPC, about the decision. The Town Hall project will cost $5,700 less than the paint and repair for the exterior of the Town Office.
The board also said a citizens petition asking for $1,000 to support the Petersham Friday Market this season for its live music performances will be placed on the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting in June.
The Selectboard’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m.