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About two years ago, the Town became aware that the water tower on Auburn Street needed to be painted or replaced. A cost analysis was done, and it was determined that the best and least costly way was to replace the 1953 tower with a new glass on a steel tower. The new tower would be built on the same footprint as the present tower.
It orders to do so, and it required that the cell phone and the town’s emergency equipment be moved off the tower. In the course of time, the Town hired a firm to do a security analyst of all of the town buildings, etc.; the Town was told that for security reasons, the cell equipment and the town’s emergency equipment should not go back on the water tank.
With that advice, engineering proposed a permanent separate tower be built to accommodate both cell companies and town needs. The residents did not like this idea and went to the Select Board. The Board agreed with them, so a “temporary ” tower that will be torn down at the cost of $100,000 will be built for the town’s emergency system. The cell companies will have to find their own solution, and During the estimated construction time of two years, this will cost the town approximately$ 600,000 in lost revenue. Given the 60/40 percent school /town split of revenues, this could cost the schools $360,000 and the town $240,000.
The residents do not like the proposed color of the new tower, and they were told that this is the standard color and that a different color could cost$ 100,000 more and add to the time of construction. The funds for the tower come from your water bill so that each and every water user in town will have to pay because they do not like the color.
In my opinion, the Select Board interference in this and many other projects have and will cost the taxpayers and the water use payers money. You will have the opportunity to remove at least one member of the present Board at the April election; the choice is yours. I know how I will vote.
William C. Brown
28 Martin Road
781 944 2807
