Mason Town Meeting adds money for storm cleanup

Mason Town Meeting approved all 19 articles before it Saturday morning, including making changes to the budget due to last week’s snowstorm.

An amendment increased the emergency management budget from $1,500 to $31,500 to account for storm cleanup. Also, the road restoration budget was cut from $160,000 to $150,000, with the $10,000 added to the salt budget. Overall, the municipal operating budget increased from approximately $2.48 million to $2.51 million.

Town Meeting also approved:

– $40,000 for repair and maintenance of town roads.

– $25,000 for the Highway Department Equipment Capital Reserve Fund.

– $10,000 for a commercial-grade zero-turn riding lawnmower.

– $8,000 for replacing library flooring. Select Board member Charlie Moser is looking forward to having the floor replaced.

“It’s the floor that our kids play on,” he said.

– $10,000 for the Fire Department Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund.

– $7,774 for purchasing two wireless headsets for the Fire Department to comply with hearing protection per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

– $5,000 for the Fire Equipment Capital Reserve Fund.

– Changing the payout agents for the Recreation Revolving Fund from the Recreation Committee to the Board of Selectmen in the absence of a Recreation Committee.

– $7,500 for the Recreation Revolving Fund. The town is looking for people to participate on a Recreation Committee. Select Board Chair Kate Batcheller said recreational events are often costly, but they bring out the community, which she believes is notably strong in Mason.

– $5,000 for the Fire Station Capital Reserve Fund.

– $10,743 for the Town Hall Renovation Capital Reserve Fund.

– $1,600 for the Cemetery Maintenance Fund, along with making cemetery plot sales part of the general fund.

– $1,500 for maintenance on the rail trail.

– Adopting the Optional Veterans’ Tax Credit and the All Veterans’ Tax Credit, both for $500.

The meeting lasted roughly 90 minutes.