HOLDEN — The Eagle Lake feasibility study is back on.
An earmark in the state budget to fund the $50,000 study was among the cuts made earlier, but that has changed.
“When we saw it was back on, we immediately contacted everyone to get the check,” Town Manager Peter Lukes told the Board of Selectmen at its meeting Feb. 5. “It was processed in record time. We have it in hand.”
The actual payment was needed before continuing the effort.
“That’s what we were waiting for” in order to move ahead, he said.
The committee is being appointed, and their job is to hire a consultant to work with them on initial plans and cost estimates for a renovation.
“They (committee members) are charged with engaging as many stakeholders as possible,” Lukes said, to determine what people would like to see, from an expanded playground and beach to picnic areas.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Lukes said. “We’ve never given up on it. Eagle Lake is alive and well.”
Fee changes
Looking ahead to budget issues, the board discussed fees that could be increased.
Those could include fees for water and sewer as well as recycling and recreation, Lukes said.
“The cost of doing business has increased dramatically in the last year.”
Selectman Anthony Renzoni said he wanted to see fees raised only if necessary.
“I’m a firm believer (that) we raise rates when needed, and I don’t think we need to raise rates,” he said. “I’m going to be hard-pressed to raise rates.” But he said that if a case is made, the board will have to look at rates.
“It will be on top of a tax increase this year, after we cut $2 million in existing municipal capital to meet the increases,” Renzoni said. “We’re in a tough place as a town.”
“I challenge the administration to look under every rock and look in every closet to find a way not to increase those rates,” acting Select Board chairman Richard Bates said.
The board spent the majority of the lengthy meeting discussing a water connection appeal brought by a resident, and will continue that discussion at the March 4 meeting, since two members were not present and will have to get up to speed on the issue.
