By Leah Gage, Community Journalist, Granite State News Collaborative

The Wolfeboro Select Board met Dec. 7 to consider what budget items to present to voters at town meeting in 2023. A new public safety building, a school resource officer, a new boat, major museum repairs, and large equipment replacements were among the items reviewed.

Twenty six warrant articles in all were proposed and discussed at the meeting. Some of those included: 

A $12 million bond for a renovated and expanded public safety building to house the police and fire departments; a bond of no more than $1,490,000 for the estimated  $4 million Libby Museum restoration and expansion project, and $170,000 to pay  for a new utility boat for the Municipal Electric Department. The current municipal boat was in two separate accidents over the summer and has been deemed a total loss by the town’s insurance provider.

Two separate warrant articles were presented, one for $600,000, and one for $500,000, to update and repair sewage pump stations and to extend sewer lines to new homes. These amounts may increase as the town looks to mitigate E. coli levels in Jockey Cove, caused by sewage leaking into Lake Winnipesaukee through aging pipes. “We have an obligation for the safety of our citizens. You can’t put your kids in this water where you have high E. Coli,” said Select Person Linda Murray. “We’d have our beaches shut down.”

Also on the list was $130,000 for a new mini excavator for the Department of Public Works, and a separate warrant article of $300,000 to replace a dump truck and the foreman’s truck. A petition warrant article submitted by the Carpenter School seeks $50,000 for new playground design and equipment.

Leasing a new fire truck for $800,000 to replace Engine 4 which has significant engine and rust problems  leading to high repair costs was on the list of items Dec. 7. “Unfortunately we do not have the funds to buy a piece of apparatus,” said Town Manager James Pineo. “Making a lease is our best option for this.”

The town also asked voters to approve $72,653 for a new School Resource Officer (SRO) position at Kingswood Middle School. The SRO would be part of the police department and when school is not in session the SRO would be employed as a regular Wolfeboro Patrol Officer. The cost of the position would be split between the Wolfeboro Police Department and the Governor Wentworth Regional School District.

Bond hearings will begin on January 12, 2023 at 6 pm, with deliberative sessions held on or around February 7, at the town hall.

This article is produced by a community reporter as part of The Community Journalism Project. For more information, and is being shared with the partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information on the project visit www.collaborativenh.org/community-journalism-project